How you design your cabinets on the inside is going to have a significant impact on the functionality of your kitchen, but how they look on the outside is going to have an equally significant impact on the overall look and style of your kitchen. The cabinets make up a large surface, so choosing the right finish is an essential step in kitchen design.

The right finish for your kitchen cabinets
Choose a color that won’t overwhelm your kitchen.

Best finish for your kitchen cabinets

There are a few things to consider when choosing the right finish. Do you want your kitchen cabinets to look natural? Do you want to bring some color to your kitchen? What is the decorative style of your kitchen? Do you want a finish that is matte or glossy?

Painted kitchen cabinets

If you are looking to bring some color into your kitchen, having painted kitchen cabinets will give you the most options. Painted kitchen cabinets can give your kitchen a clean and harmonious look. However, since the cabinets are going to make up such a large area of your kitchen, you may want to consider looking at some more neutral colors.

Textured Colors

Painting kitchen cabinets
For painted kitchen cabinets, add some texture to tone down the color and make it less dominating.

You can tone down the colorful painted finish of your kitchen cabinets by using a distressed look or texturing the painted finish. If you add some texture, the color won’t be too dominating, and you won’t notice chips, cracks, and dents as much as you would with smooth and evenly painted kitchen cabinets.

Staining your kitchen cabinets

Many people choose to showcase the wood that is used for your kitchen cabinets. Allowing the natural beauty of the wood to be the star is a popular choice in the kitchen. Using a stain to finish the cabinets will give you the option to darken, or even out the color variances in natural wood. Allow the grain pattern and the small imperfections in the wood shine through the stain for classic and rustic detail.

Matte or glossy cabinet finish

Matte finish for kitchen cabinets
Matte cabinet finishes are prevalent in modern kitchen design.

Whether you stain or paint your cabinets, you’re going to want to decide if you want your kitchen cabinets to be matte, glossy, or semi-glossy. The amount of shine is going to affect the style and theme of your kitchen. A glossy finish is a more traditional choice, but a matte finish is having a moment in modern kitchen design. More gloss can help spread more light in the kitchen, but a matte finish can make the kitchen feel sleek and clean.
Come and check out over 40+ finished rooms at The Kitchen Showcase in Denver. See how the various finishes will impact the style of your kitchen.