The only time that I have ordered gloss cabinets it was through Norelco in Canada: they have roughly a 6 week lead time last time i checked.

Maybe this is too low end but I've had my high gloss white ikea kitchen for five years and it looks brand new. Cleans up with vinegar and a microfiber cloth.

I'm amazed you haven't thought of IKEA - Ringhult Gray or Ringhult White. I use this cabinet style a great deal in my projects and the quality is very good - not thermofoil - and they're Italian-made, by the way. And no lead time either - IKEA stocks just about every door, drawer and cabinet size you would need.

Thanks for that suggestion (Ikea). I had considered but had dismissed because the Ikea Ringhult line is thermofoil which is something I was looking to avoid due to yellowing, scratch, and peeling reasons - and general knocks on durability of foil. From ikea website itself for Ringhault high gloss: Main parts: Fiberboard
Front side/ Edge: Foil

I suppose "Ringhult" (formerly called "Abstrakt") is technically a thermofoil but it is a huge step up from conventional thin plastic films as used on, say, IKEA's "Grimslov" door style - and the price reflects it (it's at the top end of the Sektion system price range). I've never seen these doors peel, chip or yellow.

It is a thermofoil but as other have said it's a quality product (as quality as thin plastic can be, but you get my point)

You can get a good custom shop to make euro cabinets with a high gloss Formica finish if you really don't want IKEA. This would allow you to control everything. I would only warn you to make sure it is a shop that is familiar with modern and doesn't get by by attaching moulding to everything to cover mistakes!

We got Luxe. Very beautiful but shows every little drip. Not good if you're a messy cook or if you have little kids touching it all the time with their grimy little paws.

Hi Suzyq53 - I have heard about Luxe - we have seen Luxe finish on Crestwood cabinets. Is that what you have? Or can you tell me who makes the cabinets themselves? I have heard others say Luxe is a good finish.

Custom millwork shop. They built the the cabs out of wood-look melamine. The Luxe is not a finish per se. Its a medium density fiberboard product that is covered with a shiny polyester layer. It comes shiny on one side and matte on the other. The millwork shop buys that and has a bonding machine to apply a matching layer of veneer to the edges of the custom cut doors and drawer fronts.

You can Google "Luxe by Alvic".

I would choose the Ikea finish over that everytime

Thanks Patricia - is that based on cost, durability or something else? If Luxe is pretty similar to Ikea but Ikea is 5x cheaper, then the right answer seems like it's staring me in the face!

I've heard Ikea is a cost-effective choice. I don't know if you can get custom sized door and drawer fronts. The Luxe panels can be cut to any size you need. In my case I needed panels for the refrigerator and freezer fronts, the dishwasher, an ice maker and a wine chiller. Also for a hidden pantry. I got so tired of cleaning my previous kitchen's stainless steel appliances that this time I went for fully integrated except my stove. In my kitchen, only the island is Luxe. My Luxe is shiny brown but has a leather look pattern. The perimeter cabinets and drawers use a different, almost driftwood looking cabinets. Here's a picture:

wow - beautiful kitchen!

Here is a better one.

Thanks Bijan! If standard sized cabs work for you, you can save money by buying the Ikea cab boxes and just get custom door and drawer fronts.

I think a finish that is completely done on a surface is better than one that is glued on .

I'm pretty sure Ikea fronts are also MDF only with foil wrap instead of polyester. Foil is like a shrink wrap on the outside of the cabs. The backside is plastic I think. If you look closely, you will see that the foil surface is not completely smooth.

This isn't one of my projects, but this is one of the most spectacular IKEA modern kitchens I've ever seen:

http://www.houzz.com/photos/query/ikea-abstrakt-gray

It's been saved 88,000 times so it's certainly made an impression!

As you say, Bijan, the answer is staring you in the face.

Hi Bijan,

I am currently in the same dilemma ? Who did you go with finally and what kind of product did you choose ?

I am debating between high gloss acrylic (Dura Supreme) vs high gloss lacquer. (european) So confused.

I would love feedback from people who have used any of these kind of cabinets in their kitchens. Thanks.

Why can't you guys get custom made cabinets and have them sprayed w/a high gloss acrylic?? One of the best paints is Hollandlac. It's made in Holland but sold here. They have the oil base or a hybrid acrylic. I use the Eco line when I redo vintage furniture. The glossy finish is like lacquer and is super strong. Go to their website. And they will match any BM color. Their oil base finish is used for some high end front doors.

Wow Beth ! I had never heard of the spraying of the acrylic. Can that happen in California ? I'm asking as I have heard that Cal is home to some very strict regulations.

Question : The green cabinets in the 1st photo - I am looking at frameless modern slab shiny doors. Are these cabinets made of wood or MDF ?

We considered ikea strongly but in the end went with semi-custom Crestwood in a Luxe high gloss finish (high gloss white and high gloss grey for island)

I didn't understand Bijan. Is Crestwood a kitchen company ? Are the cabinet boxes wood, plywood or MDF ? I'm guessing the doors would be laminate over mdf ? As most high gloss doors are on particle board or mdf.

Could you Please provide the details ? Was this a local company or out of state ? And how long did it take for the cabinets to be ready ?

I have read some horror stories on this site about people receiving damaged cabinets and it took them a long time to get replacements. So just wondering about your experiences. Any insight will be very much appreciated.

Sorry - Crestwood-Inc.com is the manufacturer

European frameless

MDF

Acrylic painted (using Luxe paint - which is a specific type of paint made in Spain )

Full catalog (not user friendly) is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ywps7fxfq502p5m/Crestwood-Frameless-catalog.pdf?dl=0

Needs to be purchased through a local dealer of crestwood. Was 3x more than IKEA in all candor.

About 10 week lead time

Thanks for the info Bijan. I'm sure it looks very

beautiful installed. But, what did you think of the actual boxes and doors as they were unpacked for install or did you just see them installed ? My husband is a little nervous about the lightweight materials. We had been to Leicht showroom and this was his takeaway :(

Did you have any dramas in terms of the shipment or did everything come out perfectly ?

Thanks again for all the useful information.

Fabuwood Prima laminate slab door on a plywood core European box with a MDF veneer to create a smooth surface to bond to. 3 weeks lead time and very reasonable price wise.

I will let you know when they arrive. We have a contractor doing it for us.

We aren't that DIY but are pretty hands on monitoring the project.

poonam,,,,yes to Calif air restrictions. You can only buy the oil base in quart containers (I believe). I buy the paint at Gahanls Lumber in Anaheim. They are an authorized dealer (but someone else I know also orders it from the website). My friend sprays the oil base on her vintage furniture redo's. It's comes out beautifully. I have used the hybrid line (Eco) and I brush it.

As for the cabinets, I would assume they are using an mdf panel because of the absolute smooth/flat look. You could absolutely have someone make your cabinets and then just spray with this paint. Or wait 10 weeks and pay more for the Italian ones.

I also know people that use auto paint/lacquer. they spray that on cabinets. There are quite a few choices out there for you.

Thanks Beth for all the information. You are right about the mdf panels for the doors.

Question - Do you know how well the kitchen cabinets last for the auto paint/lacquer ?

poonam, well, I would assume if done correctly, it would hold up as well as it does on your car! The lacquer is an art to apply and should be done by someone who is familiar w/the process. Lacquer itself is softer than a good acrylic enamel, but the lacquer would get a clear coat that gives it the strength. The mirror like finish is all done in the polishing stage. It's called, 'piano finish'. think black grand piano. I'm sure it would hold up fine in the kitchen.

Bijan, I am looking at Crestwood high gloss cabinets - how did your kitchen turn out? Are you happy with the product? Any tips? Thanks!

Crestwood high gloss white turned out really well with two exceptions - 1) the filler seams between cabinet sections - we have an angled wall segment - aren't great. They are redoing and re sending 2) long long lead time.

Bijan, Sorry to hear that! How long was your lead time? Can you post a photo of the entire kitchen? Thanks!

Sorry for delay. Pics here (sorry for messy kitchen)

Let's try that again. We did a gray backpainted glass backsplash. Used gray high gloss for island and white high gloss crestwood elsewhere. The counters are quartz that looks like marble quartzmaster qm93

I can recommend the company Kuhlmann from Germany. Great quality! Creative Designs LLC is a dealer for Kuhlmann Kitchens. Please visit www.creativedesigns-llc.com.

Canyon Creek Cabinet Company offers acrylic and high gloss foil cabinetry.

Why buy knockoff "European Style" when you can buy true MADE IN GERMANY, highly sought after premium luxury allmilmo cabinetry. allmilmo Direct USA https://bit.ly/2yGjbcZ the best finishes and quality now direct, will save you thousands.

We do fine paints hollandlac all the time and the cabinets hold up fine.

Hi Bijan , I read your post while searching for Acrylic high gloss kitchen cabinets. How are your cabinets doing. Would you recommend anyone to go your route?please advice and we are in fl Where is your cabinet company located.

Hi all- i am also looking at cabinets in Acrylic matte. I have a very high sun kitchen and tired of veneer that has never lasted. I have researched the European brands - first Premiere Eurocase then Mirlux and now considering Alvic which is Spanish. Colors are wonderful. Does anyone have experience with this brand?

I am thinking of Alusso Italian brand. anyone have any experience?

Hi Karen...I've been in the kitchen business for 47 years and have personally designed, sold and coordinated the installation of over 20,000 kitchens all over the country and have not heard of Alusso, so I can't help there. But I can tell you that allmilmo has the best, longest lasting finish and quality of all cabinetry globally. They were the 1st European (German) company to sell kitchens in the US back in 1969 and have since supplied close to 2 million kitchens in the US. Being the exclusive allmilmo importer for North America now, I get calls every week from clients who have a 30 plus year old allmlmo kitchen (many high gloss and matt lacquer) that simply love their kitchen because it still looks like it did 30 plus years ago. No doors sagging, or out of alignment and finishes that stand the test of time. If we can help please let me know. Bill@allmilmodirect.com

Thank you your reply. I appreciate your input and will definitely look into Allmilmo.