A Buying Guide for Semi-Custom Cabinets

written by Kasey White
last updated: April 11, 2022

When building or renovating your kitchen or bath, create your home using custom cabinets with multiple styles and finishes.  With Wellborn Cabinet’s “You Draw It” program alongside our ColorInspire collection, there are hundreds of options to choose from. Adding custom accessories and storage options make your life easier and add to the value of your home.

Vibrant green hutch and pantry cabinet with sink.

What Are Semi-Custom Cabinets?

As a semi-custom cabinet manufacturer, Wellborn offers a wide variety of options so that you can make your space your own. Storage space using wall cabinets is a big deal. The difference between semi-custom and full custom comes down to two things: options and price. A semi-custom cabinet manufacturer like Wellborn Cabinet offers a plethora of options for making your cabinets your own. We have our special You-Draw-It program for customizations, and we can match almost any color through our ColorInspire program. Often, these two programs, plus our expansive line of accessories and accents allow a homeowner to get the kitchen of their dreams.

Fully custom cabinets are an involved and expensive process. These are usually made in smaller, local cabinet shops where each set of cabinets is made one order at a time with expert attention to just your cabinets. That kind of service comes with a sizeable price tag. Wellborn Cabinet has found that often when homeowners are thinking “custom cabinets” all they really need to suit their needs are semi-custom cabinets. 

Home Value

While remodeling your home can be an involved process, replacing stock cabinets in with an updated kitchen design can add heaps of value to your home. Using fully customized cabinetry can make a space exactly what you want and add more value to your home than you think, but it may not be enough to cover the cost of fully custom cabinetry. By using semi-custom cabinetry, you can create a design that works perfectly for your space with a smaller price tag and still increase the value of your home.

White kitchen cabinets with white island with white island end panels

Next Level Craftsmanship and Materials in Semi-Custom Cabinets

Wellborn Cabinet is dedicated to crafting a beautiful, functional, and quality product that will last you a lifetime. We are KCMA certified for sustainability and performs regular testing with KCMA standard tests to ensure the quality of the cabinets. Wellborn Cabinet is also vertically integrated giving us control of our product from start to finish. This ensures that only quality product leaves our facility.

Unique Style and Designs

Stock cabinets can only do so much, using fully custom and semi-custom cabinetry in your home gives you the power to create a space that is perfect for your home. Say you have a smaller kitchen and need to maximize your storage space, by adding a cabinet that allows you to access corners you’ve now taken advantage of a space you would’ve missed out on otherwise. Larger kitchens may benefit from something like a walk-through pantry that matches your cabinets to give your space a seamless look without the contrast of a normal pantry door.

frameless kitchen cabinets

Semi-Custom Cabinet Types

When you first move into your home, unless it’s recently remodeled, stock cabinets will be what you see. These cabinets are a cheaper option that is easily accessible, but you have very limited options for customization. The next option of cabinetry is semi-custom. Semi-custom cabinetry is perfect for homeowners who want to add a personal touch to their home while having a standard kitchen. Fully custom cabinets are best for homeowners who want things like exotic woods and embellishments. Fully custom is also good for those unique and oddly shaped spaces in a home. Each of these are great options for different types of homeowner needs.

dark stained kitchen cabinets with white kitchen island

Framed Semi-Custom Cabinets

Framed cabinets are a classic, traditional look for your kitchen. Between shaker style doors and added trim, you can get the feel of being truly at home. Framed cabinets are available in many different wood options as well as hundreds of paint or stain finishes.  In some cases, homeowners opt to add stain or glaze on top of the paint for an extra unique look. Take a look at some examples in our Inspiration Gallery.

teal kitchen cabinets that are frameless kitchen cabinets

Frameless Semi-Custom Cabinets

Frameless Cabinets are trending right now. Not only do they provide a sleek, clean look, they offer a little more storage space.  This helps you organize and find everything you need to entertain or cook for your family. Wellborn’s Aspire line is a great example of frameless cabinets that are both functional and beautiful.

Semi-Custom Cabinet Door Styles

While Wellborn Cabinet offers various options from door styles and homeowners can opt to use our You Draw It program for a more customized look. For framed cabinets Wellborn’s Estate, Premier, Select, and Home Concepts lines are packed with beautiful options for your home. These doors are available in Maple, Oak, Cherry, Hickory, MDF, and have Character Cherry and Maple options as well. For the frameless cabinet lovers, Wellborn’s Aspire line is a great choice and has options for metal and laminate door styles as well.

Contacting Your Local Wellborn Dealer

Cabinet doors vary greatly so having someone knowledgeable of Wellborn Cabinet’s product lines is a great asset. Wellborn thoroughly vets our dealers before they are even able to be contacted by customers. Our dealers are also equipped with a designer to help you achieve all of your kitchen dreams. Wellborn is proud to stand behind our dealers; to find one near you, visit our dealer locator.

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