Choosing Kitchen Cabinets: White Shaker
White Shaker Cabinets: A Classic and Timeless Choice
Hampton Bay's Ready to Assemble (RTA) Avondale Style in Alpine White vs. Home Decorators Collection's Newport Style in Pacific White
Shopping Cabinet Options
We knew we wanted to keep it light and bright in our Coastal Kitchen Renovation. With the timeliness white shaker look in mind, choosing the right cabinets was essential. We had two main criteria for new cabinets:
- Soft-close hinges
- Solid Plywood construction
We quickly ruled out the basic Hampton Bay Assembled In Stock Shaker cabinets at Home Depot due to these 2 requirements. Next, we visited a local cabinet store that sourced from a Midwest RTA supplier. While they offered similar specs, the price was much higher, and the delivery time was twice as long. So, we returned to Home Depot to explore other options.
2 Final Cabinet Choices
We narrowed it down to two options through Home Depot:
- Home Decorators Collection’s Newport Style in Pacific White – Fully assembled, semi-customizable, special order so has longer delivery times and higher cost.
- Hampton Bay’s Ready to Assemble (RTA) Avondale Style in Alpine White – Quick shipping, in-stock options, speciality options and strong construction.
We opted for the Hampton Bay RTA cabinets because of their flexibility, ease of assembly, and affordability.
- Budget Tip: Home Depot Pro member and military discount helped us the price!
- Planning Tip: Home Depot Pro Free Design Services was a great resource to help mock up design and cabinet selections based on our measurements.
Cabinet Customization with Speciality Cabinets
- Microwave Cabinet: We didn’t want our microwave over the oven, so we opted for a dedicated microwave cabinet.
- Trash Cabinet: Keeps trash out of sight.
- Lazy Susan: Instead of a blind corner for better storage access.
- Upper 42-inch Cabinets: To extend up to the ceiling. Available online delivery only.
How to Install Your Cabinets:
Tools You’ll Need:
- Tape Measure
- Stud locator
- Shims
- Clamps (helpful)
- Cabinet screws
- Construction screws
- 4-foot level
- Laser level (optional but useful)
- Screwgun
- Kitchen Cabinets
Step by Step Cabinet Installation Guide:
- Prepare the Space: clear the area and measure carefully to confirm your cabinet dimensions are accurate.
- Locate Your Wall Studs: Use a stud locator to mark the location of the studs on your wall.
- Assemble the Cabinets Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to assemble the cabinets.
- Level the Cabinets: Check the floor’s highest point and and use shims to level base cabinets. We prefer not to cut the bottom of the cabinet, shims are a simple and effective for uneven floors. We also use a laser level to keep us square and level.
- Attach the Cabinets to the Wall: use construction screws to attach it to the wall studs.
- Align and Attach Face Frames: Use 4-foot level to ensure level. Use clamps to pull the cabinets together and align the face frames. Then, secure the cabinets with cabinet screws.
- Install Doors and Hardware: Once the cabinets are secured, install the doors and hardware. Make sure the hinges are properly adjusted so that the doors close smoothly.
- Final Adjustments: Once all cabinets are in place, check for any final adjustments.
Final Thoughts - Product Review
We are happy with our kitchen cabinet choice of Hampton Bay’s Ready to Assemble (RTA) Avondale Style in Alpine White. We were hesitant to go with RTA cabinets, but these white shaker cabinets met our criteria for quality, function, and style.
If you’re considering a kitchen renovation, RTA cabinets from Home Depot can be a great option if you are handy and can handle some DIY. We would pause to recommend if you are hiring to have someone to assemble & install, as you may lose the upside on the cost savings.