How to Order Cabinet Doors in 5 Easy Steps

CabinetNow.com is proud to offer high-quality, customizable cabinet doors manufactured in the USA. Our dedicated team is passionate about helping our customers create spaces that are tailored to their specific needs and tastes.

Picking cabinet doors can be tricky. There is a lot to consider and we are here to help! This is how to order your cabinet doors in 5 quick steps.

Step 1: Door Construction Styles

These are the main categories of cabinet door styles. Each style comes in both square and arch panel shapes.

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Raised Panel

Raised cabinet doors have a raised center panel that is the same thickness as the stiles and rails. These doors come in a variety of styles for every kitchen.

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Flat Panel

Flat-panel cabinet doors have a recessed panel that is thinner than the stiles/rails. Flat-panel cabinet doors also come in many styles but tend to be more simple in design than raised panels.

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Slab Style

Slab cabinet doors consist of one piece of wood. Don’t underestimate the slab door. They are easy to customize with outside edges and even easier to clean and maintain. Check out the Valencia cabinet door.

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Thermofoil

Thermofoil cabinet doors consist of a vinyl laminate that is heated and pressurized onto an MDF core. They come in raised, flat, shaker, and slab styles. Thermofoil cannot receive customizable outside edges, but it does come in a large variety of finishes.

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Shaker Style

Shaker cabinet doors are technically a flat panel, but we think they are notable enough to receive their own category. This style of door has been around for over 200 years and it is clear as to why. They are simple, clean, and work well in every kitchen design. Is the Shaker just a little too simple for your taste? Check out the Camden, Flagstaff, and Auburn. The Fiesta also makes a great arched companion to the Shaker.

Step 2: Customizations

Pick Your Finish

How do you plan to finish your cabinet door?

  • Paint: All of our unfinished cabinet doors are suitable for paint, but we also offer 9 amazing shades of neutral painted cabinet doors ready to be installed upon delivery. Looking for another color that we don’t offer? Check out our pre-primed cabinet doors.
  • Clear Coat: Loving the look of natural wood? A clear coat is a way to go to protect your cabinets from everyday wear and tear. We recommend our select grade for clear coat cabinetry. We also offer finished clear coat cabinet doors that are ready to install.
  • Stain: Stained wood cabinets are a great way to add warmth and color to your space. For staining, we recommend our select grade wood unfinished cabinet doors. Please note that MDF cannot be stained.
  • Thermofoil: Thermofoil cabinet doors are a finished product that is ready to install. Thermofoil cannot be painted, stained, or sealed.

Pick Your Material (different wood types or Thermofoil)

But what’s the difference between red oak natural and red oak select?

Most of our door styles come in a wide variety of materials. (Thermofoil always comes in a solid MDF with a heated vinyl laminate.)

  • Paint Grade wood is more suitable for painting than stain or clear coat due to natural imperfections—like mineral deposits or sap discoloration. All MDF is paint-grade.
  • Natural Grade wood can also have green tints from sapwood or discoloration but has a more even grain pattern. Natural grade wood can be clear coated or stained, but will not be perfectly even. We love natural grade wood in rustic and industrial designs.
  • Select Grade wood is the most even and uniform in color and grain pattern. This is the best material for stain or clear coat.

Pick Your Outside Edge

Here at CabinetNow.com, we are proud to offer customizable outside edges on the majority of our cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Take a look at our outside edge guide to see all of the options available. Here are some of our favorite outside edges you may want to consider.

Simple and clean options: The OE1 and the OE3 are great choices for someone who wants uniform straight lines. The OE1 is featured on our popular shaker style doors and works well with both modern and traditional themes. The OE3 is slightly different, as it has a subtle, bullnose edge.

Add a splash of personality: If you are looking for something that can add a bit of interest to your cabinet doors, then check out the OE4 or the OE10. The OE4 (featured on popular doors such as the Revere) offers a routed edge that is 9/16” wide and 3/16” tall. The OE10 features a 1/16” step down to a 5/16” tall quarter round detail. Whichever option you choose, custom edge detailing is a great way to further personalize your cabinets to best match your style.

Note that not all outside edges are available for every door due to varying door thicknesses and styles

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Open for glass/lites

Most cabinet doors can be made for glass panel inserts. There are several different styles to choose from, including open for glass and 4-6-8 lites. No matter what design you choose, you will need to source a single glass panel and secure it with stops. We recommend our rubber stops because they are easy to install and uninstall. We do NOT offer glass panels.

Prebore

When buying a door from CabinetNow, you have the option to have your doors “pre-bored.” What this means is that we will bore the holes in the back of the door, so the door will be ready for its hinges when it arrives.

There are two important measurements when it comes to boring: placement and distance. Placement is the measurement from the top or bottom of the cabinet door to the center of the bore-hole (or cup). For this, we are only able to make 3” placements. Distance is where it can get a bit more difficult.

The distance is measured from the edge, or side, of the cabinet door to the closest point of the bore-hole (or cup). For this we offer two distances, but with a few different patterns. The “A” and “B” patterns are bore cuts for a cup and dowel hinge. These are “press in” hinges that use special screws and plastic dowels to attach to the door. These can be easier to install and should be used with thermofoil doors because wood screws can crack your thermofoil coating. The difference between the two patterns is in the bore distance measurement: “A” pattern is 5mm, “B” pattern is 3mm.

We also offer “T” and “U” bore patterns. These are used with cup only hinges, which are a “screw-on” style of hinge. These patterns are used when you would like to reuse your hinges, and these patterns also differ in bore distance: the “T” pattern is 5mm, and the “U” pattern is 3mm.

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Step 3: Overlay/Inset

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Partial Overlay

A Partial overlay is one of the most popular design choices for cabinet doors. With a partial overlay, the door will not completely cover the cabinet front, and it will leave a bit of space between the doors.

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Full Overlay

A Full overlay is a great way to create a sleek and modern look in your space. Often used with slab style doors, a full overlay design eliminates the space between the doors, which creates a seamless look to the cabinets.

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Inset

Rather than have your cabinet door sitting on top of the face frame, inset cabinets are completely flush with the cabinet box. This look is typically associated with more traditional styles, but, when done right, it will look great in any space.

Step 4: Order Your New Cabinets

Formulas You Will Need

Several useful formulas can be used to determine the exact measurements of your cabinets. From split doors to drawer boxes, our formulas will accurately determine your sizes. If you have any questions or need any assistance with the formulas, our trained inside sales representatives can help you with your order from start to finish.

Split Doors with Overlay: (Opening + (2 x overlay)) / 2 - (Reveal / 2)

Inset Split Doors: (Opening - (2 x reveal)) / 2 - (Reveal / 2)Drawer Box: Opening - manufacturer specification for hardware

  • Manufacturers designate the amount of space needed for drawer glides and slides.

As a custom cabinet company, we can accommodate almost any project. If you need help measuring, picking the style or material, or placing an order, then give us a call, instant chat, or email and we will do our best to take care of you!

Step 5: Finishing Up

As you can see once you know what you need, your custom cabinets are only clicks away. Be sure to visit our How-to page and FAQ center to get advice, instructional and educational guides, and inspiration! 

Still Have Questions?

We are here to help! Contact us by chat, email us at info@cabinetnow.com, or call us at 1-855-669-5222.