Global Sales has supplied cabinetry to customers in Bermuda and the Caribbean for over forty years, and during that time we have amassed a tremendous amount of knowledge about the best practices for that process. While it isn’t possible to share all of our experiences in a single blog post, here are the top three cabinet design considerations for our customers in Bermuda and the Caribbean.
Durable Materials
It is critical to utilize cabinetry that is likely to hold up in the Bermudian/Caribbean climates. While these climates are some of the most desirable in the world, they are not always ideal for cabinetry. Additionally, the air conditioning used is frequently split system as opposed to central air, and many of our customers enjoy the fresh air and often leave windows and doors open to enjoy the gentle breezes that are prevalent in Bermuda and the Caribbean. That’s why all solid plywood cabinet boxes and predominantly solid wood face frames, doors, and drawer fronts are important in cabinet construction. If a particular type of door requires an alternative material, we use MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) as that has proven to be another highly durable option. We refrain from using any other materials unless they are specifically requested by our customers.
Door and Drawer Styles
Certain door and drawer styles hold up better in hot and humid environments. Specifically, we have found that mortise and tenon straight corner joints hold up far better than mitered corner stile and rail doors. The longer mitered joints can tend to separate at the corners over time causing the doors to fail. When the center panels expand or contract as wood tends to do in certain environments, the problem is exacerbated. As the vast majority of styles can be built in either construction method, we do not design or supply mitered corner doors or drawer fronts. Instead, we offer comparable styles in the more stable mortise and tenon construction method.
Cabinetry Overlay and Face Frame Style
In our experience full overlay, partial overlay, or frameless construction can all work well in island climates. We recommend against the use of inset cabinetry construction in Bermuda and the Caribbean. When the doors and/or face frames swell, inset doors and drawers can bind making them difficult to open and damaging the cabinet finish. As an additional consideration, we limit the sizes of doors and drawer fronts that we use to 18″ wide or at the very most 21″ on occasion to reduce the likelihood that the doors/drawers will twist or warp. Larger doors/drawers present a greater risk for this type of issue.
At Global Sales, we always discuss these three cabinet considerations as part of our complimentary design process. There are a couple of additional considerations that we also keep in mind as part of the kitchen cabinetry design process that is included in our Kitchen Design Guide specifically for our customers in Bermuda and the Caribbean. We would be happy to put our many years of expertise to work for you on your next cabinetry project.
Here are a couple of recent Global Sales Kitchen Design Projects
