Resources and Articles
Websites to utilize
Sedona, Verde Valley Area Vendors & Flagstaff
Jason Smithson: BP2 construction
Tom Gebler- Flagstaff design Center
Jon Kerchner- Outer Spaces
Phoenix Area Vendors
Articles
Painted vs. Stained Kitchen Cabinets: Help for Deciding
Paint types. The kind of paint used on your cabinets will impact how they look, how they wear, how much they chip and whether they are resistant to water. When purchasing a stock or semicustom cabinet, ask what kind of paint is used and if there are other options.
There are many paint options: oil- or water-based paints that may or may not include alkyd resins to help with curing, and even solid-body conversion varnishes. Having an extended conversation about the options and their impacts (off-gassing, longevity etc.) might be helpful.
Earlier this year I looked into using a zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint on some custom cabinets, but received less-than-positive feedback from the paint shop about using it. Using a low-VOC paint instead yielded good results. Paint companies are constantly working on formulating coatings with fewer VOCs, and as time goes on, they will only get better, so look at all of your options.
Paint application methods. One additional consideration is how the paint is applied. It can be sprayed or back-brushed. While a sprayed finish is the best way to get a consistent, smooth surface, it is also extremely difficult to touch up with a brush. If you think you may want to touch up the cabinets over time, make sure to get the paint formulation and details, and consider asking for a brushed finish so that your future touch-ups improve the situation instead of making it worse.
Keep in mind that even with these steps, the paint color may change subtly over time, so you may need to do a new color match for touch-ups.
Wood Finishes
When a stain-grade wood is selected for cabinets, it can mean wildly different things, depending upon the shop and what your desires are. It’s essential to understand what will be delivered before it’s ordered so that everyone has the same expectations.
Consider cherry cabinets, like the ones in this photo. They could be Shaker style, with consistent grain and color on the rails and stiles (the frames of the cabinet faces), and with a center panel that has a grain pattern nearly identical to all of the adjacent panels.
An added step, if applicable, would be to provide stain and finish samples. Clear finishes often come in glossy, semigloss and matte, which presents an additional decision. Some even have UV protection.
When our clients are making decisions about the finished surfaces of their cabinets, we urge them to make the decision with samples of their countertops and backsplashes in hand. Having all of those pieces in the same place, with their varying colors and textures, is the best way to make sure everything looks great together.