Imagine a kitchen twenty years ago. White shaker, same door everywhere, same height cabinets, same depth, symmetry, and similar designs. A kitchen was just…a kitchen.
Today, it is something completely different. Have you noticed the drastic shift? Have you noticed how much detail is going into cabinetry now? I started noticing it while walking through newer homes and looking at kitchens. Cabinets no longer simply hang on a wall; some rest directly on the countertop, some extend all the way to the ceiling, others stop short:change heights, change depths, or suddenly turn into what looks like a freestanding piece of furniture.
And apparently, matching is no longer required. We are mixing painted cabinets with natural wood. Dark islands with lighter perimeter cabinets. Tall doors with short drawers. Knobs with pulls. Brass with black. Different pull sizes on nearly every drawer. Some cabinets have decorative feet. Some have glass doors, brass mesh, curved corners, open shelves, interior lighting, or moldings that make them look more like an antique armoire than a place to store cereal bowls.
Then there is the storage. Appliance garages, hidden coffee stations, spice pullouts, charging drawers, tray dividers, pantry cabinets disguised as wall panels, drawers inside of drawers(!!), and even entire rooms concealed behind cabinet doors. At this point, I am waiting for someone to open a cabinet and reveal a small guest bedroom.
And let’s talk about the range hood!! It used to be an appliance...now it is a full architectural statement. Plaster, stone, wood, metal, arches, oversized surrounds—sometimes the hood is more dramatic than the fireplace.
This is why cabinetry companies practically need a full-time interior designer on staff now (Karen Coe, you're welcome). What used to take a few days to lay out can take weeks—or months—to design, revise, measure, rethink, and perfect. Every drawer matters. Every reveal matters. Every inch seems to require a meeting.
Then, after all of that, we still have to choose the hardware. Do we mix knobs and pulls? Yes. Different pull lengths? Absolutely. Mix metals? Apparently. Use different hardware styles in the same kitchen? Sure—why stop now?
Your kitchen is no longer just getting cabinets. It is getting dressed, full on fashion!! Cabinetry has moved beyond being a utilitarian backdrop: it now defines the architecture of the room. It establishes the rhythm, creates focal points, conceals appliances, directs movement, and often becomes the most memorable feature in the entire home.
Cabinetry is not just cabinetry anymore. It has become architecture.
