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Kitchen Cabinet Buying Guides

Providing valuable insight on what units are available, including handleless, flat-pack, and ready-made options, this kitchen cabinets buying guide can help you decide what cupboards are right for the home. From making the most of available space and achieving accessible storage, to ensuring you have selected the right carcasses, this guide to kitchen units is the best place to start. Explore our kitchen buying guides for even more advice on how to maximise cabinets and transform every aspect of a space.

What are the different types of kitchen cabinets?

Handleless

Handleless croft-grey cupboards come pre-notched to make it quick and simple to transform slab or shaker design. Various sizes and colours are available to help create a custom look – all of which can accommodate a trim that can be used to create a linear design.

Read our Handleless Kitchen Cabinets Buying Guide

Ready-assembled

Our ready-made cupboards come pre-assembled and pre-fitted with accessories to make light work of fitting. This cabinetry offers the widest selection of colours and sizes, making it easy to create a bespoke design. Curved units are available to create a flowing look.

Read our Ready Assembled Kitchen Cabinets Buying Guide

Flat-pack

Constructed from the same robust materials as our ready-made options, our high-quality, flat-pack cupboards are cost-effective. They come in separate parts to build on-site, so they are a practical option for compact spaces or properties that are hard to access.

Read our Flat Pack Kitchen Cabinets Buying Guide

What are the benefits of kitchen cabinets from Howdens?

25-year cabinet guarantee

All of our cabinetry is made from high-quality materials and stress-tested rigorously by a dedicated facility to ensure they are built to last. As a result, we offer a 25-year guarantee on all of our cupboards, to give total peace of mind.

See guarantees and accreditations
Antibacterial properties

All our units have been treated with antibacterial surface protection on shelves, side and back panels. This prevents bacteria from surviving and multiplying, reducing the levels of bacteria over a 24-hour period, all without compromising on colour or performance.

Custom cabinetry

As the foundation of every cooking space, we know it's important to get your cabinetry right. That's why we have included a wide choice of colours, sizes, and styles to suit any space within our collection. Featuring large service voids and adjustable legs, our units are easy for trade professionals to fit too, so you can get your new layout up and running faster.

UK made

Every cabinet we make is made using quality materials that are sourced from sustainably-managed forests in the UK. We also manufacture them at factories in Runcorn, Cheshire and Howden, East Yorkshire – reducing our carbon footprint.

Things to consider when planning kitchen cabinets

Base

Handy for storing everyday items nearby, base cupboards are an essential part of any kitchen design. Deep and shallow options are available, as well as a variety of sizes to match any interior.

Wall

Excellent for maximising vertical space, wall units increase storage in compact layouts or small rooms. Extra-tall and deep styles are available, alongside a selection of widths to match any layout.

Tower

Spanning the full length of a wall, towers stack appliances vertically to save floor space. They come in standard, extra tall, and midi heights. Many configurations are available to suit any setup.

Drawer

Made of pull-out compartments, drawers make items easier to reach. There are 2, 3, and 4 drawer configurations available, while deep, standard, and shallow-depth options create a custom fit.

Corner

The space where two walls meet is often underused, making corner cabinets great for maximising storage. Many of our designs come pre-fitted with accessories for faster installation.

Halesworth Linen Plate Rack & Open Cabinet with LED Light

Dedicated cabinetry

Our decorative cabinetry makes it easy to add a personal touch to a design. From plate and wine racks to custom sink cabinets, there are many styles to create a customised look in an interior.