Are matt kitchens becoming the new gloss?
Is the nation’s love affair with gloss kitchens starting to lose its shine & are people starting to fall in love with matt kitchens instead? With more & more brands starting to offer numerous colour options in a matt finish, it seems that matt kitchens are starting to become the new gloss.
As matt kitchens are becoming so popular, the purpose of this blog is to highlight the 3 different types of matt materials available on the market. We’ll also point out some of the advantages & disadvantages of each type of matt material on offer.
Buying a kitchen can be an expensive exercise & not something people want to get wrong. Therefore, it’s hoped that this blog will help consumers make a more informed purchasing decision & ensure that the kitchen they choose, is best suited to their lifestyle.
These are the three main types of matt kitchens available on the market. These are as follows:
Laminate matt kitchens
A laminate door is either an MFC (melamine faced chipboard) door or a HPL (high pressure laminate) door. Laminate doors are edged on all 4 sides.
Advantages
- Tough, durable & hard wearing
- Inexpensive
- Will never de-laminate or peel
Disadvantages
- Finish can be a bit bobbly compared to a painted & lacquered door
- Door is edged so you can sometimes see the tiny gap between the edge & the door
Painted & lacquered matt kitchens
Painted & lacquered matt doors are MDF doors that have had several coats of high quality paint/lacquer applied over the top.
There are two types of painted & lacquered doors: Fully lacquered & lacquered and edged. Fully lacquered doors are lacquered on the front of the door & all four sides. A lacquered and edged door is lacquered on the front of the door but edged on all four sides.
Advantages
- Smoother finish than a laminate door
- Fully lacquered type has no visible edges
Disadvantages
- Cost a bit more than laminate doors
- Fully lacquered doors are prone to chipping. Particularly on the delicate edges.
vinyl, foil or pvc wrapped matt kitchens
A thin layer of plastic (vinyl) or paper mixed with resin (foil) wrapped around an MDF base. This is the lowest quality type of matt kitchen door on the market.
These types are sold mainly by the large chains & trade only suppliers.
Advantages
- Durable
Disadvantages
- These are the types that can de-laminate/peel.
- The recess on the top of integrated handle/J profile style doors is very shallow. Therefore they are very hard to open
Our free service recommends the best value kitchen suppliers in your area.
Their kitchens cost similar to the chains and trade only suppliers, but are higher quality and will last longer.
Showrooms offer free, no-obligation quotes & are within 30 minutes drive.
Read what our customers say about our service below:
“The kitchen your guys came up with is far more competitive than anything I have had quoted so far and the quality is in a different league”
Samantha Michaels, Watford, Herts
“If you’re looking for a good value kitchen supplier, these are the people to speak to first!”
Natalie D R, Stanmore, Middx
“Kitchenfindr recommended a showroom who were much better value than most of the other showrooms I’d previously looked at”
Hannah Malone, Esher, Surrey