What Are Flat Pack Kitchen Cabinets?

12 February 2020
kitchen flat packs cabinets

Flat pack cabinets, as with other types of flat pack furniture, are ready-to-assemble cabinets that are bought by the user disassembled, usually in flat boxes—hence, the use of the name “flat pack.”

 

The boxes are typically flat to save space during stocking and shipping. This allows makers, shippers, and retailers of this kind of furniture to save significantly on transportation, assembly, and storage expenses. These savings can then be passed on to the customer.

 

Today, flat pack cabinets are incredibly popular for both home and commercial kitchens due to their balance of convenience, price, and quality. Up until recently, purchasers of flat pack cabinets were often restricted to only a few designs in standardised dimensions. But these days, companies such also offer made-to-order flat packs of all types of kitchen furniture, making them a great option for truly unique personalised kitchens.

 

How much do flat pack kitchen cabinets cost?

 

Flat pack furniture is now an extremely popular option for kitchen renovations. The main reason for this popularity is cost. Flat packs are considerably more affordable than either custom or pre-assembled furniture.

 

Considering that full kitchen renovations in a major Australian city like Perth can cost up to $50,000 or more and that even modest renovations can cost about $15,000, it’s no wonder that cost-conscious home and business owners are turning to flat pack cabinets.

 

Even when discussing flat pack furniture, however, prices may still vary. Indeed, your typical consumer-grade set of flat pack kitchen cabinets will still cost anywhere from $4,000 to $5,000. Of course, this is an oversimplification. Flat packs can be purchased individually for much lower prices, with some additional differentiation according to the available styles. There is also the matter of the durability of the pieces, and cheaper kitchen cabinets are not exactly recommended if you want your kitchen fixtures to last. 

 

There are also costs associated with modifications, as store-bought flat pack cabinets only come in a small number of styles and sizes, making them unsuitable for many applications and more discerning users.

 

Fortunately, for about the same price as you would pay for a set of store-bought flat pack cabinets, you can also get fully customised flat pack cabinets from certain reputable suppliers. Through these companies, flat pack cabinets can be ordered in the exact dimensions you need. You can also choose from a selection of high-quality hardware options in contrast to the lower quality hardware often available with store-bought flat packs. These custom flat packs can also be made to fit the specific refrigerators, ovens, and other appliances you already have.

 

You can also choose from a wider range of colours, which means you and your interior designer won’t need to redesign your kitchen around the type of furniture available. What’s more, you can even create virtually any type of kitchen you can imagine. These custom flat packs are also built to last from moisture-resistant materials, which prevents them from deteriorating prematurely or from developing problems from the growth of mould. 

 

Taken together, this means that custom flat packs from the right maker can offer much more value than their list price. If you only have a limited budget, it may well worth be check out a maker like eKitchens over mass-produced flat pack furniture makers if you want to get the most value for your $4,000. This might even prove to be the more cost-effective choice over time.

 

 

Why choose a flat pack kitchen cabinet?

 

Flat pack cabinets are now an extremely popular way to decorate kitchens. What’s more, they can even be used in other parts of the home. Here are a few reasons more people are going with flat pack furniture over preassembled or custom-made:

 

  1. They’re more affordable 

    Because flat pack pieces take a significant amount of labour and storage costs out of the equation, they can be sold for much lower prices than either preassembled or custom pieces. There is not necessarily any compromise on quality either, as the cost savings of making flat packs are in terms of labour and logistics rather than in materials. 

     
  2. They can be customized for little or no added cost   

     

    One problem with preassembled or mass-produced kitchen furniture is that they come with limited sizes. Mobility-impaired people may find many widely-available off-the-shelf solutions to be too difficult to use, for example. While custom pieces can be made, they are often expensive and can cause your renovation budget to skyrocket.

     

    Fortunately, reputable suppliers now make use of cutting-edge technologies to create affordable custom flat pack furniture for virtually any application. Unlike with store-bought flat packs, you aren’t restricted to strictly modular solutions in predetermined sizes. You can order pieces in any dimension you want with a selection of different options. This can be a godsend for those who need specific types of furniture or for those who have special needs. 

     

  3. Simple assembly  

     

    Flat packs kitchen cabinets today can be assembled with a minimal number of tools. They can also be assembled by virtually anyone. Just make sure to follow the instructions that usually come with each set. It’s worth noting that many people enjoy the process of assembling flat pack furniture, finding them more satisfying to own than preassembled pieces.

     

  4. Versatility 

     

    Kitchens are not the only places you might want to fit with custom flat pack cabinets. They can also be quite useful in the garage, work areas, laundry rooms, bathrooms, and virtually any other space in your home or workplace.

     

  5. They’re built to last  This is only true if you buy from the right maker, though. Reliable and proven flat pack makers are indeed known for making durable, long-lasting flat packs that will outlast anything you buy from a chain store. Make sure to look for flat pack cabinet makers that use moisture-resistant materials, as this is an essential feature for any type of kitchen cabinetry.

 

If you’re interested in making the most out of your kitchen renovation budget, be sure to do your research so you can end up with the right set of flat pack kitchen cabinets. This way, you can be better-guaranteed that you’ll end up with a supplier that matches your needs, style, and budget. 

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