Kitchens with wooden (below) and laminate cabinets

The front faces of kitchen cabinets tend to often occupy the largest surface area in one’s field of vision (sometimes even more than the kitchen ceiling or floor), thereby principally affecting the essential kitchen design concept. This naturally demands greater focus while choosing them.

Conventional kitchen cabinet fronts can be of any one of the following material types:

• Wood/veneer

• Laminate and painted

• Metal

• Glass

Each of these has a distinctive affect on the appearance and style of the kitchen, not to forget the impact on the buyer’s pocket.

Also, each front type has its own defined procedures for regular cleaning and maintenance, as also its ultimate durability.

Furthermore, choosing the correct front type is not easy — for each has its unique attraction and advantages. One can also combine elements from the four front types.

Wood/veneer

Natural, warm and available in different types, wood has always been a popular choice for kitchen unit fronts.

One may be lured by the panel-frame-bead structure for the classic country look, or by the smooth wooden panels for a sleek contemporary feel.

Upmarket interior magazines, which tend to favour top-of-the-range solid wood kitchen cabinets, may have spoilt you silly. So, go ahead if you must, but do check out their essential attributes:

Merits

Wood/veneer fronts look great with glass inserts and stone worktops

Grainy woods bring pattern to a bland utilitarian space

These fronts can soften the hard-edge look of a contemporary kitchen

They can be stained or re-polished for a revamp

Flexible veneers can be used for curvy cabinet fronts

Demerits

An all-timber look can be overpowering in a small kitchen

Premium quality wood/veneer fronts are expensive

Laminate & painted

Laminate comes in virtually any possible colour or pattern (including wood grains), which has made it a favoured choice of many a high-street designer. And paint is often the best choice for brightening up a dull kitchen or transforming worn-out kitchen units.

Merits

Laminate is available in several finishes — gloss, matt, suede and leather, and even with the exclusive mirrored finish. Paint, too, is available in matt to high gloss to metallic finishes

Laminate is inexpensive and easy to clean. Paint is affordable, too. Most paints, especially gloss/enamel ones, can be easily washed down

Specialist paints are versatile. They can be used to cover most surfaces — new or old — from metal to laminate and tiles

Demerits

Standard laminate units can lack that special touch of class

Laminate probably is not a lifetime buy

If scratched or knocked, paintwork will chip, and one may need a fresh coat almost every year

Metal

Preferred by many these days for that oh-so-very-neat-and-clean look, these fronts sure make a defined statement.

Merits

Metal sheets provide a sleek, no-nonsense, quasi-industrial look

Pliable metal can help clad any contoured surface

Works well with glass inserts

Comes in varied finishes — matt sheets for the cool Scandinavian look, punched or embossed ones for an American feel

Metal carcasses are solid and strong; perfect for supporting a heavy countertop

The entire assembly is surely pest- and rodent-free

Demerits

Usually more expensive than wood

Can show marks easily, which may call for re-buffing

Can look harsh if not tempered down with colour or some soft elements such as wood or fabric

Glass

The unobtrusive, sometimes almost see-through, character of glass makes it often the perfect solution in today’s cramped kitchens. Plus, glass cabinet unit fronts blend harmoniously with glass shelves set up against the adjoining walls.

Merits

An absolute certain choice for a contemporary kitchen. However, make sure the glass used has been toughened

Comes in several finishes and textures — frosted to ribbed to tough-wired sheets; also, may be fixed plain, sand-blasted or etched

Clear glass lends visibility to the stored items and adds interest to the kitchen

Not expensive, unless you go for speciality custom-designed glass panels

Easy to clean

Easily replaceable

Demerits

Sharp corners of glass shelves and units may be hazardous. Edges should always be ground smooth and corners rounded

Not suitable for the counter base units, especially in homes with children.

(The author is an interior design consultant, specialising in the design of corporate and residential interiors. As a senior faculty member at a Calcutta institute, she has delivered lectures, guided research and conducted projects in the field of ‘Housing & Interior Design’ for over two decades. She can be contacted at kusumsmail@yahoo.com )