Cabinet Finishes
Options When Selecting Kitchen Cabinet Finishes
A palette of colorful possibilities awaits you when selecting cabinet finishes. Whether you want to bring out the natural characteristics of the wood type you've chosen, add personality with hues that complement your unique kitchen design, or create a look reflective of the latest cabinet color trends, you'll find the cabinet finishes to meet your design needs at MasterBrand.
To help you begin selecting kitchen cabinet finishes, here is a quick overview of different finish options that are available, including stains, paints (also referred to as opaques), glazes and finishing techniques.
Cabinet Stains
Stains are applied to cabinet doors to enhance the natural beauty of the wood, while also adding beautiful color. A variety of stain applications are used across our cabinetry brands. Cabinet stains can range from light to very dark. Light stains will allow you to see more of the wood's natural character, while darker stains will hide much of the grain, but can create richer color and a more dramatic look.
Paints (Opaques)
Paints are applied to cabinetry products when the desired look is an opaque-colored finish. When using a painted finish on tighter grained types of wood, you will be left with a smooth finish. On coarse-grained wood like oak, the grain texture will be partially visible under the finish.
Glazes
Glazes are meant to highlight the different edges on a piece of cabinetry. They can be applied to both stain and paint finishes. There are two types of glazes: flooded and penned. In the flooded glaze process, the glaze material is sprayed onto the entire cabinet door and is then wiped off everywhere except in the highlight areas. In a penned glaze process, the material is hand-applied to only to the highlighted areas.
Finishing Techniques
Techniques like sanding edges, distressing the finish, or adding dents and gouges to cabinets, can create a worn-in and perfectly aged look. Finishing techniques are a great way to give your cabinets a truly unique appearance.
