Custom Cabinets – Painted or Stained

How To Decide?

When building or remodeling a home, chances are there will be a major focus on the gathering place, and that will most likely include the kitchen. Kitchen cabinets play a critical role in the aesthetics of the room and are a substantial cost in a construction budget.

In custom homes and remodels, your kitchen should be both eye-appealing and functional. The most important decision on cabinets is what finish you desire, natural wood or painted. If you are not sure here are some tips to help determine the finish that is best for you.

Painted Cabinets -Modern Look

Pros

If you desire a clean, sleek design, painted cabinetry can deliver that. The classic all-white kitchen would not be what it is without white polished cabinets. All paint colors, whether whites and creams or grays and blues, will be clean and finished in appearance. Paint is perfect for homeowners who aren’t a fan of grain or character marks and imperfections that you find in stained wood cabinets.

If you are thinking of a pop of color, painted cabinets are the way to go. Whether it’s a muted red or a beautiful teal blue, it will cover the surface of the wood and provide a smooth and clean finish. Paint sticks to the surface of wood, so you will not get a mix of grains and knots as you would with stained cabinets.

Cons

Choosing medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is a way to cut costs when building cabinets. Paint adheres to the material well, and when cabinets are painted, it is difficult to determine the type of wood or material used once they are covered. One of the drawbacks to painting your cabinets is that it hides the character of the wood. Paint is thicker than stain, so the wood does not absorb it like a stain. If you want to see grains and knots in the wood, painted cabinets are not the way to go.

Painted cabinets are about 15% more expensive than stained cabinets. For efficiency, some builders will use a spraying method to paint the cabinets. However, hand-painted and brush-finished cabinets will allow for ease with touch-ups. One thing to consider is your household, kids, and the traffic that will travel around your cabinets. Painted cabinets will ding and show scratches more prominently, whereas stained cabinets are better at concealing those damages.

Stained Cabinets – Traditional Look

Pros

The biggest attraction of stained cabinets is that they highlight all the wood features. Unlike painting, stain does not steal the spotlight from your wood's natural character. A stain is a thinner substance, so it seeps into the surface of the wood, which can enhance the natural beauty of the wood. Maintenance on stained cabinets is less of a concern for homeowners. Scratches and chips are going to blend into stained cabinets easily, so the upkeep is minimal in comparison. Using touch-up markers is a low-cost solution for stained cabinets, and an exact match is not necessary as they blend better with the imperfections of the grains.

Cons

The cost of cabinets can vary depending on kitchen size, cabinet construction, and manufacturer. Staining is lower in cost, but the wood selection can be more expensive. Oak, Pine, and Maple are all hardwoods that stain well but are higher in cost. To achieve a similar look, you can use softer woods to give you the same effect and save on your budget. Knotty Alder is not only affordable but also great to work with. Alder is a softer wood that allows staining and a customized look. Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) offers considerable savings in a budget, but it does not take stain as well as it takes paint.

Re-modeling

If you are considering refinishing your cabinets instead of replacing them, re-painting is much less expensive than re-staining. A cabinet's surface must first be prepared before the new finish goes on. Painted cabinets have a simple process of only cleaning and light sanding since paint can be reapplied over the existing finish. Re-staining, however, is a more complex process because stain cannot be applied over the existing finish. The cabinet surface must be entirely stripped and sanded before applying the new stain. This is much more labor-intensive, which will drive the cost up by about 30%.

Research

The kitchen is a frequently used room in your home. A kitchen design will utilize high-quality materials, adequate space, and functional options that appeal to your style and vision. The different components of your kitchen need to work well together, and cabinets are an essential part of that process. Take the time to research the best options for you and your family and work to create a budget that will support those choices.