What materials to choose for kitchen furniture? When we start to think about renovating our kitchen we must be aware that we will have to make many decisions: the style of the furniture, the finishes, and colors, the distribution … thinking about materials may not be so attractive a priori, but they play a fundamental role. Both in the functionality and durability of the kitchen and its aesthetics.
That said, it is important to note that there are different types of materials for kitchen furniture and that it is not possible to determine which are better and which are worse. But it will depend on each project and the preferences of each user. All materials have their advantages and disadvantages. Knowing them and being aware of them will be decisive when making the right decisions. We are now going to examine some of the kinds of materials for Santos kitchen furniture, which you can find in our store.
Melamine kitchen furniture
Melamine furniture is very common since it is the cheapest material. It is a particleboard that is covered on both sides with a decorative film impregnated with melamine resin. It must be taken into account that the quality of the furniture will vary depending on the type of resin used. And the consistency of the board so, not all melamine furniture is the same, and prices can also be very varied.
Stratified kitchen cabinet
At Santos, the best melamine, with the highest texture, is selected to create what is known as laminated kitchen furniture (which is perhaps more like what we normally identify as laminate). Lamination is achieved by coating, hot and under pressure, and MDF or chipboard board with a decorative sheet impregnated with melamine resins. Which gives it a particular texture.
The laminated kitchen cabinet has many advantages: it has an excellent price/quality ratio, is resistant to impacts and scratches, has good durability, and is easy to clean. That is why it is optimal for applying to kitchen fronts, sides, or decorative panels. In addition, it allows numerous design possibilities; Santos has a wide range of finishes, both in wood and in solid colors (different shades of white, gray, and black), and gloss, silk, and matte variants.
Laminate kitchens
The laminated kitchen cabinet also starts from the chipboard or MDF board and the decorative paper sheet impregnated with melamine resin. But in between several layers of Kraft paper impregnated with
phenolic resins are inserted, which provides additional resistance against the daily wear and tear, bumps, scratches, or moisture. That is why it may be a more appropriate material for work surfaces.
In Santos, you will also find multiple finishes for this material, including imitation wood and stone tones, as well as unicolor in anti-fingerprint and matte variants. It is also worth noting the existence of LAH laminates, which are the product of the application of nanotechnology and hardened acrylic resins. This LAH material has some extra advantages as it is antibacterial, anti-fingerprint, and not very porous, which makes it, as a general rule, a cleaner material.
Wood for kitchen furniture
The finishes in natural veneer Santos are obtained adhering to the board’s thin wooden base sheets which give the final finish to the cabinet. These sheets allow to preserve the properties of the original material but avoiding possible problems inherent to solid wood. Such as expansion and contraction, which would affect the structure of the furniture.
In any case, wooden furniture is not suitable for everyone. They have indisputable advantages, especially on an aesthetic level. It is a warm, natural, and exclusive material, which will make each kitchen unique (with an unrepeatable grain and tone). But at the same time, it is a living and constantly evolving material, whose nuances and textures are altered by the passage of time. So it is usually only recommended for those clients who really understand and love wood. And are not looking for a finish that will remain uniform over time.
Lacquered kitchen cabinets
The lacquered furniture is based on a board covered with melamine on both sides, which also has a lacquer coating. It is a laborious process, which makes the final product more expensive. But from which a front with a clean aesthetic and without edges is obtained. That is one of the main attractions of lacquered furniture. But it also stands out for the versatility of colors that can be used. In fact, these pieces of furniture are available in any color from the RAL chart.
However, it must be taken into account that the lacquered material is more delicate to stains and scratches, so it requires more careful maintenance.
Other types of materials for kitchen furniture
Other less common materials such as steel or glass are also available at Santos. In the first case, it is made of steel sheets that go over the tabletop, which offers highly resistant kitchens. They are also very clean, being an antibacterial material, that is why they are the most used in professional kitchens.
In the case of glass, there is no covered tabletop, but rather the fronts are built with safety glass mounted on an aluminum frame. This material provides a very attractive minimalist style. But it is a minority option since kitchens with this type of finish also require very rigorous maintenance.
Particleboard or MDF board?
Almost all of these materials are based on a board, but is it better if it is chipboard or MDF? Both are obtained by pressing and extracting fibers from the wood. The difference between them basically lies in the density of their particles. In other words, in the case of MDF board, much more pressed wood shavings are used for its manufacture. which results in a material of extreme resistance, great hardness, and heaviness. For its part, the chipboard is made up of larger particles, and although it is also resistant. Its weight and cost are lower than that of the MDF board.
At Santiago Interiores we are at your disposal to advise you and solve all your doubts. We encourage you to make an appointment; we’d love to help you design the perfect kitchen for you.
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