Identifying your design style is an essential first step in selecting new cabinets. You can elevate your kitchen design style — casual, modern, traditional, or even contemporary instantly by choosing the right kitchen cabinet finishes.
Selecting cabinet finishes for your kitchen can be one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences. Not only does it add style to your home interior design, but it also keeps your life organized. Who doesn’t love ample kitchen storage space for all your cooking appliances and utensils? It also makes your kitchen look neat and presentable.
For those who are planning to remodel, choosing kitchen cabinet finishes can be an overwhelming task. So to give you a helping hand, we’ve gathered the top 5 finishes for your kitchen cabinets that are worth your time and money.
How to Choose Kitchen Cabinets?
Before we dive into which finish you should vouch for, let’s take a look at some well-known cabinet designs. No matter your lifestyle or budget, there is a wide range of stylish cabinets that will fit your needs.
Are you an aspiring cook? Do you like to entertain? The answers will determine the type of cabinets that will serve you best daily.
The best way to find your cabinet style is to see photos of the kitchen you like online. In-depth research will help you identify your preferred door style and finishes based on your pinned inspirations.
Determine whether your style is more traditional or modern. A big trend today defining a style category that is in between traditional and modern is called transitional.
Moving on, determine the smaller details like hardware. Do you want a handle, knob, or a handle-less look? Once you have a clear idea, plan on finding the perfect door style, door finish, and color.
There are various options for kitchen finishes, but the main options are wood, laminate, lacquer, glass, and acrylic. Some recent trends, such as concrete, stone, porcelain fronts, are also available. Cabinets can also be made of metal, fabric, or any material.
Of course, consider your budget as wood, glass, and lacquer can get pricey. Alternatively, there are less expensive alternatives with laminate.
Pre-Fabricated v/s Custom Cabinets
Cabinets are the backbone of every kitchen. Finalizing the right kitchen cabinet is something you need to think about. Your goal is to configure the cabinets to make the most use of your kitchen size and floor plan.
Before getting into the design, let’s determine whether you want pre-fabricated or custom cabinets. The difference is simple. Pre-fabricated cabinets can be bought directly, and you can DIY them and install them. It’s fast, easy, and a lot cheaper than custom cabinets. But there are limited options available.
On the contrary, if you want to go for a high-end custom look where you can customize it to your every need, and have the budget, go custom. They are great as you can design every aspect of your kitchen cabinets, so the options are endless.
Amp Up The Storage
One of the biggest complaints you’ll hear about is the lack of storage space. When you’re planning your kitchen layout, whether it’s stock or custom, ask yourself these questions —
Is your current kitchen cluttered? You can add dividers, spice racks, pullout shelves, and other smart storage solutions to maximize the space.
Door Styles
Start with your door styles; be it modern kitchen, traditional, or transitional, there are many options you can choose from. You can go for flat panel or high-gloss finish doors for your modern kitchen cabinets. The glossy finish will make your kitchen cabinets pop and give that modern design.
If you have a traditional or even a transitional kitchen, you can go for a raised-panel door style. You can even do accent cabinets, combine two utterly different cabinet looks for a modern, sleek finish. Now that the basics are done, let’s look at the best kitchen cabinet finishes.
Best Kitchen Cabinet Finishes
Wood
Wood is a classic cabinet choice in any kitchen. Whether you have a traditional or transitional kitchen design, wooden cabinets add an element of nature and beauty. With various colors, styles, and textures available, you can never go wrong with wood.
You can either opt for stained or natural wood cabinets. They are a popular material choice for homeowners. Mainly hardwood is used for kitchen cabinets finishes, but if you are on a strict budget, you can go for veneers or plywood to reduce costs.
Laminate
Laminate is one of the most versatile and durable cabinet finish options. For instance, it can instantly elevate your kitchen design; comes in high and low gloss finishes. It is also available in a variety of colors.
Laminated cabinets adhere to everyday wear and tear. It is easy to clean and low-maintenance. As a matter of fact, you can paint over your old laminate cabinets to restore their appearance. It is cost-effective, and you can easily install it yourself.
Lacquer
Lacquer is non-porous, which means it can easily repel grease, stains, and scratches. It also has a sheen finish and is highly durable. If you’re looking for a high-end, long-lasting solution for your cabinets, lacquer might be your best choice.
It is also easier to maintain and clean. Also, if you want a paint-like finish on your cabinets, lacquer is highly suggested. It is the best quality paint finish you can get for your kitchen cabinets.
Lacquer also comes in semi-gloss, high-gloss, and satin finishes and can be tinted according to your preference. The only setback here is they tend to yellow over time.
Acrylic
Acrylic is a great and relatively new kitchen cabinet option in the industry because of its high-end, luxurious finish. Also, it is readily available in the form of sheets and doesn’t lose its sheen for decades.
It is water-resistant and is non-toxic, which makes it great for homes with kids. Acrylic sheets are available in several vibrant colors and have a high-gloss finish. You can clean them by using a warm soapy water mix.
