Paint gives you any color and a clean, even face. Stain shows the wood and hides wear. Here is how each holds up, and how to choose.

One-wall, galley, L-shape, U-shape, island and peninsula: how each kitchen layout works, the room it suits, and the clearances that make it comfortable.

Navy, slate, teal and powder blue: the designer kitchens we keep coming back to, and what makes each one work.

The measurements a cabinetmaker needs, in the order to take them, and the checks that catch a crooked wall before it becomes a crooked cabinet.

Knobs, pulls or both? The common pattern, where each works best, and the rule of thumb for sizing pulls to your drawers.

Under-cabinet lights and outlets are cheapest and neatest when they are drawn into the cabinets, not added after. Here is what drives the cost and what to decide.

Paint, stain and clear finishes compared on how they wear, where damage shows, and why the topcoat matters more than the colour.

Shaker, slab, raised panel, mitered and glass: what each cabinet door style is, how it is built, and which kitchens it suits best.

A Made in USA label on cabinets has a legal meaning, and plenty of cabinets that sound American do not meet it. Here is how to tell the difference.

RTA cabinets ship flat and are built on site. Assembled cabinets arrive square, glued and ready to hang. Here is what that changes in your kitchen.