Ready-to-Assemble Kitchen Cabinets

Whether you're installing a brand-new kitchen or looking to update an existing one, ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets can be a great cost- and time-saving option.

Ready-to-assemble, or "RTA," kitchen cabinets may remind you of furniture from a certain ubiquitous, Swedish furniture retailer. They generally come boxed and broken down into their component parts, with a set of instructions, hardware and (sometimes) tools included. They can be ordered fully finished or unfinished. If it's your intention to customize a portion of them in some way, you might be able to order them partially finished. Once they arrive, you, a hired contractor, or a family member you "strongly encourage" to take on the job will be tasked with unboxing, assembling and hanging the cabinets.

The two clear advantages of ready-to-assemble cabinets are convenience and cost. They're shipped to your door, or in some cases you can pick them up from the loading dock at a home improvement or furniture retailer. In general, they're less expensive than custom or semi-custom cabinets. However, your options in terms of style may be limited when it comes to ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets, and if assembling and hanging the cabinets is something you're planning to do on your own, you'll need a modicum of DIY ability to ensure they're safely assembled and installed.

See also: Kitchen Remodeling Ideas, Options and Solutions