Yes, its a veneer. Almost all everything flat paneled is veneered. It’s a high quality superior choice for stability and other reasons. Solid wood is way way overrated. All of the great artists furniture construction has been veneered pieces for centuries. It’s nothing new, or ”bad”. It allows for spectacular grain patterns not possible with solid. It’s also a much more environmentally responsible use of scarce resources. It takes high skills to veneer. Any butcher can hack solid pieces.

A few years ago a friend did the same thing in their Big Bear family property. She used a local well known remodeling company and the whole process was a nightmare. I don't know the name of the company, but I hope it isn't the same one you are using. Read reviews and ask for several references.

Consider the use of your cabin's cabinets, especially if the cabin will ever be rented. A veneered cabinet may not be as durable as a solid wood cabinet, mainly the doors, drawer fronts, and frame. The thickness and the quality of the veneering is a factor. Repairing veneer may be more difficult than solid wood. Veneered wood generally has less of a tendency to warp than solid wood.

@User @Mark Bischak, Architect @chispa - Thanks so much for the insight! We do plan to use the cabin as a short term rental for ~30% of its use, mostly to recoup some of the cost of this renovation! But we also plan to keep this cabin in our family forever... my dad & grandfather built it in 1960.

Being able to more easily repair the cabinets (if needed) is important to us. We're using a quality cabinet company (Classical Kitchens in Escondido). Would a vaneer wood or solid wood be the better option? I prefer the look of the panel w/ bead trim, but quality/durability is more important to us, so a shaker solid is acceptable. Thoughts?

Slab doors have been ”veneers” since the 50’s. All of the birch slab plywood doors in all of the 50’s kitchens? Plywood. Which is veneer. All of the mahogany or teak ones in the more higher end MCM homes? Veneers. Most of my 60 year old Danish modern furniture is veneered.

Solid wood slabs are rare in both cabinet and furniture building because they warp like heck. They have to be pieced, to start with, so each piece has different graining patterns instead of a continuous grain pattern of a veneer. ”Stripes”. Some 50’s cabinets were done as more of “tongue and groove with battens” which allows the infuvidual planks to move more without warping, much as it does in flooring.

Solid doors must have intrusive cross bracing battens on the rear to help attempt to stabilize them. And you need perfrct humidity control still. Here are the battens, done on the front side, for some shop cabinets, so they do not impact internal storage.

As far as wear, there is no need for ”repairs” in cabinets that receive standard warranty level required care. Re: 60 year old perfectly stable and intact veneered cabinets. Rental abuse? Veneers are easily touched up or repaired by experts, as are solid wood. Any dog chewed edges, or footballer smashing into them, would be equally catastropic to veneer or solid. And should be considered abuse, which should result in the loss of the damage deposit to pay for the repair.

https://youtu.be/YPO2ChfxJmU

If you want something durable, easily replaceable, relatively inexpensive, and that echoes the era of the cabin, choose a birch veneer cabinet grade plywood for your doors, and clear finish the exposed edges. Thats also a very current modern trend.

@User - OHMYGOODNESS... getting lost in these amazing veneer repair videos! Wow!! Thank you!

Honestly, it's been sturdy, inexpensive, and rustic for the last 60 years in my family. It's time for a change & so I'm going for durable but better looking. Also, it's more of a 1,900 sq ft mountain home than a cabin... we might retire there one day, but also plan to take all our family & friends up there regularly (it's only 2 hrs from our home). Andddd b/c I own a marketing agency, I know that a certain style will garner better returns as a STR. :)