The island and lower cabinets look like zebra wood whereas the uppers look like something else. I was recently involved in a new kitchen that combined zebra wood with a leather finish charcoal color stone countertop. The combo looks great. I'm wondering if you could change the non zebra cabinets to something....

Hi Kivi -- we could, but I really don't like the look of the zebra finish. We want something more clean and contemporary like white shaker. Thanks :)

I should also say that they are cheap feeling laminate, although the drawers are soft close

I would avoid thermofoil! Refacing with a painted wood veneer is much longer lasting. I've put it in several clients kitchens over the last few years with no problems...no paint cracking, etc.

Thanks, PH. Any idea why some of these companies don't do white painted wood for refacing? They do wood doors that are stained. We have limited options for refacing companies in my area. I am waiting to hear from one still if they can do wood in a white shaker. I would much rather have wood.

It was just a thought. One can achieve a pretty updated look with it, but no question you need to like it.
http://houzz.com/photos/211551

I live in ct and the companies I've dealt with all offer a factory finished white wood shaker option. Actually several colors available. Guess you have to call around in your area.

No to thermofoil. They are cheap and look cheap.

It is not at all laughable that painted wood will crack. It's a fact. Wood expands and contracts in the presence of moisture, aka humidity. Paint only has so much flexibility. The result is that any joins in the wood, such as between the stiles and rails or between the panel and frame, will have the paint crack. How big of a crack that might be will depend on the moisture content of the wood at construction, joinery methods, and your overall continued control of humidity in the home.

The "cheap" laminate that you currently have is a much more expensive designer choice than what you are considering. Look at all of the Italian and German cabinet lines like Snaderio, Pedini, Pogghenpohl etc. It is a high end look. And it's THE next wave of popularity that is overtaking the ubiquitous white shaker. You already HAVE "zen modern" without doing a thing.

Live with it for a while. At least 6 months to a year. And educate yourself about both cabinet design and style, but also construction as well. You may not be so eager to get rid of something that is actually pretty darn nice.

Thanks for the input, everyone.

live wire oak -- we did the home inspection yesterday and the inspector said what you did. Obviously beauty and style is in the eyes of the beholder and zebra wood is not our thing. I was surprised to hear that they are high end. The counter, however, is cheap laminate which really distracts from the other finishings. We are going to look into selling them. I would consider just doing the countertops in granite or quartz and a colour we prefer, but zebra wood just isn't our thing! I wish it was...

Thanks again for the advice!

If you're looking for factory direct White Shaker Kitchen Cabinets, you can browse around here. Are you local to NJ or PA?

As far as Thermo vs Painted Wood, it comes down to your own preference - you need to weigh the pros and cons. People like Thermo because it's affordable and has the "painted" look from the sheen. It's also easy to clean and maintain and is also moisture resistant. However, if you have Thermo and it gets a scratch or starts to peel, the damage is likely permanent. Whereas is you have a natural paint you can repaint.

Thanks, we are in Canada though.

Sure, wood expands and contracts, but your cabinet doors are not going to move that much except maybe in a bathroom, and especially not much with a floating panel (which shaker door should have). You would have to have an inordinate amount of moisture in your kitchen (at that point, the cause of which is likely to matter to you far more than your cab doors) for doors to crack.
And paint is not substantively different than conversion varnish in terms of flexibility, so any wood finish at all has the unlikely potential to crack.


Thermofoil being high end is a matter of perspective. Some like it, some don't. I personally don't like the idea of an MDF door more than I care about the covering.

All wood cracks. It just shows morre with paint. You have to accept that, or skip painted cabonet.

Sell what you have and use the money to buy what you like.