Do you not intend to control the humidity in the house?

If you are likely to have termites in your cabinets you have bigger problems than cabinet selection.

RES2, most people in Hawaii do not have A/C, especially in elevated areas of Maui where the temperatures are in the stable 70's year round with lots of clean air breezes. Same with Big Island. I do realize we're in the minority as most people would opt for AC. But this is where I'm at.

Silverlined, Thank you for such an amazingly detailed response! I'm very grateful for the time you spent with my question. I will look into all of this!

Ipe and mahogany woods are used a lot in tropical climates.

JuneKnow, thank you! Our home is being made out of a kind of "ICF" essentially, so we are doing 100% wood-free & super well insulated material for the exteriors. You're correct, I should only be looking at outdoor cabinet companies, but nice enough to be used on the inside. So far, I'm really liking "Nature Kast." Have you heard of them?

Cypress. There is a preservative oil that is produced in cypress heartwood, called cypressene, which makes the wood resistant to the elements and repels pests like termites and carpenter bees.

@Elizabeth Williams Yes, I have looked into Nature Kast quite extensively. They have a wide network of distributors, and you should probably be able to find one near you. I like how they produce products to look like traditional cabinetry. This would be ideal for your situation if you didn't want stainless steel or if you didn't want to risk an actual wood product. I live in a climate where the weather is temperate most of the year round, and my home's windows are often open, so I understand. There's no need to run an A/C when the outdoors is plenty comfortable, as it's just an unnecessary expense. Also, my indoor humidity stays fairly constant around 50% which is considered high, but I imagine your humidity is even higher than that.

Silverlined Thank you! I definitely gonna give them a call. Yes, such gorgeous weather on the Hawaiian islands, and most people do not use AC other than the beach front estates and hotels at sea level and very hot. The clean air and breeze is amazing but it's usually 80-90% humidity each day. I think those cabinets will be great.

Cypress is wonderful if you can find someone who will work with it, and who can get it. Our entire home is clad in cypress, every inch, including the decking boards, trim, fascia, everything. Bugs just don’t like it, I gather. We are just now in need of replacing a few of the deck floor and deck wall siding — on a house that is waterfront and 40+ years old. Personally, I don’t care for all that wood — we bought the home for its location — but man, does it hold up. Good luck to you. FYI, I don’t have any acquaintances in Hawaii who have, or ever thought of having, AC. Mostly on Kauai. But I get that AC isn’t often a thing there. Good luck!

Tropical weather requires tropical woods. Ipe, teak, would work well.

What about Melamine? Very modern, termite resistant and lots of options.

Does anybody know about the Italian cabinets? I know they are extremely pricey, but I've just read that some are not made from wood, they are acrylic on acrylic.

JuneKnow, Thank you! Do you know if there are Italian Acrylic on Acrylic wood-free cabinets out there? I've seen it mentioned a few times but can't find much info. So far I'm leaning the most toward "nature kast" and doing some more research about their company.

This may be helpful and where I read about the melamine as an option. https://termitesblog.com/the-best-termite-resistant-wood-for-kitchen-cabinets/

"most people would opt for AC." I've been to the Big Island in the summertime and I absolutely loved the way our open air house felt. I commend you for sticking with that!

unfortunately so many people default to AC because it has become so affordable, and tend to use it more than necessary. so many builders are not designing homes to maximize what their area has to offer. less emphasis on thick walls, insulation and shade. favoring the more popular dark roof colors and giant south facing windows, and finishes that can't handle it. then people have to crank their HVAC to make up for it. terrible for the environment, sadly.

(sorry I don't have a cabinet to recommend, but I'm just so glad you like your open air house. they're nice!)

Solid Corian makes for some very nice cabinets. Very easy to sanitize and keep clean, and to polish up a bit with a random orbit and have them be good as new. The downside to any of these types of cabinets is cost. Most don’t want 75K worth of cabinets sitting in an “ordinary” kitchen. They want something showier for that kind of money.

"Talk to some actual custom cabinet producers located in the tropics."

good point. I believe there are some woods that are going to be naturally more rot resistant, and perhaps not as tasty to bugs.

you said you wanted ultra modern. with the right styling, stainless steel cabinets could look beautiful. (the uppers here look white, but I believe it's just the light. I think this is all steel!) I think this kitchen would look good with white quartz counters. either a low contrast speckled look, or one that looks like white marble.

I was going to say do termite preventative by using those in ground bait stations that a pest control company puts around the perimeter of the house. I realize it is usually done once you already have termites ( I have it), but possibly you can do it preventatively.