If you do painted it is better to go with mfd doors instead of plywood. The paint looks smoother on mdf and it is more stable than plywood so avoids the cracking paint. Not sure about chipping but if you go with a good manufacturer you should be ok. What brand cabinets are you considering and people can chime in.

Kemper Choice cabinets.

You can do both, doing the island stained and perimeter painted probably makes the most sense durability wise assuming the island is heavily used for prep/seating/etc.

I did a medium/dark grey stain paired with very light grey perimeter and I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

My home is Craftsman/New American style on exterior and I want to really try for farmhouse design style on the interior. I really want lighter paints on my cabinet but I am afraid of the chipping and cracking at the seams. I have looked at Kemper Echo (but they use only 3/4" ply instead of 1/2") and I do like a few of their stains better than Choice but I always come back to the paint colors ;) My home is an open concept with my kitchen opening to open dining room and dining opening to great room.

I had given serious thought about doing it this way too DrB477 but I am still concerned about the cracking/opening at the seams and I think because my KD put so much emphasis on that happening. I am just not sure how often this really happens to other people's painted cabs and if they have had an issue with it.

From their Specifications pdf.-

▲In Choice construction, cabinets will have matching laminate ends. Where not available, ends will be Natural Maple laminate and a finished end treatment would be needed for an exposed end.

*On wood products, normal movement is typical due to change in climatic conditions. This will cause hairline cracks at stile, rail and panel joints. This hairline cracking is a normal characteristic of

opaque or painted finishes and will not be considered a reason for product replacement.

They have a 12 step finishing process for stained but I don't see any info for their paint process.

The center panels on your painted doors should be MDF rather than wood, this and ideally avoiding mitered door styles will address the cracking issue. You also generally want a tinted varnish/conversion varnish sort of finish as your paint rather than a true paint.

Even still, all else being equal stained doors do wear better than painted. They are also cheaper.

I think the combo of stained and painted gives a good balance and hopefully keeps your higher traffic areas like the island a little more durable.

DrB477 does this door look like a mitered door style? First run at this :)

My in-laws' actual farmhouse kitchen had white cabinets (glass in a couple uppers) for the 30+ years I knew them. If there was any cracking or chipping, I never noticed.

I'd guess not from the picture as I don't see mitered lines but hard to tell for sure from an internet pic. Mitered doors will have a (diagonal) mitered line at their corners, its another place for paint to fail/crack.

this door above is mitered

This door is the same style (Conestoga Presidential) but not mitered, where the panels meet is a perpendicular line.

Generally, more complicated design doors will be mitered.

stained is easier maintenance

if a fork or a knife is by mistake landing into the door of your kitchen-yes it's sharp enough to scratch the cabinet but you'll notice more with painted

you might get very tiny hairline cracks..very tiny. really not a problem

you'll need to wipe stuff ..good thing you'll see right away what you'll need to wipe..:)

on stained, you'll also need to wipe stuff, but the chance you won't see it or won't be that visible is bigger

(some people don't see anything though. depends on you, your style of cooking, family's habits, etc

I clean as I cook..clutter irritates me, I don't function well, need clean surfaces and stuff. But the time I'm done cooking(but I already rarely cook), the kitchen is clean and everything I used is washed.

Other people prefer to do everything and then to clean..and some of them see well, and some think it's clean when in reality is not.

I'm not a clean freak, I'm a normal person who dislikes clutter. It's not like I do spring cleaning every week(and I know people like that)

I took my chance on painted because it worked better for my space. In terms of style stained would work too; but then I'll need to put different flooring. I had many reasons not to do that, so picked painted, and ok, I'm dealing with it being really loud in asking for that maintenance..;)

But it's a fairly new kitchen so I also notice everything more since it's new/

(Our doors are wood..the boxes themselves are not. As far as I understand)

Consider your house as a whole, the style of it, and your own style, your functioning as a family on everyday basis.

To add something..what you'll see others won't see. You'll know every spot, every blemish. They'll look at it and see one perfect kitchen.

It's amazing what my friends and family don't see even if I bring their attention to it. They think our walls are straight and theirs is not. It's one big LOL, as I think the opposite.

Thanks for all of this info april. In our current home we have very light wood cabs (shaker style) and fingerprints are easily noticed, I never feel as though I can get them clean enough and I can see a sheen from the oil and grease build up from stove and hands. I know for sure I don't want dark stained wood in my kitchen, as I like the open and airy feel of painted. I also don't want the light stained wood that I have now, as I have already lived it. As far as cleaning and maintaining my cabinets, I don't have a problem with cleaning them regularly and just will by default. I guess I am just hung up on cracking at seams but am going to meet with my KD designer tomorrow to talk more about this. Of course they have to tell you what could happen with paint and mention it over and over again, making you sign a waiver that they are not responsible if it does indeed crack as the wood expands and contracts. I enjoy cooking and I am assuming most of my prep will be done on my island (Don't have an island now so this new island is my baby!) I have lots to ponder and think about before tomorrow when I will be finalizing this KD :)

It sounds like you just have to decide which is going to bother your more. For me, it would bother me more to walk into a kitchen every day that wasn't my end all be all in terms of finishes than to walk in and see a few hairline cracks (that might not ever materialize anyways - I don't have any in my painted shaker).

All 100% normal. You will always have movement between wood panels. Even with a painted center MDF panel, the stiles and rails still move, and telegraph that movement trough the coating. If you love paint, then you will be need to be fine with this. You will have to sign the Awareness form that sys the same thing the pictures show.

This will happen on stained wood doors too I assume, just less noticeable? Do you have painted wood doors or have you done a lot of kitchen in light paint colors without any issues Sophie? Do you prefer one over the other, paint or stain?

daisychain01, how new are your painted cabinets and are they real wood or MDF? Do you have a light colored paint on them? For me, I too would rather walk into my kitchen and see what I had always envisioned my kitchen to be.

Ours are real wood. That was important to me. I'd rather have real wood and cracks than MDF and no cracks, but I get that many feel differently. So far, we've been lucky and don't have cracks, but don't go by my one experience. It does happen (as Sophie's photos attest). We had ours painted a dark cream colour and then had a fire and had those replaced about a year ago with bright white. Our lowers are stained charcoal and there is one corner that has separated a tiny bit and you can see the light wood showing thru the dark stain (where the centre panel meets the outside). I keep thinking I should take a sharpie to it, but it really doesn't bother me. Again, I think you just have to decide what you can live with.

My painted cabinets have been installed a few months and some of the doors already have cracks like Sophie shows. I really hadn't given it a second thought until I saw this post. I guess you could consider it a flaw, but I don't see it that way when it's just a feature of the construction. I wouldn't consider it much of a deterrent if you like painted cabinets.

this is a stain. I LOVE IT! I wouldn't do a paint bc it does chip and parts of my white cabinets have already chipped off.

Farmhouse Inspired: You sound much like myself. I want painted cabinets to keep my kitchen light and because I love them (current kitchen light laminate, previous kitchen a mid-tone stain) but like you have also been concerned about cracks and chipping. I love farmhouse style in a kitchen and am aiming for something similar (country french fusion). ...my eye is leaning toward the light paints.

...but I always come back to the paint colors

For me, I too would rather walk into my kitchen and see what I had always envisioned my kitchen to be. I'm wondering if you'd be happy with anything else, despite cracks and/or chips over time? I do not imagine any well-used kitchen will stay perfectly unblemished over time.

Drbr77 and Sophie Wheeler: The photos have been very informative. You can do both, doing the island stained and perimeter painted probably makes the most sense durability wise assuming the island is heavily used for prep/seating etc. Wonderful idea.

aprilneverends: Consider your house as a whole, the style of it, your functioning as a family on everyday basis. Wise words. They'll look at it and see one perfect kitchen. So true, and that has helped make my decision.

Given all information, I'm going with both: painted light on perimeters and dark stained for the island, I believe. We have light and dark contrasts in our home and our new kitchen layout is open concept so that suits us well. Otherwise, I'd be going with all painted light, and live with any cracks, chips, and whatnot as a result of a much-loved, much lived-in kitchen. I'd prefer that over living with something not to my taste aesthetically, but in better condition. BTW Farmhouse, just the 2 of us, but we are hard on kitchens.

I hope you are able to find a choice that will make you the happiest over the long run!

Hi 2ManyDiversions! Yes, this is quite the dilemma. Like I said, I would rather walk into my kitchen each morning and see what I had always dreamed my kitchen to be. I went to my design showroom today and met with my KD. Almost 100% sure I have got it right this time :) Darker stain on island and a coconut paint color on perimeter. I know this will make me happiest and I have only got one shot! Which cabinet brand and color (s) are you going with? Thank you for responding!

Sophie - how do you think these two colors will look together? Manchester door. Thatch stain - island. Coconut paint - perimeter. White trim. Kemper Choice, maple wood. My kitchen flows into open concept dining room.

Hi Farmhouse Inspired! We live in a small area with several custom and semi-custom cabinet makers who seem to be reasonable, so we are going with a semi-custom most likely... as soon as we decide which one! Thus far I'm still working on the layout and a few other things - hoping when I next post the layout and what I call 'side views' (taking me forever to get things sorted) you'll chime in since you are going 'Farmhouse'! I'd love your opinion and any ideas you might have!

Though I'm not Sophie, I think your two choices together are *very* beautiful! I've always thought large islands in a stain surrounded by light-painted cabinets look like beautiful pieces of furniture rather than kitchen cabinets : - ) I do believe you'll be very happy.

My DH, love him as I do, is messy and sometimes hard on things. I've worried myself sick at times over doing a reno, but in the end, comments from others about overlooking dings, scrapes, and such is the way I'm going. I intend to put a butcher block into my island, and it will be well-used. As DH says, it adds character.

Best o have the island in a stain if you're going to split colors. Those look good together, but you might also want to see how Dover or Pearl looks compared to Coconut. Dover is a shade grayer, and Pearl is a shade less cream.

I also brought home a sample of pearl too :) I do like that as well but not sure if it is too dark. Would white kitchen trim look ok against these shades of whites/creams?

Here's my recently (nearly) completed kitchen which pairs a very light grey perimeter (SW Repose Grey) and a dark greyish "driftwood" stain on the interior. The trim is a pure white (SW extra white) and the backsplash is a pretty pure white as well (MSI Whisper White). I'm very happy with how it works together, the paint along with white counters (LG Muse) keeps it looking pretty light and open but keeps some more interest with the stain and also makes the most used area of island and fridge a bit more durable. It's hard for me to tell if your color would work with "white" trim, you want them to complement each other rather than be close but not quite.

Love your kitchen! Nice pairing of the colors. Just didn't know how well an off white cab would look next to white trim. I am picturing it and not sure it would look very good.

Sophie, in your opinion, which coordinates nicer with thatch - coconut or pearl? Thanks so much for your help.