Hi! Cabinet interiors can be comprised of many different materials. Ones of exceptional quality are typically made out of wood, maple being the most commonly used and details would include dovetailed drawers and 3/8" to 5/8" interior construction. Melamine can be a practical application for interior cabinets in a high traffic area, such as a laundry room or an arts and crafts room where there is a likely chance of something more abrasive could come in contact with the cabinet interior and driving the substrate materials of the cabinet to be more durable; this is why melamine is always used in commercial applications as well. If your cabinet fabricator was given underlying reasons why he should provide a melamine interior then I could see his reasoning, however for a new kitchen I would recommend wood and simply paint any exposed areas. I hope this helps! Please follow House of L on Houzz to get all of our recent updates and photos! Thanks for your inquiry!