One of the largest components of a residential kitchen or bathroom is the storage system planned for the space. An organized storage area is also important in laundry rooms, hobby centers, home offices, and closets in addition to other rooms.
- Learning Objective 1: The badge holder will possess knowledge of various types of cabinets and materials.
- Learning Objective 2: The badge holder will possess knowledge of basic cabinetry terminology and nomenclature.
- Learning Objective 3: The badge holder will possess knowledge of basic methods of cabinet construction.
- Learning Objective 4: The badge holder will possess knowledge of basic cabinet door construction and hinge placement.
- Learning Objective 5: The badge holder will possess knowledge of the manufacturing process as it relates to cabinetry.
Design professionals in the kitchen and bathroom industry may be representatives of specific manufactured cabinet companies or may have a referral relationship with area showrooms that represent different cabinet companies. Some design professionals, known as independent kitchen designers, do not align themselves with any specific cabinet company. They develop plans based on generic cabinet specifications and then invite their clients to source products from kitchen dealerships representing large manufacturing companies or smaller local manufactured cabinetry.
Within the cabinet industry, broad categories are used to identify the configuration of the cabinet, the availability of custom sizing, the sophistication of interior cabinet accessory systems, and the variety of finishes and architectural embellishments offered by the producer.
In North America, kitchen cabinets historically were built by local cabinet or woodworking shops and were created for each project. Today, a great majority of kitchen cabinet systems are produced in highly sophisticated manufacturing facilities, both in North America and internationally. However, there are sizing differences between cabinets built in the United States and those built internationally.
As a design professional, you may work for a retail organization, directly for a cabinet manufacturer or distributor, a cabinet fabricator, or you may be familiar with cabinets in the general sense. Regardless of how you interact with the cabinet source, it is important that you are familiar with:
- How the cabinets are built
- The functional hardware available for various cabinet components
- The special-purpose storage systems/accessories integrated into the cabinetry
- Materials used in the manufacturing of interior and exterior cabinetry
- Door/drawer overlay styles typically offered by manufacturers
- The industry’s efforts to responsibly manage natural resources
