Matte vs Semi vs High Gloss Kitchen Cabinets: Pros and Cons

Is your new kitchen cabinetry all ready, and the time has come to select the finish? Matte semi-gloss and high gloss kitchen cabinets are the three options from which you can choose. But how to ascertain the finish that is best for you and your family. We have come with this blog to make your job easier.

In this blog, you will find brief information about each of these finishes with their advantages and disadvantages, which will help you better decide which finish you want to go with for your new kitchen cabinets.

High Gloss Finish

The high gloss kitchen cabinetry finish has a shiny coating, reflects light, so white gloss kitchens have always witnessed a high demand. A high-gloss finish is also known as full gloss or 100% gloss, or ultra-high gloss. It is best suited to a contemporary or modern-style kitchen having flat cabinet fronts.

High Gloss Kitchen Cabinets
High Gloss Kitchen Cabinets

Advantages

  • A high gloss kitchen cabinet finish will reflect light and make the room feel more spacious and open than it is. A high gloss kitchen cabinet finish is ideal for compact or smaller kitchens.
  • Lighter colours reflect more light, so the lighter the colour, the higher the reflection of light. That is why white is the most in-demand colour choice for gloss kitchens.
  • High-gloss kitchen cabinets are easy to clean, and homeowners will appreciate it! With a micro-fibre (non-scratch) cloth, clean the cabinet doors and drawer fronts, and they will take in any dust particles resting on the surface.

Disadvantages

  • Scratches, dirt and fingerprints are easily visible on a high gloss finish than semi-gloss or matte finish. As a high gloss surface is easy to clean, this would not cause a problem for you.
  • High gloss finish on a dark colour will expose any tiny imperfections on the surface of the doors and drawers, such as finger marks or scratches, and they are more visible than they are on lighter colour high gloss surfaces. It is better to avoid darker colours if you have young children or do not want to clean the kitchen cabinet fronts more often.

Matte Finish

Kitchen cabinets with a matte finish do not reflect any light and look flatter than a gloss finish. Country-style or traditional-style kitchen cabinets look classy with a matte finish. Besides, a matte finish will look beautiful on modern style flat cabinet fronts.

Matte Kitchen Cabinets
Matte Kitchen Cabinets

Advantages

  • Scratches, fingermarks and other imperfections are less noticeable than on gloss finish cabinet door and drawer fronts. You would not see the marks or fingerprints because light does not reflect on the surface.
  • The colour of kitchen cabinets with a matte finish will look more consistent, as there is no reflection of light to make some parts of the cabinet fronts look brighter than the rest.

Disadvantages

  • The matte finish will produce a more subdued look because it does not reflect light instead absorbs light. As the matte finish does not reflect any light, it would not help make your space look roomier.
  • The Matte surface is not as smooth as the high-gloss surface, so not as easy to clean. However, they are not difficult to clean either. With a microfibre cloth, clean the cabinets having matte surface finishes, and it won’t scratch your cabinets.

Semi-Gloss Finish

If you want to avoid both extremes – high gloss and matte finish, choose a semi-gloss finish to find a middle path and balance between the two finishes. Kitchen cabinets with semi-gloss finish get the advantages of both gloss and matte finish cabinets.

Semi Gloss Kitchen Cabinets
Semi-gloss Kitchen Cabinets
  • The semi-gloss finish has some light-reflective qualities, and so the light will bounce around the kitchen.
  • A semi-gloss surface is not as highly reflective as a high-gloss surface, and so it won’t give you as many reflections in your kitchen cabinet fronts but will provide you with a more consistent-looking colour.
  • Besides, you won’t see fingermarks on a semi-gloss surface finish as effortlessly as you can see on a high-gloss surface.
  • Moreover, a semi-gloss surface finish is easy to wipe clean, similar to the high-gloss surface finish.

The Bottom Line

What will you choose high gloss, semi-gloss or matte finish for your kitchen cabinetry? It will depend on what you prefer and what look and feel you want to achieve for your kitchen. So it is not solely about which finish is the best; instead, what finish will suit you and your family.

For professional help of custom kitchen design or renovation in Melbourne, call us at Konnect Kitchen Store on 03 9796 3337 or obtain a kitchen quote, our experienced and friendly team will be delighted to assist you.

 

Read Also: 5 Popular Kitchen Cabinet Design Ideas That You Can Try!

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