If you’re reading this, you’ve probably realized that you need to know more about cabinets to make a purchase. It was an easy task that grew larger than you anticipated. Cabinets are central to both the style and efficiency of your space. Purchasing them is more than a functional choice. It impacts your entire kitchen renovation project. There are some basics that you need to know to buy cabinets. Fortunately, we’re experts that are here to help.

Gather What You Need

If you’re purchasing cabinets, it’s safe to assume that you have a finished design for your kitchen layout. Furthermore, you should also have a list of cabinets you’ll be needing. Whether you’re shopping by list or layout, it should be easy for you to understand and follow. Review it carefully to make sure that everything you need is there.

The most common items to forget are fillers and molding, touch-up kits, and end panels. These products help create and maintain a polished finish for your space. Keep shipping costs to a minimum by purchasing them with the rest of your cabinet order. Otherwise, shipping can be expensive.

Be certain you’re familiar with the specifications of the brand that you’re purchasing. Some of them have details like toe kicks sold separately or unfinished ends. At Waverly Cabinets, we make sure people know these details. Pay attention to the notices on the cart page as you check out.

Now that you’re ready, let’s talk about the types of cabinets that you can buy.

What are the different types of cabinets?

There are 4 basic types of cabinets: base cabinets, wall cabinets, tall cabinets, and corner cabinets.

What is a base cabinet?

A base cabinet is at ground level. These cabinets have an opening at the top, where the countertop goes. These products are easy to find because every brand has a base cabinet. Although, some companies refer to them as lowers. Here are examples of base cabinets from Forevermark Cabinets:

The minimum width for a base cabinet is 9 inches. There are several types of base cabinets besides the basics: sink base cabinet, farm sink base cabinet, drawer base cabinet, base pull-out cabinet, full height base cabinet, microwave base cabinet, and an oven base cabinet.

Sink Base Cabinet and Farm Sink Base Cabinet

A sink base cabinet and a farm sink base cabinet are similar, apart from the size of the opening for the sink. Their top openings are large without a drawer to block the sink installation. Oftentimes, the front panel on a sink base cabinet is a false front. Some people find this a waste, so they optimize the space by adding a tip out drawer.

A farm sink base cabinet has a larger opening for the lip of the sink; there is no false front. The size of a farm sink gives little to no room for a false front or a tip out drawer.

A sink base cabinet is a minimum of 24 inches wide. A farm sink base cabinet is a minimum of 30 inches wide. This is because farm sinks should be 2 inches to 3 inches smaller than the sink opening. Here are some examples of a sink base cabinet and a farm sink base cabinet from Cubitac:

Drawer Base Cabinet

A drawer base cabinet has no doors, but instead comes with a varying number of drawers. These cabinets are between 12 inches wide and 36 inches wide. There are custom widths, of course, but these are the typical measurements. Here are drawer base cabinets from US Cabinet Depot:

Base Pull Out Cabinet

Some people find the small spaces between their cabinets infuriating. These people elect to optimize it with a base pull out cabinet. These could be a spice rack, towel rack or another type of storage solution. It’s not available in every brand, though. Different brands will offer different storage solutions. Here are some base pull out cabinets from Forevermark:

The smallest width for these cabinets is 9 inches. Some brands have them available in larger sizes, but it’s not a standard feature.

Note: Cubitac offers these cabinets in a 6 inch width. However, it’s not a cabinet, but rather a pull out meant to be installed between two cabinets. A filler must be purchased for the front.

Full Height Base Cabinet

A full height base cabinet has no drawers, and the doors go from the bottom of the cabinet to the top. The smallest width for these cabinets is 9 inches to 12 inches. At that width, the cabinet will have a single door. Here are some full height base cabinets from various brands:

Microwave Base Cabinet and Oven Base Cabinet

A microwave base cabinet and oven base cabinet are similar. These are both appliance cabinets at different sizes to fit a specific type of appliance. These are different from an appliance pull out that comes with a roll out tray for easy access. These type of cabinets have no front covers. Once installed, the appliance stays in it’s designated spot.

Here are some examples of these cabinets from various brands:

What is a wall cabinet?

A wall cabinet is an enclosed unit with or without doors on the front. It’s attached to the wall above or level with the base cabinets. Some companies will refer to these cabinets as uppers. The standard depths range from 12 inches to 24 inches. The standard heights range from 12 inches to 42 inches. Here are some wall cabinets from US Cabinet Depot:

The wall cabinets, unlike base cabinets, are rather universal in their usage. For example, some designers use wall cabinets to create an island or a hallway bench for storage. The industry refers to them as wall cabinets because that is their intended use. Although, these cabinets are not always used as intended.

Their value is not limited by naming conventions. In fact, some companies sell them as wall cabinets and provide their measurements. It’s up to the shopper to know where and how the wall cabinet should be installed.

Special Note on Wall Cabinets:

Unlike base cabinets, wall cabinets are versatile and varied. Some brands make them for specific purposes. For example, US Cabinet Depot makes an open wall cabinet with optional modifications:

You can buy a microwave cabinet from US Cabinet Depot. However, it’s an open wall cabinet with the microwave shelf included. While open wall cabinets look nice, not all brands offer it. Some brands elect to offer alternatives like floating shelves. Some brands offer specialized products. Here is a microwave cabinet with attached wall cabinet from Cubitac:

What is a tall cabinet?

Other names for this cabinet is pantry cabinet or utility cabinet. The standard heights are 84 inches, 90 inches, and 96 inches. The standard depth is 24 inches to match the base cabinets. Here are some examples from various brands:

There is a type of tall cabinet called an oven cabinet. It has a large opening in the center where your appliance would go. These can be modified during installation to fit different ovens. Here are some from various brands:

Special Note on Tall Cabinets:

Some brands make modified tall cabinets for specific purposes. A tall cabinet with a shallow depth is for small, narrow spaces like closets or laundry rooms. A tall cabinet for a concealed refrigerator has a larger, wider opening without base storage.

These modifications are not standard to every brand. In fact, every brand has their quirks when it comes to tall cabinets. For example, GHI Custom Cabinetry does not make tall cabinets larger than 84 inches as a single unit. Instead, they offer stackable cabinets to make 90 inch and 96 inch tall cabinets.

What is a corner cabinet?

A corner cabinet maximizes the storage capacity in the corners of a layout. We sell them under base cabinets or wall cabinets to make them easier to purchase. However, you can spot them easily by their shape or missing parts:

There are several types of corner cabinets: diagonal corner cabinets, angle cabinets, square corner cabinets, and blind corner cabinets.

Diagonal Corner Cabinet

A diagonal corner cabinet looks like an irregular hexagon. It’s meant to be in a corner alongside two cabinets. Oftentimes, you can buy these cabinets with a lazy susan included. However, not all brands offer a lazy susan with their product.

These cabinets come as base cabinets and wall cabinets. A base diagonal corner cabinet has an open top where you install a countertop. A wall diagonal corner cabinet has a closed top and bottom. Here are some diagonal corner cabinets:

As seen above, some brands offer a sink base cabinet in a diagonal corner cabinet. However, it will look different from brand to brand. Here is a great example:

Instead of purchasing a full cabinet, people have the option of buying the main parts. If you need to cut costs for a project, this is an good option to consider.

Angle Cabinet

Now, we’ve come to the strangest cabinet on the list. An angle cabinet has sharp corners that may or may not form a triangle. These cabinets look different from brand to brand. Some are meant for corners and others are end cabinets. Here’s some examples:

While the line art is misleading, the product from Forevermark is a fully functioning cabinet. It has shelves and a door that opens. However, unlike the other products, this cabinet is a perfect triangle. It would look similar to this cabinet from Cubitac:

These cabinets are meant for the ends of a kitchen layout. Instead of a blank corner, a person would have a small cabinet that they could store small items. Subsequently, these cabinets match an angle base cabinet:

The above cabinet is an irregular quadrilateral that opens on both front sides. Most brands will offer alternatives to these angle cabinets. Here are some end shelves to consider:

Every brand offers their solutions to corner storage. Whether its shelves or angle cabinets, its all about personal preference and budget. If you’re set on a particular look, you’ll want to make sure that your chosen brand offers that product.

Square Corner Cabinets

Pull outs by Rev-a-Shelf

Personally, I prefer the square corner cabinets. However, these are not made for storage solutions like a lazy susan. There are pull outs and organizers that you could use in place of it, though.

When you buy cabinets, ask a sales rep about smart storage solutions. The photo on the left shows such a solution made by Rev-a-Shelf. It maximizes your shelf space by stacking items vertically and putting them on a rolling tray.

These are small additions that would make a big impact on your daily life. A sales rep can help you discover solutions that work for you.

Here is a list of useful kitchen features that you may want to try.

Here are some square corner cabinets from Cubitac:

Blind Corner Cabinets

A blind corner cabinet maximizes storage potential in the hard-to-reach, awkward corners of a kitchen. Typically, these cabinets are installed between two cabinets in a corner. It will need an additional filler to go along with it.

The above can be purchased as a wall cabinet or a base cabinet.

How do you find products by SKUs?

Most brands that we sell at Waverly Cabinets follows a predictable pattern with their stock keeping unit codes (abbr. SKU). These are a combination of letters and numbers that identifies a product. This quasi standardization identifies three key facts about the item: the door style, cabinet type, and measurements.

Learning how to read SKUs will make your shopping experience quicker and smoother. For instance, instead of opening product pages for information, you can glean the basics from the product SKU.

Brands generate SKU codes based on the key information. These are frequently the codes that are listed on retail websites. However, sometimes a retailer will add additional codes for various reasons. Here is a list of possible combinations for a cabinet SKU:

A) [door style]-[cabinet type][measurements]

B) [cabinet type][measurements]-[door style]

C) [brand or series][cabinet type][measurements]-[door style]

Waverly Cabinets sells different cabinet brands, so you’re likely to see all these combinations on our website. As you shop, you’ll notice that some of these codes are standard. The following is a list of basic cabinets and their SKU codes.

Cabinet TypeAbbreviationExample
Base CabinetB PW-B09
Wall CabinetW PW-W1512
Sink Base CabinetSBPW-SB24
Drawer Base CabinetDBPW-DB12
Full Height CabinetF or FHPW-FB12
Farm Sink Base CabinetFS or FSBPW-FSB30B
Wall Diagonal CabinetWDCPW-WDC2412
Blind Base CabinetBBLC or BBCPW-BBLC45
Angle Base CabinetAB or ABCPW-AB24

Product Names and SKU Codes

Generally, brands will generate a SKU based on the product name and measurements. It gives us a predictable pattern that is easy to read. However, as stated earlier in the article, some products have more than one name. In these instances, the SKU will differ from brand to brand. Cubitac, for example, calls a tall cabinet a utility cabinet. Forevermark, on the other hand, calls a tall cabinet a pantry cabinet or a wall pantry cabinet.

Here are some SKUs for pantry cabinets that you’ll find on our website:

SKUBrand
IMDHN-UC1524X84Cubitac
AX-WP1884Forevermark
GWP1884-FTSGHI
U-OS-U249024US Cabinet Depot
WC-047-U248424DD-SOWolf Home Products

Unlike other brands, GHI Custom Cabinetry appends the door style code to the end of a SKU. Above is a SKU for a pantry cabinet in their Frontier Shaker door style. Here is what we see in that SKU code:

[G] - Abbreviation for GHI
[WP] - Abbreviation for Wall Pantry Cabinet
[1884] - 18inches Wide by 84 inches Tall

[FTS] - Abbreviation for Frontier Shaker

At one time, there were multiple brands sold by GHI. A [G] was added to SKUs to differentiate between the products. Other brands with an additional letter are Wolf and US Cabinet Depot. However, this was done by Waverly Cabinets because their SKUs are similar for certain door styles.

Some brands organize their door styles by series and name. Cubitac is such a brand, and their door style codes tend to be rather long. Let’s review the SKU given above:

IMDHN-UC1524X84

The first part of the SKU seen above—IMDHN—is an abbreviation for Imperial Madison Hazelnut. The second part has two pieces of information: the product type and the measurements. The product type is abbreviated to UC, which stands for utility cabinet.

The numbers in the SKU code above is where you’ll be most interested.

SKU and Measurements

Each brand has their own way of doing things. However, there are some predictable conventions. For instance, base cabinets tend to have only the width in their SKU codes, yet wall cabinets will have both the width and the height. Furthermore, tall cabinets tend to have the width, the height, and the depth represented in their SKU code.

This pattern can be followed through most brands. It highlights the important details about a product. For instance, base cabinets are a standard height of 34.5 inches, which is the reason width is shown in their SKU codes. A wall cabinet can have varying widths and heights. As a result, most wall cabinets will include both in the SKU.

The SKU code that may confuse people are for products with varying depths. This can be pantry cabinets, accessories, and wall cabinets. Here are the normal measurement patterns:

[Width][Height][Depth]
[Width][Height]X[Depth]
[Width][Depth][Height]
[Width][Depth]X[Height]

Helpful Standards

Most brands will represent the width as a 2 digit number, regardless of how small that number is. (ex: a 9 inch wide base cabinet will have a SKU code that reads as B09). The standard max height of a wall cabinet (without modifications) is 42 inches. The depths available for a standard wall cabinet range from 12 inches to 24 inches. The standard heights of a tall cabinet are 84 inches, 90 inches and 96 inches.

Fractions, for the most part, are presented as whole numbers in the SKU. However, this is usually for accessories like molding, end panels, and storage solutions. These products are made very clear on our website.

Where is this information on the Waverly Cabinets website?

The product title will include the brand name, door style name, and measurements. We represent the measurements in a standardized format that is easy to read: Width as W, Height as H, and Depth as D. These measurements are in inches.

If you navigate to the product page, you will see these details below the title at the top of the page or in the description tab towards the bottom of the page.

Does your website tell me if I need extra parts?

Yes, we do insert product notes to inform customers when a door style needs extra parts. These notes are found on the product page and the cart page. If you’re on a product page, it will be in the description below the product title. If you’re on the cart page, it will be below your item list or on the sidebar below or above the checkout button.

Every order is double checked by our customer service team. We collect customer information as part of that process. If an order is missing necessary parts, we reach out to customers using the information they provide.

Can you double check my order before I pay?

Yes, we absolutely can do that! You would need to submit your order as an estimate request. It will be a large box with a yellow border. It will look like this:

Please include a note telling us what you would like to be reviewed or include questions that you have. There are several areas where you can leave a note:

There is a comment area on the sidebar beneath your cart total overview. There is also an area underneath your billing details.

Can you give me a quote based on a list or layout?

If you have a list or layout, you can submit these to us by emailing them to sales@waverlycabinets.com or by visiting the Request a Quote page.

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Maribeth Angeli
11:36 04 Nov 24
Wonderful service from John and Amanda. If you need cabinets, countertops, flooring this is where you should go!
Autry Liggett
18:19 03 Oct 24
I am, unfortunately, very demanding and extremely high maintenance. Waverly Cabinets exceeded all possible expectations in customer service and care.John, the owner, is detail oriented and pushed through a cabinet design that I needed in about 48 hours. It was truly incredible. Not to be outdone, however, Amanda, on the customer service side was absolutely exceptional for the little details after purchase.I highly recommend this team and encourage folks to get their cabinets here. A+
J Pirog
16:23 03 Jul 24
Couldn't be happier in working with Waverly. They answered all my questions about construction and features. Once going so far as calling the manufacturer to get the answer. My 30 cabinets were delivered quickly. There was a couple pieces damaged. Quick easy form to fill out to get replacements which arrived within a week.When I was assembling one of the last cabinets, a small part buried within a package of screws was damaged. This was weeks after I took delivery. I wrote a note asking to buy a replacement (as it was outside damage reporting window). 2 days later the part showed up at my doorstep no questions asked.Thank you Amanda!
Donna Rizzo
22:04 14 Jun 24
This is a “One-Stop Shop” and is the finest in the area!! We purchased our new Flooring, Bathroom Vanity and Knobs from Waverly and our finished bathroom is fabulous!! Amanda provided such quality service that we were easily guided towards our purchases!
Almedin Z
22:09 10 Jun 24
No issues at all
Elise Mosca
21:40 03 Jun 24
Sofia Ermey
21:18 18 Feb 24
I was missing a few cabinet doors due to some unforseen circumstances. Everyone at Waverly was unbelievably kind, helpful and patient with me as a consumer who didn't really know much about how to order (or even find) the product. They were superb and I highly recommend them! They shipped in a timely manner and their prices were very fair too!
Hannah Gils
19:34 22 Dec 23
Just received my order of RTA cabinets from Waverly Cabinets! I'm really happy with how quickly the cabinets were shipped and arrived to my house. I was also impressed with their customer service – Mike & Amanda were always easy to get in touch with and contacted me through email to make sure everything was right with my order. I'm planning on purchasing a second set of cabinets for another project and will be using Waverly again!
Amro Hwary
19:57 19 Nov 23
Got the perfect cabinets for our new home! Affordable and look great!
Christopher Duprey
15:37 24 Sep 23
John, Amanda and the team have been exceptional. Best prices and best service, there’s no reason to shop anywhere else! Thank you so much!
Tyler Loomis
14:31 18 Jul 23
John and the Team at Waverly Cabinets were an absolute pleasure to work with. John has great attention to detail and worked with us to design our kitchen, pantry, laundry room, and vanities. Prices are great, quality is even better, and the lead times were shorter than I expected. They have also been very helpful with follow on questions as I install. Overall, 10/10 experience here and would gladly use them again for future projects.
Justin Bradley
19:01 28 Mar 19
John and his team were easy to work with and helped keep me on budget for my flip home renovation. The kitchen and bath projects turned out great and his recommendations were well received.
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