Will stock sizes fit in your kitchen? Yes. Most large manufacturers offer base and wall cabinets in widths ranging from 9 inches to 48 inches in 3-inch increments.

Upper cabinet heights run 12, 18, and 24 inches for over sinks and stoves and 30, 36, and 42 inches for above counters. Matching tall cabinets are made in 84-, 90-, and 96-inch heights. These heights are planned for standard 8-foot ceilings.

Trim panels are sold for covering gaps between cabinets and walls or ceilings. These are usually marked and cut to precisely fit adjoining surfaces.

If your kitchen design calls for a fairly unusual installation, you may still be able to accommodate it with stock cabinets, using a little creativity. For example, you might order additional materials from the manufacturer— prefinished plywood sheets and hardwood pieces that match the cabinets. You can then have these sheets fabricated to create fillers, soffits, angled connections, islands, and so forth.