Really, go with what you love. The real question is...how will you be using this condo? Is it a vacation rental as well? Do you live there only half of the year? Do you cook a lot or eat out at restauarants? If it will be a rental, then you should consider what is the most durable. HPL or TFL laminate (high pressure or thermally fused) SLAB STYLE DOORS. HPL is more durable. I would stay away from painted if you rent it out.

Thank you very much. We do rent it out - but have scaled back to a minimum We will be retiring in the next cple years and plan to be here several months per year.

The beach can be quite humid, so you want to chose materials that are dimensionally stable in those conditions. That likely means mdf or plywood with veneer or laminate fronts. Recently I came across Plykea that specializes in plywood, veneer, and laminate fronts for IKEA boxes (MDF). To me, the look of these fronts is very Scandi-chic, beachy, casual but elegant.

Thank you!

Sure. Many cabinet companies offer boxes in MDF, just be sure not to choose something made of furniture board or particle board. You can choose any style of cabinetry you like, so if Scandinavian isn’t your vibe, you still have plenty of options.

All materials close to water are going to expand and contract.

Select wood that can expand and contract without damaging the finish.

That can be stained wood or thermofoil cabinets.

Reall wood door below.

Thermofoil doors below.

Solid wood is the absolute worst possible choice unless you never open your windows, and you have perfect constant humidity. Cabinet boxes should all be furniture board. Painted cabinets should all be MDF. ”Wood” cabinets shoukd all be foils or laminates.

" All materials close to water are going to expand and contract "

All cabinets materials will expand and contract anywhere, not just close to the water. That's why the MDF's and composites are made, to limit the expansion and contraction.