The sliding doors glide on a plastic track that’ll handle any 1/4-in. thick material. You can even choose 1/4-in. hardboard or Peg-Board for ventilated cabinets.

“We’re going to spend maybe $1,500 to $2,000 on cabinets from Ikea and then have, say, $5,000 of custom fronts and panels.” We asked designers and manufacturers to walk us through the process.

4. A splash of color. Neutrals remain the go-to hues to use for kitchen cabinets, so a stroke of green or blue is a daring design choice. It can be a risk that pays off. The effect is a bright and ...