I have white trim, but wood kitchen cabinets and wood paneled doors and wood floors. I like the combination of white and wood. The white trim does need to be cleaned / repainted - mostly the door trims and casings. I am very glad I do not have to upkeep white kitchen cabinets. I do have white cabinets in one bathroom, laundry and family room. It is not a major chore, but some upkeep. Usually I touch things up when I repaint the room. I originally painted the upstairs vanity (original 40yr old cabinets) in the kids' bathroom but it just didn't look that great. I refinished it back to the wood and its looked good for over 20 years.

I will admit that I did refinish my wood kitchen cabinets this year. I could have waited a few years more - they are 18 years old, but I would like new countertops and I wanted to see if I could restore the cabinets before putting expensive countertops on them. I have also sanded and put a new finish on two wood bathroom doors that were in rough shape from humidity - so to be fair, even wood has some upkeep:)

If you go with wood, be sure to get solid wood doors - no veneers, so they can be restored down the road if needed.

Thank you for taking the time to share, your comments are very helpful. I like the idea of mixing and have been searching Houzz for photos and came across quite a few. It is not the "norm" in our area, most new homes stay very consistent with trim and doors (all painted or stained) but will mix cabinetry. I found that with painted raised panel cabinets the "panel" is an MDF product to prevent shrinkage. Also certain painted finishes look too glossy; I've found some comments on Houzz that suggest a semi-gloss. The main reason I am considering painted cabs in the kitchen is because it does not have direct light and I thought it would feel brighter. It is open to the dining/living room and they have many windows so that helps but I don't want a kitchen that feels dark. Also we found if we want painted doors throughout the home, the builder prefers the composite material that doesn't shrink like real wood. It is solid, not hollow but just knowing its not real wood bothers us.

Couple of thoughts....

Real wood vs MDF. Real wood doors warp. They all do it. Some a lot - others not so much. Press on the top or bottom corner of a real wood door - opposite the hinge, and watch for movement. But you are right - most people do not like the idea of anything other than real wood in the home.

Finish - paint vs stain. Bigger question is What Product? Depending on your part of the country, in states where it is legal, builders like to spray nitro cellulose or butyl lacquers. They dry super fast, require only minimal sanding, and look great...for a couple of years. And it comes in paint or stain formulas....

These products are not water resistant, so water will soak through them on the cabinet below your sink when splashed, or over your cooktop if you cook a lot of pasta (steam). They turn yellow over the first 6 months of life, and can easily chip or turn white when bumped or hit (like with a vacuum cleaner on your baseboards).

The better products for new wood (not refinishing) include Pre-Cat Lacquers, CAB-Acrylic Lacquers, or Conversion Varnish. These are all much more difficult to apply, and you do not want to buy the product and hand it to a butyl painter to apply on your cabinets for the first time - he will destroy them. You have to find a painter that knows how to use these products. they require much more sanding, and are not as easy to fix if there are mistakes during the initial application. But they last much longer - are tougher, do not turn colors, and will not chip off.

Best of luck with your new build! Robert

Your builder is correct - the MDF panels and composite doors do not move with changes in paint and temp as real wood does. They are more stable which is better for the paint. The movement of wood can cause cracks in the paint, especially at the joints - one of the areas that I have to touch up on those cabinets I have that are white (laundry, powder room).

The white cabinets are very pretty. A light maple might give you the lightness you want with warmth of wood. Below pic - maple with white trim:

Newton Residence · More Info

My cabinetry and door are oak - in the midwest where wood is still popular - not a new home, but the look is similar to this picture below:

Beacon St. Residence · More Info

Most wood doors today are also a mix of real wood panels and rails and stiles that are a real wood veneer over solid core material. The two I recently refinished I had to be very carful to gently sand off the deteriorating finish without going through the veneer on the stiles and rails. The panels are solid - so ask your builder the composition of the wood doors. On my kitchen cabinets, the whole door and front face of the cabinets are solid wood.

The Beacon St. Residence is gorgeous! We will be installing a second grade maple in the foyer, office, kitchen and halls. There will be some ceramic tile in baths and laundry. The maple floor will be natural, no stain but a clear satin coat. This is what we have in our cozy cottage in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and we love it because it does not show dirt or dust. We are empty nesters, semi-retired and looking for low maintenance without going condo :-) So we were thinking of a chestnut stain to contrast the natural color wood floor. There are many new finishes, paints and stains to consider.

The comments above on type of sprays/laquers is something I didn't consider. Thank you for educating me on that! We want finishes that will last many years.