Kitchen Cabinet Finishes

Kitchen cabinet doors and panels are made up of two components – the core board (usually mdf or compact particle board) and the surface layer that is applied to the board. There’s 5 main types of door & panel products available, each with their own benefits and which one you choose will depend on the purpose of your new kitchen, who’s going to be living there and how much money you want to spend.

Why we prefer laminate:

• It’s the least expensive surface available
• Has plenty of colour, texture and finish options
• Hard wearing, low maintenance for rentals
• Adds as much value as any other kitchen cabinet material

The main purpose of an investment property is to make money and ideally, you want high returns for low spends. Laminate will give you that.

Tenants don’t look after things the same way an owner/occupier would so it’s wise to choose a cabinet material that can take a few hits without needing repair or replacement too often.

Laminate is durable & very hard wearing. It won’t dent or chip like polyurethane can. Even if it does happen to get damaged it’s inexpensive to replace.

The laminate manufacturing process has come a long way over the years, lasting even longer and withstanding moisture, wear & tear better than ever.

With so many colour, texture and finish options available, laminate makes it really easy to get a designer kitchen without the designer price tag.

Why we prefer polyurethane or timber veneer/poly combo:

• Both are a deluxe finish meant to be enjoyed
• Poly colour options are almost endless, easy to match
• Timber veneer is a premium product in line with current trends

Timber veneer adds a natural, organic element to your kitchen that can be used to create contrast between finishes for a more contemporary design. It also lowers the required maintenance that usually comes with using natural products.

Poly is a beautiful finish that wraps seamlessly around the edges of the door panels. The only downsides is that it chips easily if not cared for and it’s expensive to replace. However, when you live in your own home you are more likely to look after things so the risk of damage is greatly reduced (especially if there are no small children running around).

Because poly panels are spray painted, the colour options are virtually limitless. Choose from any dulux or taubmans (or similar)  paint chart and mix half or quarter strength colours to get the perfect colour and shade that matches harmoniously with all your other finishes.  (We recommend Dulux above all paint brands due to it’s reliable, consistent colour finish.)

Why we prefer laminate or a poly/laminate/acrylic combo:

• Small children wreck things
• Laminate & acrylic is hard to wreck
• Mixing finishes creates a high-end effect in line with current kitchen trends
• Poly’s flexible colour range makes it easy to match with other materials

Small children and nice things don’t mix. If you bang an object into a laminate or acrylic board, not much will happen besides maybe a minor scratch. Do the same with poly however, and it will chip to reveal the core board beneath it which is not the same colour as the surface. You will notice the defect. If this doesn’t sit right with you, we don’t recommend choosing poly for lower cabinets in homes with small children who are likely to damage it at some stage.

(Despite this, plenty of people still prefer poly and use it anyway. There’s nothing wrong with that if you’re prepared to replace a panel every so often.)

Alternatively, if you’re not keen on a full laminate or acrylic kitchen, why not combine two different materials together? Place the poly up top away from reach of children and the more durable laminate or acrylic on the bottom for the best of both worlds.

To handle or not to handle? That is the question.

It’s is a popular choice to ditch the handles all together which compliments a minimalist, modern contemporary or Scandinavian look. However, handles can be used to improve functionality and enhance other styles such as classic, art deco, industrial or french provincial. 

The type of handle you select is important. Handles are one of the finishing touches that can make or break the style you’re trying to achieve.

The right handle has the power to compliment and enhance your kitchen design. Rush this part and you risk upsetting the overall look by choosing a handle that’s too big, too small, too dated or too modern.

Consider the style, era and size of your kitchen. How many doors and drawers are there in total? If there’s a lot, you might want to choose a more discreet type of handle, or opt for no handles at all to make your kitchen less busy.

It’s not only important how they look, but how they FEEL. You’ll be using them daily so pick one that’s comfortable to use.

Some have sharper edges that can get a little uncomfortable, especially once there’s some weight in the drawers. Most people prefer a handle with a rounded inside edge for this reason.

Think about what’s going inside your drawers, if they’re likely to get heavy you’ll want a handle sturdy enough to operate with ease.

Pros: Isolates finger marks to make cleaning easier, gives you somewhere to hang a tea towel, makes full or heavy drawers easier to open, can be used to further establish the desired style or mood.
Cons: Depending on the handle type and size, they can make the kitchen look a bit busy.

Pros: Modern, streamlined, minimalist look
Cons: More fingermarks, constantly needs cleaning, integrated appliances still need to have a handle, as with the pantry and any other full height cabinetry.