Kitchen Cabinetry – Choosing the finish that is right for you.

When planning and building your dream kitchen try to consider the whole picture, not just the new appliances and beautiful stone bench top. The cabinetry is equally as important so it makes sense to research the options. Choosing the right solution will ensure the finished kitchen is both functional and eye catching, as well as being fit for purpose.  The team at Kate Walker Design can help you work through the process of selecting the right finish for your project.  KWD‘s joiners are experts in their field, and have worked with all of the different types of cabinetry finishes, including Laminate, 2pak, Vinyl Wrap and Timber Veneer.  Read on for an insight and some guidance to help you select the right finish for your project.

Laminate

Currently experiencing a huge resurgence in popularity, Laminate cabinetry (including bench tops, wall panelling and even splashbacks) is now produced in a myriad of colours and textures. It’s an affordable option and looks incredibly stylish when design and installation are carefully considered and followed through.  There are solid colours, timber veneer, metallic and textured finishes in literally hundreds of colour options for you to choose from.  There are several key brands of laminate, including Laminex, Formica, Polytec and Wilsonart to name a few.  Laminate is hard wearing, cost effective, and has been used in projects of multi-density residential, high end residential, speculative projects, commercial and industrial origin.

2pak

2pak is a painted finish. The paint is applied and then baked. There are three different finishes – gloss, satin and matt. 2pak is a strong hard wearing application and an extremely chic look, adaptable to any design style from colonial and coastal, to industrial and modern.  It is generally the most expensive painted finish to joinery.  Care must be taken with a 2pak finish, as it can chip if not treated with care.  To fix a chipped cupboard, it cannot be patched, rather, the entire door needs to be re-sprayed.

Vinyl Wrap

Probably the most popular material used in kitchen doors and drawers today, due to it’s sealed edges, availability, large range of colours and relatively low cost. It is extremely hard wearing, and doesn’t chip like a painted finish can.  Some vinyl wrap finishes can create an “orange peel” look which can be unsightly.  Also, the vinyl wrap can bubble or peel over time, which again is undesirable.  To repair vinyl wrap, the doors can be re-wrapped, which is an inexpensive and fairly quick fix.

Timber Veneer –

Top of the range kitchen cabinetry is usually a timber veneer finish, or a combination of timber veneer and 2pak. Timber veneer is finely sliced real wood, revealing the true grain of the timber.  The timber is  glued onto core panels (typically, wood, particle board or medium-density plywood) to produce flat panels such as doors, tops and panels for cupboard doors.  Veneer is obtained either by “peeling” the trunk of a tree or by slicing large rectangular blocks of wood known as flitches. The appearance of the grain and figure in wood comes from slicing through the growth rings of a tree and depends upon the angle at which the wood is sliced.  Timber veneer gives a completely natural look, and no two veneers are the same.  It has a delightful texture, and the range of colour options and grain options are astounding.

“Choosing your cabinetry finishes can be a difficult task.  Make sure you think about how the space will be used, what overall look you want to achieve, and of course, what your budget will allow.  Irrespective of the answers to the above questions, there is definitely a solution for your project.  Don’t forget, it is really lovely to utilise a combination of several finishes together” Kate Walker, director of KWD

To receive a quote or to discuss any other hard finishes please call Kate Walker of KWD on 0422 425 523.