No advice to offer but I do want to follow this topic. I am reading more often that white /gray /white kitchens are a declining trend but also that white cabs are timeless. I think wood cabs are timeless as well.

make certain you use base drawers not doors . Place up your dimensions [ walls/window/ entry passage/ appliance sizes etc] to get responses about the layout/ cabinet choices...not just the materials. White kitchen is fine....you might like a hardwood floor with all white.

herbflavor , thanks for the reply. We're limited for layout changes due to wiring, HVAC, , etc., and have decided the layout in the virtual pic is what would work best. We've given a lot of thought to our habits & needs, & we think we've got the layout how we want it. The image is far from perfect as regards proportions, fridge sticking out, etc., as the online tool was pretty awkward to use. Curious as to why you suggest drawers vs doors? I've had base drawers, but I find I prefer doors with roll-outs.

The very first thing is your layout.........your appliances. How old are they?

Are you moving anything? Moving fridge ?" You really want counter depth on that fridge, and housed in a three side cabinet enclosure. Are any changing ( hopefully ) to "forever" stainless...no funky fad stainless: )

What's the floor in the rest of your home? Tile as kitchen pic? Or something else.

As to white? There are millions. Simply White, Chantilly Lace .....Dove....( all BenMoore)

As to construction? A plywood box/shelves, and an MDF DOOR? Will take paint extremely well,and outlast you : ) with any amount of reasonable care.

Before Hubby embarks on a big project? Post some inspo pics of kitchens you love. Post the layout and excat dimensions of every single thing as it is now.

Upload pictures from all angles of the existing space, and put all of that in a comment box below.

Btw?? There are colors other than white: )

well the concensus is usually with drawers. I would do a mix of both before I'd do all doors w hinges and roll outs. For taking time to post on Houzz you will find folks willing to look at details and give great feedback. But if its just about the surfaces then do an inspiration "board" with the actual cabinet door/ the paint color/ what counter and backsplash and floor and obtain feedback on that part , if thats all you want , I suppose.

A good paint job, even DIY is a lot of work. The drop in sink is dated, we don't know how old the appliances are.

If you want the brass ring last grab / 20 year kitchen? No Harm. Do it to love it. Which is why I asked all the questions above. Yes....and probably more to follow if you add all the information.

Doors with a roll out require you to 1) open the doors fully, then 2) roll out the shelf. The only minor advantage is that shelves may be adjustable in height but TBH in the dozen years I had them I never changed the shelf's position.

Since you are saving $$$ on the cabinets, spend a little extra for soft close hardware and full-extension drawer slides. Be warned that Lee Valley may cost less but they sell old stock hardware.

I just went from having wood cabinets in my last 2 houses to white cabinets in the house we built last year. White cabinets don't get any dirtier than stained cabinets ... you just happens to see the dirt on the white! Just saw where my DH spilled a few drops on the front of the sink cabinet door when rinsing out his blender shake glass this morning. On stained cabinets I would not have seen it, but saw it immediately on the white. He doesn't see the dirt on any color!

I am already seeing a bit of wear at the trash cabinet where "people" drag the bin out and hit the top of the pull-out. Mentioned it as a problem to the other "people" in the house, so they can be a bit more careful! Worst case we have to have the high use doors/drawers touched up in 10 years, but wood cabinets had the same wear issue, just not as noticeable.

The raised panels and lower cabinets you want will be "outdated" right now, but who knows down the road. Try a recessed panel with some detailing. Drawers for all the lowers, except sink cabinets or special tray storage.

Recessed panel Wood-Mode Mahogany cabinets I did in my previous Spanish style house. Still very traditional.

Just a couple thoughts

White as the only option for kitchens is out, but white kitchens are classic having been around since the turn of the last century

Other than the sink all base cabinets should be drawers- why open a door to open a drawer? The back of the doors always get banged up from people shutting the doors as the drawers retract...

BUILD IN THE FRIDGE You are building custom cabinets, make it look custom by putting sides on the fridge and a flush cabinet that you can actually access above

Why can't the stove slide down a couple feet? No access to the wiring? I would spend the $200 on new wire if I could get the range out of the corner (assumes your husband can run the wire...)

I second what Raimondi said about the paint finish. Especially with white - you will need to wipe off the fronts more than you have been used to with wood stained. Cheap out on the finish and you will regret a painted finish (any color).

Raised panel doors appear TRADITIONAL in a home. IMO your space is too small for this selection. It ends up with lots of rectangles to view.

A Shaker style it easier on the eyes. Less chaotic in appearance.

A

Thanks so much for all the replies! herbflavor Because it's such a small kitchen, I'm going to have to make use of every inch in the lowers; for the items we need to house I'll need 3 roll-outs in some of them, different depths, & when we tried that on paper it made for a choppy look, and some of the roll-outs have to be the full width of the 2-door base, which would look too wide for a drawer that's not terribly deep. I'll look into possibility of drawers that have 2 levels inside using a sliding top tray or something...? Please know, I appreciate the feedback on design and cosmetic both.

JAN MOYER Thank you! We're getting new appliances. Stove will stay where it is, fridge is moving to far left wall (pic here). It is actually against a side wall and won't be sticking out as in the virtual pic.)

Floor is vinyl as shown in pic of dining room table legs, and will be staying. LR & hallway that adjoin kitchen & dining room will have a mid-tone hardwood. Layout is going to have to be as shown in these virtual pics due to limitations (added another pic here, cabs running left from stove butt against a wall, and the blank space to the right of the dishwasher is the end of that side of the kitchen, a sliding door to the patio. It's a very small kitchen!).

We'll be installing an undermount sink, & likely quartz countertops. Re colours, I have always liked the look of white cabinets and have never had them, & I don't think I'd be happy with coloured cabinets.

Raimondi Thank you for that information. If MDF with the better, correct finish as you suggest is durable, that would be our choice. We'll look into the products you mention. I understand what you're saying about painting what we've got to get an idea, but I'm pretty sure I don't want wood ever again, and it's a small room so the white won't be too much, I don't think.

Mary Iverson I am taking your thoughts on roll-outs into consideration; as I mentioned to herbflavor, in some cabinets I need more than 2 roll-outs, & of varying depths & am not sure how drawers of that width, but shallow depths would look, plus they're more permanent than adjusting the roll-outs inside if we found it necessary. We're definitely getting the soft-close & full extension hardware, and are planning two-tiered sliding cutlery trays in the utensils drawers.

I would have a professional spray your nice wood cabinets white and get a brand new countertop and backsplash. I personally don’t like MDF and would only buy solid wood. They don’t last as long as solid wood. No white kitchens arent hard to keep clean.

No one does rollouts. They do pot drawers.

If you looking for every inch of space then you'll want FRAMELESS cabinets with full extension glides on everything.

I think you have enough experience with what you want, and don’t want, to be able to be pretty clear about your determinations of what will work best for you in your kitchen.

Just to note: You are making this change at a time when wood cabinetry is actually very much back en vogue. Your current cabinets also appear to be very nice, and look to be in good condition. But if you have your heart set on white cabinets, you should of course go for it. It certainly would be a massive job, and a labor of love, for your husband to do all of that work - and I admire a skilled craftsman!

It might be easier to have your current cabinets professionally painted. Or since your husband is a craftsman, he could just make new doors or you could purchase just the doors, and save him a ton of work; so in other words - refacing, versus totally replacing. But if you do decide to replace all of the cabinets, consider donating yours - perhaps to Habitat.

As far as the doors versus drawers, etc: You will never win that war on this site. Everybody has an opinion... including their personal preferences - as well as their beliefs about what should, or should not, be the ”standard” protocol in 2023. So unless you are extremely concerned about the Houzz kitchen police showing up at your house to rip out your rollouts and forcibly install multiple drawers, etc. - do what you want.

https://www.angi.com/articles/kitchen-drawers-vs-rollout-shelves.htm

Is it difficult keeping all-white cabinets clean?

2000 I refaced walnut cabinets with thermofoil ( gasp) white flat panel doors. 2020 it was time to reface them again and I now have ta da--white flat panel upper cabinet doors but blue lower doors.

It is not difficult keeping them clean but it is a never ending job wiping them around the knobs.

Twenty three years ago I was the wierdo putting in all white cabinets. Three years ago I was a trendsetter. Who knows what my kitchen will be in 17 more years.

Six years ago, we redid our kitchen, keeping the existing layout. We used the existing cabinet boxes, but my husband made new Shaker drawer and door fronts with MDF in the center. We retrofitted with soft close hardware. We did our own painting with BM Advance white. No problem with the MDF. The paint has held up very well. Although, yes I have touched up once, on the top edge of the wastebasket pull-out, but no issues elsewhere.
If you DIY paint, you need to do it right - a good sprayer, and you need to prime, sand, paint, sand, and paint the the final coat. Using a wet sanding block is the ONLY way to go. Sand the door/door fronts outside on a sawhorse padded with plastic bubble wrap, with a bucket and hose to rinse. Always paint and sand the insides first, and dry the painted pieces in a garage or work tent to be sure bugs or pollen don’t land on the wet paint. It was a time-consuming process, but it has lasted and looks professionally done.

25 min of free advice:

As DIYers you can ignore the fearmongers who insist that painting cabinets is only for Superheroes®. Of course a professionally applied spray finish can be very nice, but if you DIY you can always touch up (or change!) the paint in the future.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/surprising-tips-for-painting-kitchen-cabinets/

Do consider moving the range over a few inches - and adding a Super Susan (KraftMaid) to the corner cabinet while you have the counters removed.

Best wishes for your beautifully refreshed kitchen!

If you have time to view at the Kraftmaid display at either Lowes or Home Depot, you will see that there are near-shaker door styles that have an extra "bead" (if that is the correct term) around the edge which softens the contemporary look but doesn't go as far as a raised panel. I also think these might be less expensive than a raised panel because there is less wood. Not sure though...

Here is the "Janell" door style at Home Depot. I believe that Lowe's has the same style under a different name.

Scroll Down to the "Traditional" Style Doors

Your kitchen will be gorgeous!

Use quality products to build your cabinets. You're putting in the labor. Make it worthwhile. MDF comes in different grades and qualities. Medex has products to look at. This door panel Vedhamn from IKEA has a flat panel with a detail.

How magnificent it is that your husband will build these! Lucky you! ☘️

Thank you very much for the additional advice, everyone! Rabbitt Design thank you so much for that vision! Is that something a person can do themself on Houzz, or is it your own software/app?

Below are pictures & measurements of the existing kitchen in case anyone is interested, but I certainly don't expect people to spend so much of their time answering my design questions.

In a nutshell, we're a retired couple looking for a brighter kitchen in our 28 year old, modest 1100 sq ft bungalow that we bought 12 years ago. We're trying to do this with the least amount of demo/changes as possible; we're not expecting the latest magazine-picture perfection, just improved storage, efficiency & appearance. It will be good to have the kettle, teapot, toaster etc. off the counter! Once the kitchen is done we're tackling the rest of the house (replacing carpet with hardwood, changing solid knee wall/stairwell to spindles, painting, remodeling bathroom, finishing basement...) so we're keeping things as simple as we can.

The existing cabinets are not properly fitted to the room; there are filler pieces everywhere, the doors are too narrow & have a gap where they meet, the uppers are only 11 1/2" deep, etc. etc. Plus I really don't like the arches, so painting & keeping the existing is not an option. I really can't bring myself to like shaker/ flat panel style doors, so I think we're firm on a very, very simple raised panel white door. When we croak the new owners can change the doors if they want a more modern look.

Limitations:

Stove can be moved no more than 3" to the left, but we'd rather not do that as it will throw out what we have planned for the corner. We have room for a Super Susan in the bottom corner cabinet. The corner opening is not equal on both sides right now, but we can get the 2 1/2" we need on the side that runs toward the sink to make them equal by making the cabinet under the sink a total of 5" narrower. That way the doors under the sink won't be so unnaturally wide as they are now. We plan a 2 1/2" false panel on the right side of the under-sink cabinets (between sink cabinets & dishwasher) to keep the doors centred.

From the stove going left towards the doorway I'd like to have a long-awaited uninterrupted length of countertop, which we need badly. It will be for using the breadmaker, mixer, toaster, etc., so the uppers will be where we keep baking ingredients, bread flour, butter, honey, etc.

The vent above the fridge is part of the HRV system and has to stay. It runs straight back, and there's nothing else in the rest of the soffit, but if we ever decided to vent the range hood to the outside we'd need to use the soffit. Also, we just had the ceiling done a few years ago so don't want to tear out any more soffit than necessary. The small piece that juts out to the left of the fridge over existing pantry will be removed and made flush with the rest of the soffit. To keep things the same, we had planned to build soffit over the new cabinets & fridge on the east wall. We'll be having deeper cabinets above the fridge & it will have side panels.

Re lower doors vs drawers, as you can see the bread machine lives on the floor right now, and we intend for it to be in a lower cabinet on the long south wall, with roll-outs. It's quite wide, and I think it'll be easier to lift it off of a roll-out shelf than to reach into a deep drawer. Same with my mixer and a few other awkward items we have. Pots & pans will be in single cabinet to left of cutlery drawer, on roll-outs. Again, drawers might be suggested but I need 3 roll-outs of varying depths, and such drawers beside my bank of 4 drawers to the immediate left of the stove would be odd, I think.

To the right of the (new location on east wall) fridge in the lowers, which will only be about a total of 24" wide (depending on the width of the new fridge we put in), I plan to have a roll-out with vertical slots for cutting boards, baking pans, etc. on the bottom shelf, and two additional roll-outs above the cutting boards for food storage containers. My use might change with time, and I'd rather not commit to custom-sized drawers, as I believe it would be easier to adjust the roll-outs inside if it becomes necessary.

I think we've decided to go with white exteriors and interiors, except for the pull-outs and the boxes of the drawers, which will be clear-finished natural cabinet-grade plywood. This seems to give the look of some natural wood inside without the entire interior surfaces being either all white or all wood.

Thanks everyone for taking a look; perhaps I sound like my mind is made up, but I do appreciate the suggestions!

Hi, fellow white paint, raised panel person! We just did the same. We worried about the “too many rectangles” problem mentioned above so we skipped the raised panels for drawer fronts and only used them on uppers and the base cabinets that have doors (sink and a token roll-out because we like them).

Not a pro, but here is a vote for going with what you like and designing a kitchen for how you know you’ll use it. You’ve clearly thought things through, so go for it whether all-white or raised panel or drawers are in or out. :)

@mary g Your plan is so well thought out! I perfectly understand your reasoning on pull outs vs drawers. We had pull outs retrofitted in our then 6 year old home. Because we already knew storage needs in this kitchen we had 3 pull outs installed in 2 cabs that had just the 2 shelves. The additional storage from just those 2 additional is incredible! And, I agree that having drawers the sizes of the pullouts in those cabs would have looked odd in the bank of cabs on that wall & overall kitchen. We also had 2 pullouts each installed under sinks in master bath vanity. One at base, the other half up & just the width to fit between side of cab & sink pipes, That top one was angled with a tall long back side & shorter long front side for easy access but also to hold taller items securely.. That top pullout is great for personal care items & can be left in pulled out position while standing at sink in front of second cab door in closed position. The bottom pullout ensures nothing lost in the nether regions of under sink storage. Your kitchen Queen is so pretty! Has it been refinished & is the enamel counter original? I’m guessing the mirror is a retrofit? A friend has one in her dining room that is used as bar storage. Great place for all the glasses & bottles & nice counter serving space when the tambour door is pulled up. I do hope that when your kitchen project is done that you come back to this post with pictures of your new kitchen! It will be wonderful!

petula67 I guess there are a few of us out here! I agree with you on leaving off with the raised panel & frame on the drawer fronts; I think my husband has a plan for them that has some detail, not plain flat, but still very unobtrusive.

KT Brown Thanks for that; I feel better now about following what we like, although I have made a few changes after thinking over some responses here. You can never have too much information.

KW Thanks for all the information on your roll-outs. I plan to utilize them in some uppers & under the sink as well. After taking a few more measurements of my items, I find it DOES make sense to use drawers for the 24" span of lowers that will be to the right of the fridge. I hope the 3 fronts don't look odd; if it were only pots drawers I'd look at doing just 2 large drawers, but the bottom is going to have slots to stand all of our cutting boards & flat/shallow bakeware & sheets. The middle drawer will be for my glass casserole dishes & glass food storage sets, and the top can be used for larger utensils that I don't need near the stove. If we decide just 2 equal drawers would look better, I'll figure out a sliding section inside the top drawer to still create 2 tiers in it. Since the uppers above the fridge are going to come out almost to the front of the fridge, I'm hoping the chunkier look of the drawers will help balance it. So to all the die-hard drawers people, thanks for making me think twice about them! I'll certainly post pictures of the finished product, but it will be a while before we even get started.

The hoosier was made by the Knechtel Co in Hanover Ontario. We bought it as a temporary storage solution for that blank wall, and it's been a lovely baking centre. I think the mirror was original, but it kind of creeps me out. The white enamel finish is original. The whole thing was in decent shape when we got it, but my husband re-did it with shellac, repaired the tambour door & painted the inside with a fresh coat. I've grown partial to it, but when the new kitchen comes in it will either get used in the food storage room in the basement or be sold. I am through with golden oak in all its forms! I'm so looking forward to a neutral kitchen that will be in harmony with the rest of the house once we have everything done. I change my décor by switching out linens & accent pieces with the seasons & this golden kitchen has been a sticking point. We live in the country and have large windows, so whatever colours/mood I see out my windows, I like to have reflected indoors as well. I can't help it, it just makes me feel good. (e.g. outside in Ontario right now it's white, stark, icy & dormant, so I tend towards a more spare & calming, inward-looking feel in winter.) Thanks to all of you for your interest, advice and good wishes!

@mary g I smiled at ”Hoosier” as I’d forgotten that name for ”Kitchen Queen” cabinets. If you have the space or need, maybe it could be repurposed as a quirky guest room piece in place of a dresser since it has a mirror on it. I do like unusual pieces given a new lease on life! Thinking about roll outs for upper cabs - we pondered that when we had ours installed but couldn’t come up with a use for them so I’m curious about your plan for upper pull outs. I can see and easily reach into the bottom 2 shelves in my kitchen uppers but if I had a pull out with sides I don’t think I could. My cabs are standard dimensions both upper & lower for heights. I’m in between short & tall at 5’4”. So, just curious!

That's a lovely idea for a Hoosier! Re pull-outs, I'm 5'2" & I find I'm reaching & digging for anything above the first shelf. I haven't looked too far into the upper roll-out options, but at Home Depot I saw these installed in lowers, just to show what was available, and thought something like this with minimal wire sides, with maybe only 2 tiers, would be handy in uppers for smaller items (baking powder & soda, corn starch, cocoa, molasses etc.) where I'm always having to move the items in front to get to the ones behind. I'm sure they come in various widths, so I'll lay out all of my uppers items & see what will work best. I think something like this might be handy for my oils, vinegars, etc., and also for spices, maybe a deeper one for my numerous kinds of pasta. Not a perfect solution, but a start at least!

Here are some other ideas I've seen. The last picture (white pull-down) would be something to consider in the right cabinet...maybe a bridge too far for right now though; perhaps when I get really old! :)

I'm positively gobsmacked by the way that personal preferences/opinions are often stated on this site as immutable law, like the contention upthread that "No one does rollouts. They do pot drawers." That is just NOT TRUE. Cabinet companies make and sell roll-outs. (We had wonderfully functional roll-outs from Mouser Cabinetry in our last house, and are currently having custom cabinets with roll-outs made for our new home.) Accommodating designers incorporate them into their designs as clients prefer. And if someone is lucky enough to have a talented cabinetmaker as a husband, that husband sure as heck does roll-outs.

Making those kinds of blanket statements only creates doubt and worry in the mind of homeowners. Roll-outs have some cons (like possibly bumping the roll-out shelf with the back of the door) but also definite pros (like being able to see and access stored items from more angles, not just from directly above).

Please, if you have a strong preference--great. State your preference and your reasons. But make it clear that it's a preference, not the only possible choice.

Just my 2 cents on some of the comments... Not sure it will be helpful as you and your husband seem to be knowledgeable about your needs and wants.

Drawers vs. Pullouts - I know this is unpopular, but... Drawers offer a great balance between aesthetics and convenience, but they are not particularly efficient in most kitchens. Pullouts offer a great balance between aesthetics and efficiency but are not particularly convenient in most kitchens. Pullouts allow you to adapt every cabinet to your needs and eliminate the unused headroom that is common in drawers, but you have to open a door to use them. People rarely use pullouts well and if you are not going to do so, then certainly drawers are better. However, since the OP's husband is building the cabinets I suspect they will use the pullouts well and create a much more efficient small kitchen.

Wood vs. MDF - In your situation I would at least consider solid wood panels if it is in the budget and your husband has the tools for it. Most of the people commenting have an incomplete understanding of wood, MDF, and plywood. There are times when the trouble of dealing with wood is simply not worth it, however, at other times it is. Certainly, MDF is a great product, often it is the best product to be used and yet, it is too often dismissed out of hand. However, MDF is the least impact resistant of all the suitable materials, even less than chipboard. In most kitchens this really doesn't matter, however, you have mentioned using pullouts in your kitchen and @HALLETT & Co. above made a good point about people shutting the doors before the pullouts have completely retracted. This means that there is a good chance that over time the weaker impact resistance of MDF is likely to create problems.

Certainly you are going to have some of the problems that you mentioned as haloing, but using a 3/4" back-cut wood panel you are not going to have a problem with the panel separating. Alternatively, you can use some type of decorative plate on the back of the doors as a strike guard.

There are cope and stick doors that are hundreds of years old that still work fine, wood movement is something we learned to deal with a few thousand years ago and even though we often decide not to bother with that today, we didn't forget how.

I am a fan of white kitchens and I always have been.

Good luck