Should you choose Stained or Painted Cabinets?
Painted cabinetry is one of our most popular finishes. Our designs incorporate painted cabinets that can give a wide range of looks and feel. From Tuscan to Contemporary designs, but stained cabinet finishes are more popular for transitional and traditional home styles. Most painted cabinetry today features the process that involves painting over medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Painted finishes over MDF allow for a more flaw-free finish along with eliminating some of the problems of expansion and contraction fractures versus painting over hardwoods.
If you are considering purchasing painted cabinets, know the Pros and Cons:
PROS INCLUDE:
Aesthetics: From classic all-white kitchens to contemporary grays and muted blues, painted cabinets can give your kitchen a clean, dramatic look for a wide range of genres and designs.
Finish: Consider cabinetry manufacturers that paint over MDF components such as cabinet doors and drawer fronts. More times than not, you will accomplish a better, high-end pristine finish when painting over MDF than wood.
Customize your colors: With our cabinet lines, the sky's the limit when choosing paint colors! From crisp whites to dramatic blues and greens, you can easily influence the look and feel of your kitchen.
Treatments: Timeworn finishes are more dramatic with painted cabinetry than stained finishes.
CONS INCLUDE:
While painted cabinets definitely have a long list of benefits, there are still a few drawbacks to choosing this style over a more traditional stained cabinet finishes.
Textures: The process of painting means that the fine details, including wood grain, knots, and other character features will be more hidden with painted cabinets.
Budget and Cost: Painted cabinetry are typically more expensive than stained cabinets. Painted cabinets can range from 10%-35% more in cost than stained wood cabinets.
Environment Fluctuations: Fluctuating humidity levels and temperatures in your home can wreak havoc on painted finishes. There is a genuine concern and risk of developing small fractures in the painted surface as a result of expansion and contraction. Keep your homes temperature within 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity levels within 30% to 50%. This will help sustain the natural moisture level in your cabinetry.
Difficult to touch up: Painted cabinets will have a higher rate of touch-ups than stained cabinets. Scratches and chips are a reality with painted surfaces, and it can be a challenge to repair painted cabinetry.
Choosing between painted vs. stained cabinets ultimately comes down to personal preference, style, budget, and function. Both cabinet finishes have their own unique characteristics that'll lend themselves perfectly to your new dream kitchen.