Kitchen cabinets play a huge role in how your space looks, feels, and functions. They affect everything from storage and flow to your home’s value and daily routine. Yet despite their importance, many homeowners make avoidable mistakes that lead to frustration, overspending, or a final result that doesn’t meet their needs.
At ECS Cabinetry, we’ve helped hundreds of homeowners choose the right cabinets the first time—with American-made, custom-built quality and expert guidance every step of the way. Here are the 7 most common kitchen cabinet mistakes—and how to avoid them.
1. Choosing Style Over Function
It’s easy to fall in love with the look of a cabinet, but if it doesn’t fit your daily needs, you’ll regret it. Drawers too shallow? Not enough storage? Poor flow in a busy kitchen?
🛑 Mistake: Prioritizing appearance over how the cabinets function.
✅ Solution: ECS Cabinetry offers free kitchen design to help you choose cabinets that work as well as they look.
2. Ignoring Your Kitchen Layout
Not all cabinets work in all spaces. Choosing standard sizes or configurations without measuring properly can lead to awkward gaps, unusable corners, or wasted space.
🛑 Mistake: Ordering pre-sized cabinets that don’t fit your space.
✅ Solution: ECS offers custom sizing on all flat panel and shaker cabinets to ensure a perfect fit—even in tricky layouts.
3. Overlooking Storage Features
You’ll regret skipping storage solutions once you’re living in the kitchen day-to-day. Drawers that can’t hold pots, cluttered countertops, and no place for small appliances? It adds up fast.
🛑 Mistake: Choosing only basic boxes with no built-in functionality.
✅ Solution: Add pull-out trays, deep drawers, corner units, appliance garages, and other smart features with your ECS Cabinetry design.
4. Settling for Low-Quality Materials
Cabinets take a lot of wear—cheap materials like particleboard or poorly made hinges won’t hold up. You’ll end up with peeling laminate, broken drawers, and costly replacements.
🛑 Mistake: Buying based on price alone.
✅ Solution: ECS cabinets are American-made using durable wood, plywood, and quality hardware designed to last for years.
5. Not Planning for Appliances
If your cabinets and appliances aren’t planned together, you may find your fridge sticks out too far, or your dishwasher door blocks a drawer.
🛑 Mistake: Designing cabinets before knowing your appliance specs.
✅ Solution: Bring your appliance dimensions to ECS and we’ll make sure your cabinetry fits and flows properly.
6. Forgetting About Lighting & Finish
The wrong cabinet color or finish can clash with your lighting, countertops, or flooring—especially if you choose online without seeing samples.
🛑 Mistake: Picking cabinet finishes based on photos alone.
✅ Solution: Visit ECS showrooms to see colors and materials in person—we offer over 100 color and finish options!
7. Trying to DIY the Whole Process
Cabinet selection involves space planning, design knowledge, and product understanding. Without expert input, you may end up with delays, wasted money, or a layout you regret.
🛑 Mistake: Skipping professional help to “save time.”
✅ Solution: ECS Cabinetry offers free design services, expert advice, and two local showrooms to guide you from start to finish.
Final Thoughts: Choose Cabinets You’ll Love for Years
Avoiding these common mistakes means a kitchen that’s not just beautiful—but practical, durable, and a joy to live in. With custom American-made cabinets, a wide selection of flat panel and shaker styles, and expert guidance at every step, ECS Cabinetry makes it easy to get your dream kitchen without the stress.
Let’s Design a Kitchen That Works for You
📞 Call us at (626) 631-9002
📍 Visit our showrooms in City of Industry or North Hollywood
📤 Submit your dimensions online for a free design & estimate: Click here
🔹 ECS Cabinetry – Your smart, stress-free path to custom cabinets made in the USA.
