Laminate Vs Painted or Veneer Kitchen Finishes

There are more reasons than ever to consider laminate finishes for any high traffic areas in a home. As construction material and labor costs continue to rise Homeowners & Designers work together to balance style, function, and budget. This week we dig in and discuss laminate finishes as compared to veneer and painted surfaces.

Kitchen Finishes and Budgets

As we mentioned in our post 7 Reasons to Consider Laminate Cabinet Doors, laminate doors tend to be the most cost effective option from a few angles. Laminate cabinet doors tend to be far less per square foot than wood, wood veneer, and painted options.

Real wood, wood veneer, and painted cabinetry can make for create some of the most beautifully textured and timeless kitchens. Unfortunately these surfaces also make for the least durable and resilient options. These clear coat over soft finishes mean that these fronts don’t hold up to dings & scratches the way laminate surfaces do. If you do or plan to have children in the home, wood & painted surfaces will take damage.

Finally, Wood & Painted finishes are less water resistant than Laminate cabinetry. Laminates are sealed off from moisture and are at less risk of soaking up direct moisture from cleaning or the high humidity of Kitchens & Bathrooms. Investing in a higher priced finish with a lower durability rating can mean that you run the risk of having to replace them far sooner. In the end, over the course of a 20 year kitchen you can end up paying 4X per SQ FT that of Laminate Kitchen fronts.

Cost of Veneer & Painted Vs Laminate Doors

Why do Wood Veneer & Painted Fronts cost so much more than Laminate cabinet doors? There are two reasons Painted & Veneer doors cost nearly twice that of Laminate doors.

Production Time. Veneer & Painted doors can spend 100X – 800X more time in the finishing department compared to Laminates. Veneer requires a minimum of two runs through a clear coat and drying process. Painted requires a minimum of two coats of paint and then the application of at least one clear coat.
Supply Chain. Premium & Standard Grade Wood, Wood Veneers, Paints, and other finishing materials are in high demand. This means frequent shortages & premium pricing which only ever increase.

Laminate Door Innovations

A laminate option like Melamine (Low Pressure Laminate), one of the less appealing laminates that most people think of, tends to be used pretty sparingly. When we talk about Laminates we’re usually talking about various types of High Pressure Laminates or a Vinyl Thermofoil wrap. Both options, and everything in between now have decades of design and technological innovations behind them.

Formica – From Gaudy to Cutting Edge

A company once known for making some interesting yet often unreliable laminate materials, Formica was always leading the charge. Of course, being a trailblazer you run the risk of making mistakes and leaving people asking “What were they going for?”

It turns out they have still been plugging away, learning everything they can from their successes and not so successful choices. In addition to flooring and countertops, they at the forefront of developing woodgrain textured laminates that hold up better than real wood and veneer.

Yes to Laminate Cabinet Doors

Using MDF and HDF as a substrate is lightweight and inexpensive, allowing designers & engineers to really lean in and focus on the look and durability laminate surfaces. From Retro to Modern to Transitional and beyond: Laminates can complete the look, allowing room in your budget for more extras.

Custom Laminate IKEA Kitchen

Pairing custom laminate fronts with thoroughly warrantied IKEA cabinet boxes and hardware means durable. Kitchens being the most costly part of a home doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality or style to make it your own. As we’ve laid out in this post, you can keep your costs down while creating a kitchen you will love for decades to come.