Unfinished Shaker Cabinets

Unfinished Kitchen Cabinets Built From Solid Maple

All of our unfinished kitchen cabinets start with solid maple face frames and maple plywood panels, not MDF or particleboard. The difference with our unfinished cabinets is the exterior finish: there's no factory color and no primer coat applied. You get raw, sanded maple that takes the finish you choose, and the interior already carries a clear natural seal, so there's nothing left to prep on the inside.

Cabinets ship flat as ready-to-assemble units; a pocket-hole system holds them together instead of the staples and nails most RTA brands use. Assembly just takes a drill, since we include the hardware and instructions in the box. Soft-close hinges and full-extension drawer glides come standard.

Why Choose American Made Cabinets

American Made Cabinets' unfinished cabinets are built to your order rather than pulled from a warehouse shelf. Domestic production keeps our pricing competitive.

Before a cabinet leaves the facility, every part gets hand-packaged and scanned into our barcode system to confirm the box matches your order exactly, right down to the hardware count. Missing pieces mid-installation are among the most frustrating problems a cabinet order can have, and this step catches problems like that before the order ships.

Plus, we back every cabinet purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unfinished Cabinets vs. Factory-Finished: Which Fits Your Project

Unfinished cabinets exist for one reason: control over the final color. If you want a custom paint match or a stain that shows off maple's natural grain, unfinished cabinets are the only way to get there. The same goes if you want a clear coat that keeps the wood looking like wood.

Homeowners with the time and tools to finish cabinets themselves typically save against factory-finished pricing. Our blog post on the true cost of unfinished cabinets breaks down what those savings look like once you factor in finishing materials and your own labor.

If a custom finish isn't the priority and you'd rather skip the prep and drying time altogether, our factory-finished White Shaker and Light Gray Shaker collections use solid poplar face frames and birch plywood construction with a Sherwin-Williams finish already applied.

Finishing and Assembling Unfinished Wood Cabinets

Maple takes paint and stain well, but it needs a wood conditioner or pre-stain sealer before staining to avoid blotching. Our Finishing Guide for Unfinished Maple Cabinets walks through how to prep the wood and choose the right products. Most builders finish the doors and face frames before final installation, since it's easier to get even coverage while everything is still flat and accessible.

Before you order, measure the space using our guide for existing flooring, or the guide for new construction and full renovations if you're starting from scratch. Once the boxes arrive, our Cabinet Installation Tips cover leveling and the other core steps. Prefer help planning the layout? Our Free Cabinet Design Service reviews your measurements and builds a layout with 3D renderings before you order.

Where Unfinished Cabinets Work in Your Home

Unfinished shaker cabinets work throughout the home. Kitchens are the most common use, but the same solid maple construction holds up equally well in bathroom vanities and pantry storage. Browse our unfinished vanity cabinets for bathroom projects or our pantry and tall cabinets for kitchen storage.

Wherever they go, plan for a fully cured finish on every exposed surface, including undersides and edges. Bathrooms and laundry rooms see more moisture than the rest of the house, so a fully cured finish counts most there.