Building Our Dream Home – Selecting Cabinets

Let’s talk cabinets! We are nearing closer to wrapping up the building process of our dream home! Last time I shared the selecting ceiling fans process with you, and today I want to share what was a huge decision process for me – Selecting Cabinets. This includes the kitchen cabinets and those being fitted in the bathrooms throughout the home too. So how did we choose all the cabinets for an entire home? Let’s walk through the process together!

*If you’re just joining us, this is another installment of a series documenting the building of our personal dream home.  So far we’ve tackled: Inspiration | Floorplan | Location | Breaking Ground | Roofing | Windows | Insulation | Sheetrock & Plaster  | Selecting Paint Selecting Flooring | Selecting Bathtubs | Selecting Lighting | Selecting Fans

Inspiration

Throughout my years as a designer I have been truly inspired by the cabinetry work by Christopher Peacock. In case you missed it, I dedicated a whole blog post on his beautiful work  and my mildly obsessive design crush…you can go back and swoon over here. I absolutely love how he uses a variety of finishes throughout his work and pairs this with traditional furniture style cabinets. For our dream home there was no question about who I would draw inspiration from for our cabinets.

Amazing inspiration photo from Christopher Peacock

Let’s start looking at the design for our cabinets!

I have always dreamed of having furniture style cabinets – very similar to the work by Christopher Peacock above – and now I have the chance to incorporate this into our new home. Cabinets designed like furniture feel more built-in for me, and I love the classic detailing. They are the perfect mix of traditional and modern!

For the main design of the home, interior and exterior, I have taken huge inspiration from the Hamptons, and for me, getting the cabinets on the same page is important.

We worked with our go to local cabinetmaker, here in Florida, Carson’s Cabinetry & Design. I cannot say enough about them! Their quality and craftsmanship is fantastic and, best of all, they are reliable and easy to work with.

Kitchen Cabinets

First up is the cabinet designs for the kitchen.

Undoubtedly up there as the most important area of the home to get the design right. The kitchen is open to the main double height family room and dining area – this really is the heart of our new home!

So here’s the plan for the kitchen cabinets…

Drawing by Carson's Cabinetry & Design

For the cabinets here, design-wise I want them to look like furniture… The base helps to make them look built in. And having them painted in white were – and always will be – the choice for me. I love the clean and light look because it’s a timeless classic but also looks contemporary.

A 3D view of the kitchen cabinet designs…

I absolutely LOVE the design of the cabinets! A modern classic that will never go out of style. Drawing by Carson's Cabinetry & Design

I knew I wanted to do something different in this kitchen… So in the main run of cabinets – either side of the range area – I decided to stack glass cabinets on top of the countertops. These cabinets will be great for storing glasses, vases and other display-worthy items!

Inset cabinets were also a must-have. They are more expensive (by about 30%) but they’re definitely worth it! They really create that furniture feel.

Another key consideration for these kitchen cabinets is the hardware. The finish and style you choose is like the jewelry you add to an outfit.

So let’s look at some hardware options…

Hardware plays an important part of the overall design for the kitchen so getting it right is key!

To begin with, I considered using brass to really make the design “pop” and would give a modern and trendy look but after careful consideration, I settled with polished nickel. It’s a classic finish that works perfectly with the tones running through the marble of the countertops. I also feel like nickel for the hardware is more timeless than something like brass.

Again I took some inspiration from Christopher Peacock, and I reference this amazing blog post by Willow Decor! They go through each piece of hardware that Peacock uses for his kitchens – including some funny looking latches that actually make the design too! – so it’s well worth the read if you’re a fan.

Here are some of the hardware styles we have chosen…

I have chosen these cup cabinet pull style handles for the drawers as they are really practical and give a farmhouse style feel to the drawers:

And for the main tall cabinets I’ve gone for these slightly ornate style cabinet pulls! I really like these because they’re modern with a slight traditional feel.

I am IN LOVE with these cabinet latches! They will be used for the super high-up cabinets above the glass fronted ones.

And of course, I had to get some standard style knobs!

Master Bathroom

This is another really important room of the house – my sanctuary of course! We have his and hers sinks in the Master Bathroom – an absolute MUST if you and your partner get ready at the same time each morning. It helps to keep our toiletries separate (and gives me more storage for mine…) and gives us our own individual areas.

For the design of the vanity units here, I saved a whole load of images to my Pinterest Board for how I wanted them to look and also the furniture design style for this area.

In terms of finishes here, I love the warmth of walnut timber and how it is paired with a classic white marble…

Here’s the plan for our master bathroom vanity cabinets…

Design by Carson's Cabinetry & Design

The his and hers sinks are actually on opposite sides of the bathroom rather than next to each other… These are the cabinet makers final drawings before they start building.

Similarly to the cabinets for the kitchen, I wanted the vanity units to look like pieces of furniture. Not only does this help increase the storage space for my husband and I it’s the modern classic look that I love! We’re going for a furniture look with extra tall legs that is almost like a server or credenza, and they will be finished in walnut to add warmth and richness to the space.

Design by Carson's Cabinetry & Design

For the hardware of these cabinets we will be using a dark bronze finish to add a modern touch to them.

Other bathrooms

Next up – the other bathrooms in the house!

I decided to keep the same furniture style cabinets for most of the bathrooms so there is a consistent style throughout. But as you will see below, the space is limited for some of them so the design is simplified slightly to account for this.

Teen Daughter’s Bathroom…

For my teenage daughter’s bathroom I have kept with the same furniture style cabinets, but chose a painted gray finish. The plumbing for this bathroom will be a gold finish so we will be using that for the hardware too. This will create a cohesive look.

This 3D view shows you how the style of cabinets work for a smaller space, while still keeping the furniture style!

Drawing by Carson's Cabinetry & Design

Son’s Bathroom…

Again I have decided to keep with the furniture style cabinets for my son’s bathroom… But chose a painted navy finish to flow well from his bedroom and the hardware will be gold to make the color of the cabinets pop! The design for the vanity unit itself is simple yet practical.

Drawing by Carson's Cabinetry & Design

The Pool Bathroom…

Another super simple furniture style cabinet design here. We will be having wallpaper installed to this bathroom so keeping the cabinet design simple will help to ensure the walls do all the talking! I’ve gone for furniture base detailing.

Drawing by Carson's Cabinetry & Design

Powder Bathroom…

We have decided not to have cabinets in the main powder bathroom, and instead we will be using a piece of furniture.

Installation

Here are some photos from the installation!

The Kitchen coming together nicely…

I am so happy I decided to add these little niches either side of the cooker area!! It's a great place to keep cooking oils and sauces out of view.
The beautiful glass fronted cabinets in all their glory!

And of course the PERFECT inserts!

These are an absolute MUST for anyone getting custom kitchen cabinets made! I can’t wait to have everything organized in this kitchen – it will make cooking and any preparation in this room so much easier for everyone.

Including knife slots for this drawer was a no brainer! It reduces any risk of injuries because the blades are all facing downwards instead of getting mixed up / upside down in a normal open space drawer…

These slanted inserts will house herbs and other small jars…

I love the separate compartments of this drawer! Perfect for all those kitchen utensils that would previously get shoved into whatever spare drawer I can find!

The final slanted drawer like before! This is so aesthetically pleasing…

FINALLY! Every utensil has it’s very own space! Not only that – it’s so much easier to see what you have in each drawer with these inserts

One of the Master Bathroom vanity units…

I am so over the moon with how the master bathroom vanity units are coming on! The walnut finish here is absolutely beautiful – I can’t wait to get the countertops put on!

My daughter’s bathroom vanity unit…

I love how the warmth of the hardware comes through for this vanity unit and the gray painted finish of the cabinets blends seamlessly with the countertop veining.

And my son’s bathroom vanity unit…

We went with a more industrial style for the plumbing and light fixtures here so it made sense to incorporate this into the vanity mirror and tie all the metal finishes together.

So…what do you think? I’m in love! We’ll dive into countertops soon!

Hello there! I’m Lori Evans, Interior Designer and co-owner of Evans Construction & Design. Welcome to my world! I created this blog to share all the projects, tips, ideas and inspiration that I have. My goal is to help you make your rooms look even better than your Pinterest boards!

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