Kitchen carcasses – Building a new kitchen on a budget
The term kitchen carcasses refers to the part of the cabinet behind the door. It includes the box, framework, and shelves. Since the doors are the most visual and the gets the most use sometimes the kitchen carcasses outlast the doors. So, if you can salvage your existing boxes you’ll be able to update your kitchen at a reasonable price.

Some IKEA kitchen carcasses

When remodeling your kitchen the first thing to assess is the current state of your kitchen carcasses. Check your cabinets for any soft spots, mold or large stains. If the kitchen carcasses are still in good condition, simply purchasing new kitchen door fronts will give your kitchen a facelift at a fraction of the cost. With the money saved on cabinet boxes you can splurge and get some really nice kitchen door fronts.
When building a new kitchen, you can purchase kitchen carcasses at an online retailer or at big box stores. IKEA makes inexpensive kitchen carcasses from particle board with really fine hardware. IKEA also has 3D planning software which makes it easy to design and order the exact measurements you need. You can mix and match their pre-made cabinets as well.

Basically, when remodeling or building a new kitchen, I would suggest paying attention to the kitchen carcasses. You might be able to cut your new kitchen cost by either salvaging your existing carcasses or buying some premade items at a box store or online retailer.