Custom Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets from China

There are three ways to buy solid wood kitchen cabinets. You can buy stock, ready made cabinets from your supplier which is the cheapest option. You can have them semi-customized, add your own design elements to designs your supplier already has.

The last option is to fully customize your solid wood kitchen cabinets, where you provide all the designs for the cabinets. Fully customized cabinets are more expensive but you can negotiate for less with wholesale prices.

Woodwork skills for solid wood cabinets are highly specialized, just because some woods are difficult to work with. So you’ll have to do your due diligence and find a reliable supplier to get quality craftsmanship.

If you are buying cabinets on sale online, you can check with Georgebuildings.  Ask for pictures and videos of their finished product. If you’re making a large purchase, consider making a business trip to meet your supplier and see the product itself.

1.) Identify Floor Plan

You’ll have to map out your pantry area, storage area, sink, work area and cooking area. You can find free kitchen floor plans online or make your own.

2) Consider Expected Budget and Function of Cabinet

Estimate how much you can afford to spend, the number and function of the cabinets you want in your kitchen. Do you need a lot of storage space? Do you want a cabinet with a glass front to display things?

3) Determine Materials and Make Quotations

Material used on your cabinets will affect costs a lot. Ask for current quotations from potential suppliers as the cost of wood can fluctuate, which is the case for most natural, raw material.

4) Confirm Design

Decide on the design of your cabinets and communicate frequently with your supplier.

5) Pay Deposit and Schedule Production

When everything is settled and you’re satisfied with the design and cost, pay a deposit so the supplier can start production.

Veneers have the look of solid wood kitchen cabinets but are really thin slices of wood that have been glued. It is a decorative wood surface. Veneer kitchen cabinets have the look of solid wood, but do not last as long.

When veneer chips, you’ll need to perfectly match wood grain to make a seamless repair. Solid wood cabinets are heavier than veneer cabinets. They are more durable. When chipped, you repair by sanding the surface.

The retail price for solid wood kitchen cabinets starts at $100 per foot. The price can go as high as $1,200 per foot. Cost will depend on the kind of wood, for instance cherry wood is the most expensive wood and pine is the least expensive.

Semi-custom and fully customized furniture costs two to four times more than stock furniture that’s already in the store. The most expensive high end cabinets for a full sized kitchen can cost around $10,000.

Because the surface is smooth and properly treated, solid wood kitchen cabinets are a breeze to clean. Regular cleaning is as easy as wiping with a damp rag. Disinfect cabinets with a solution of 5% bleach and water.

This solution kills most germs and eliminates any lingering kitchen odors. Add a little dish washing liquid in the bleach solution for cleaning power. Damp a rag in the cleaning solution, wipe over the surface of the cabinets. Rinse the rag and repeat.

MDF or medium density fiberboard is a kind of composite with a veneer plastic surface. Many mass produced furniture is made from MDF. It is less durable than solid wood. You’ll notice that over time, even screws in MDF furniture get loose and the edges spit.

Solid wood cabinets do not have this problem, screws stay firmly in place.  MDF damages much more easily than solid wood but it has resistance to termites. This is because MDF uses adhesive that has urea-formaldehyde which is toxic to living things.

Yes, solid wood cabinets are worth the money if you consider the long lasting quality of solid wood. Cabinets made from cheaper material like plywood and MDF do not last nearly as long as solid wood.

Even when solid wood cabinets are neglected and show some wear and tear, a woodworker can still bring it back to life with a little sanding. You can’t do this with MDF, plywood or veneers.

Solid wood and plywood are different building materials in carpentry. Solid wood is natural wood as it was cut from lumber. Plywood is manufactured wood. It is made from thin wood layers glued together.

When plywood gets old, the adhesive becomes weak and the glued layers start to separate. Solid wood cabinets will never separate or breakdown this way.

Solid wood is the best material for kitchen cabinets. You have a few options as to what kind of wood, everything from pine to cherry wood make handsome kitchen cabinets.

Pine is cheaper, while cherry is one of the most expensive woods used for furniture. Pick wood according to your budget and the kind of look you want for your kitchen. Pine looks rustic, cherry and mahogany look sophisticated.

Pine is the least costly solid wood used for cabinet construction. Even the cheapest wood cabinets will come in a selection of different finishes and stains.

Wood is very versatile and can be crafted to fit many looks or styles. Natural pine wood cabinets in the kitchen or dining room create a rustic, homespun feeling to the space.

Hardwood makes the most durable cabinets and wood furniture, in general. Hardwood is dense and heavy, sourced from trees that grow slowly. These make the highest quality wood furniture, at the level of heirloom pieces. Examples of hardwood are oak, maple, mahogany and cherry.

Pine wood cabinets fit the lower budget, you get to have quality solid wood cabinets without the higher cost of more expensive hardwoods. Pine is a softwood with larger visible grain.

You tend to get some uneven grain marks from pine, but that only adds to its charm. Pine cabinets fit a rustic country style. They’re lighter than hardwoods, resist rot and mold, and last a long time with heavy use.

The most expensive woods are exotic wood with unique color and sometimes even unique odor. But there are only a few woods that are suitable for furniture and kitchen cabinets.

The most expensive wood for cabinets would be cherry wood, as it has a distinct color. You can pick it out right away. Cherry is a hardwood that has a reputation for being hard to work with. Only experienced woodworkers are skilled enough to make beautiful furniture from Cherry wood.

-Carcase Material

Carcase is the basic construction of a cabinet, after removing the doors, hinges, frames and panels. Carcase material for cabinets can be solid wood, MDF, plywood, or particle board.

-Door

The cabinet door is the movable opening of the cabinet. It can be hinged to swing open and close. It can also slide sideways to open and close.

-Color

A natural wood color or any color of paint can be used on solid wood kitchen cabinets. A finish is applied to all wood furniture surfaces, to protect the natural material.

-Countertop

A countertop is a functional necessity in any kitchen. It serves as an elevated, flat work area or a storage space.

-Hardware

Cabinet hardware includes the handles, knobs, pulls, and hinges. Hardware comes in different colors and material, usually metal.

Different cities in China specialize their manufacturing. You’ll find solid wood furniture suppliers in Foshan City, Guangdong Province where whole towns are focused on just furniture making. You’ll also find suppliers in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces.

• Guangdong
• Zhejiang
• Fujian

These manufacturers offer different types of kitchen cabinets using various materials, catering to all customers, from high-end to low-end.

There are four ways to find glass kitchen cabinet supplier in China :  via Alibaba, trade shows, furniture markets, and sourcing agents.

Alibaba

Trade Shows

Kitchen Cabinet Market

Sourcing Agents