The kitchen is the beating heart of our homes. It is the place where families come together to cook, eat, and discuss. From an early morning breakfast through lunch and a late-night snack, our kitchens are a busy place.
A kitchen renovation is often high on many homeowners’ list of priorities. Given how frequently we use our kitchens, having a functional and aesthetically pleasing space is important. When homeowners decide to carry out kitchen renovations, they are faced with answering a not-so-simple question.
“Should I go for a custom kitchen or a flat-pack kitchen?” If you’re asking yourself this question, keep reading to find the right fit.
Both have their benefits and are popular options for homeowners across Australia. This blog post will take a closer look at custom and flat pack kitchens. After considering the benefits of both, we’ll consider the bottom line: which option is better for your home?
Flat Pack vs Custom Kitchen: What’s the Difference?
Understanding the differences between these two can help you make an informed decision and choice that best suits your needs, budget, and lifestyle.
What Is a Flat Pack DIY Kitchen?
As the name suggests, flat pack kitchens are pre-manufactured units delivered in flat boxes. They come with all the essential parts needed for assembly, including cabinets, drawers, and sometimes even countertops. You can often pick them up at a store, or the manufacturer will send the components of your new kitchen in flat-pack boxes. Once delivered or picked up, you can assemble the components yourself or hire someone to do it.
The Drawbacks of Flat Pack Cabinets
There are benefits to a flat pack kitchen, but before we explore them, let’s consider the drawbacks. For starters, your kitchen will not be unique. Sure, there is a wide range of options that you can choose from, but it’s still going to look like other flat pack kitchens.
You’ll have to install the kitchen yourself; if you’re not a DIY expert, you may need to hire someone to complete this section. Some companies offer fully assembled options, however, this will also be reflected in the price. Either way, a flat pack kitchen will cost you more time and money than you may have been anticipating.
Finally, the quality of the finish is not going to be as good as that of a custom kitchen.
What Are the Benefits of a Flat Pack Kitchen?
This option is often favoured for its affordability and convenience. Since the components are mass-produced, the cost is typically lower than that of a custom kitchen. So, if you are on a tight budget, a flat pack option is certainly budget-friendly (particularly if you will be able to assemble it yourself).
Additionally, flat pack cabinets can be a quicker solution to your needs.
If you live in a high-up apartment building, a flat pack kitchen can easily be transported to your floor.
Even though the materials won’t be as good as a custom kitchen, today’s flat-pack kitchens are still durable and strong.
Custom Cabinetry
Custom kitchens offer a world of personalisation. In a custom-made kitchen, the cabinets are specifically designed to match your vision and perfectly fit your space. This increased level of personalisation and taste stands against the concept of a flat pack kitchen, which is far less individualised and personalised.
What Are the Benefits of a Custom Kitchen?
Put simply, a custom-made kitchen is durable and built to last, allows more room for personal selection, is built to fit perfectly, and better represents the style and personality of the homeowner than a flat pack kitchen. Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits of a custom kitchen.
Made to Last Using Quality Materials
While a flat pack kitchen may be made on an assembly line, this is certainly not the case for custom cabinets. Instead, they are professionally made by skilled cabinet makers (like our expert, hands on team here at Look Cabinets). We take pride in crafting the perfect cabinets for each and every kitchen we create.
What’s more, we used quality materials that are built to last. Compared to a flat pack kitchen, a custom kitchen is far more hard-wearing and durable, with a much longer lifespan.
Personal Selection
With a custom kitchen, you can have a kitchen that represents you and your family. You’ll be able to work closely with our design team to realise your perfect kitchen. With a custom kitchen, you’ll be able to choose the exact wood, style, finish, and accessories.
The result is a kitchen that is completely unique. It will be designed and finished to your exact specifications, specific requirements and tastes.
Built to Fit Your Space
If you have an unconventional kitchen layout, a custom kitchen can be made to perfectly fit into your space. When it comes to flat pack kitchens, they are designed for stock kitchen sizes. Therefore, kitchens that aren’t completely conventional could end up looking unfinished with the installation of a flat pack option.
With a custom kitchen, you can design a kitchen that matches the needs of your family members. If you have a tall family, then your new kitchen can be designed and built to reflect that. If you have any family members with a disability, this can be factored into the design process.
The Bottom Line: Customer Vs Flat Pack Kitchen
In this contest, there is a hands-down winner: the custom kitchen. It’s the king of kitchens in terms of design, personalisation, durability, and high quality craftsmanship.
As we have highlighted, our kitchens are the beating heart of our homes. A custom kitchen is unique and reflects the personality of your family. With the installation of a custom kitchen, your kitchen space can be whatever you want it to be.There is, as we can see, a wide range of benefits and advantages to choosing a custom kitchen. Here at Look Cabinets, we create only the finest, handmade kitchen cabinets that are made right here on the Sunshine Coast. Discover our stunning projects showcasing modern kitchen cabinets and the timeless charm of farmhouse and shaker-style kitchens. Transform your space with our expert designs! Our design team will work with you every step of the way to ensure your dream kitchen.
Choose a Quality Custom Kitchen Provider
As you can see, a custom kitchen is a far superior choice to a flat pack kitchen. For a quality custom kitchen on the Sunshine Coast, always choose to Look Cabinets. Call into our showroom or contact us today and discuss how we can turn your dream kitchen into a reality.