Kitchen Cabinets Or Countertops — An Expert Explains Which To Pick First

Kitchen renovations can get overwhelming fast. But there's one easy, foolproof way to kick remodel stress to the curb: making decisions in the proper order. When you settle on the design of each element of your kitchen in a certain order, you can rest assured you're building a kitchen that accommodates your daily routine, that's well spaced and sized, and that comes to life in the style of your dreams. Two of the biggest components of any kitchen are the cabinets and the countertops, and it's hard to know which one is the right place to start. So, we asked an expert.

"I always start with the cabinets," says Cara Woodhouse, founder and principal designer of Cara Woodhouse Interiors. "They define the architecture of the kitchen, the layout, the function, and how you actually live in the space."

It's best to choose cabinets before countertops when remodeling because, as Woodhouse explains, "cabinetry dictates storage, proportions, and flow, so getting that right first sets the entire foundation. Once that framework is in place, everything else layers on top in a much more intentional way." Designing your cabinets essentially means designing how you'll move in your kitchen — what you use where and so what you'll want to store where, what you need more and less space for, etc. You need that nailed down to figure out where appliances will go and then how the kitchen will continue to unfold around them.

Cabinets set the tone for your entire kitchen. They're how you map the best kitchen layout for your specific space, needs, and preferences. They're an aesthetic focal point, too, meaning you'll want to choose colors, materials, and overall styles for everything else based on what you opt for with your cabinetry. And the sizes of your cabinets dictate where your countertops and appliances are installed — you need to be able to measure around them.

"I approach cabinetry as both a spatial and visual anchor," Woodhouse says. "You're thinking about how the kitchen works day to day, but also about scale, rhythm, and materiality. From there, you can introduce countertops that either complement or contrast in a way that feels considered, not forced."

Once your cabinets are figured out, you can pick the best countertop material accordingly. Do you want it to match your cabinets exactly? Do you want it to be a color or pattern contrast, like, say, gray wooden cabinets with white and gray granite counters? Woodhouse has some key considerations to guide your decision.

"The most important factor is how the material performs in real life," she says. "Everyone is drawn to the look first, but durability, porosity, and maintenance matter just as much." Once you know exactly where to start with your kitchen remodel — cabinets, appliances, and countertops — you can move onto things like lighting, wall color, and furniture to smoothly and efficiently build your ideal room.