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Inside every cabinet

Cabinet Boxes: Melamine or Plywood

The box is what holds your doors, drawers and everything you store. Here’s what we build with, and the upgrades worth knowing about.

Step 1

Choose your box

Every box is built to your measurements. Melamine comes standard; plywood is an upgrade.

White melamine cabinet box with an adjustable shelf
Standard

Melamine

A hard, smooth white interior that wipes clean. It’s what most kitchens use, and it comes with every cabinet we build.

Inside
Bright white, smooth and easy to keep clean
Strength
Solid and stable for everyday kitchens
Best for
Most kitchens and budgets
Birch plywood cabinet box with an adjustable shelf
Upgrade

Plywood

Layered birch plywood: lighter, holds screws firmly and handles moisture better. A natural wood interior you’ll see every time you open a door.

Inside
Natural birch with a clean, warm look
Strength
Holds screws and hinges very firmly; resists moisture
Best for
Sink bases, heavy drawers and a natural-wood interior

Step 2

Choose your drawers

Melamine boxes come with matching white drawers. With plywood, choose a stapled drawer or step up to dovetail.

Melamine cabinet with a white drawer box
Standard

Standard drawer

A clean, sturdy drawer box on soft-close slides. Melamine with a melamine box; stapled plywood with a plywood box.

Build
Melamine, or plywood stapled and glued at the corners
Feel
Smooth, quiet, soft-close every time
Best for
Everyday storage
Plywood cabinet with a dovetail drawer box
Upgrade

Dovetail drawer

Solid wood drawer sides joined with interlocking dovetails, the traditional mark of fine cabinetry. It costs a little more and lasts a lifetime.

Build
Solid wood sides with dovetail joints
Feel
Heavy, solid and quiet
Best for
Pots and pans, deep drawers and anyone who loves the detail

In every cabinet

Standard in every kitchen

Hinges
Blum soft-close hinges: doors close gently and quietly
Drawer slides
Blum soft-close slides that hold heavy loads
Shelves
Adjustable shelves you can move as your needs change
Built to fit
Every box made to your kitchen's measurements
Install
Levelled, secured and adjusted by our own team
Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions?

Is plywood better than melamine for kitchen cabinets?

Plywood is lighter, holds screws more firmly and handles moisture better, which matters most under the sink. Melamine is smooth, easy to clean and solid for everyday use. Both last when they’re built and installed properly.

Not always. Some clients choose plywood for the sink base and heavy drawers and melamine elsewhere. We’ll talk it through at your consultation.

A stapled drawer is plywood glued and stapled at the corners: sturdy and dependable. A dovetail drawer joins solid wood sides with interlocking cuts, so it’s stronger and has the look of fine furniture. It costs a little more.

Yes. Every cabinet we build comes with Blum soft-close hinges and drawer slides.

Yes. We bring melamine and plywood samples, and both drawer styles, to your consultation.

Want to see them in person?

Book a free consultation and we’ll bring box and drawer samples, door styles and a fixed quote for your kitchen.