Timber vs MDF Kitchen Door/Drawer Fronts
Discussion
We are in the middle of designing a kitchen from DIY Kitchens and have decided to have shaker-style door/drawer fronts. They have five options available varying in price and material:
Malton (from £24) - Foil wrap MDF, 22mm
Clayton (from £29)- Painted MDF, 22mm
Stanbury (from £32) - Lacquered MDF, 19mm
Linwood (from £50) - Solid timber with veneer panel, 20mm
Norton (from £52) - Solid timber with veneer panel, 20mm
Having received a sample of each our preferred (well, my wife's - they're all starting to look pretty much the same to me) is the Norton. I don't have issues with it being the most expensive, particularly if there are some benefits to it (aesthetics, feel, longevity etc), but I am concerned about the any drawbacks such as structural stability, warping etc with it being timber. Should I be at all worried?
We have an MVHR system and the kitchen is part of a family room and so we strive to maintain decent air quality and so don't anticipate an overly humid environment if that helps mitigate the risks.
Any comments (concerns/reassurances)?
Malton (from £24) - Foil wrap MDF, 22mm
Clayton (from £29)- Painted MDF, 22mm
Stanbury (from £32) - Lacquered MDF, 19mm
Linwood (from £50) - Solid timber with veneer panel, 20mm
Norton (from £52) - Solid timber with veneer panel, 20mm
Having received a sample of each our preferred (well, my wife's - they're all starting to look pretty much the same to me) is the Norton. I don't have issues with it being the most expensive, particularly if there are some benefits to it (aesthetics, feel, longevity etc), but I am concerned about the any drawbacks such as structural stability, warping etc with it being timber. Should I be at all worried?
We have an MVHR system and the kitchen is part of a family room and so we strive to maintain decent air quality and so don't anticipate an overly humid environment if that helps mitigate the risks.
Any comments (concerns/reassurances)?
Edited by MJNewton on Wednesday 4th December 23:43
Thanks everyone for the input.
I think the main aspect pushing us towards the timber options was the grain. Whilst one of the MDF options had a fake grain we figured if we liked the grain then we may as well go for the real thing. The non-grained MDF options looked slightly 'plastic' in finish given how perfectly smooth they were which some might really like - particularly for a modern look - but it wasn't working for us.
Regarding the difference between Linwood and Norton this was just a subjective preference between the former having grooved joints and the latter being flush.
Nice kitchen by the way rsbmw. Is that Dove Grey for the perimeter units? (It's what we're going for) Also, what is the worktop? We've currently got our eye on the 'Innova Unique Marble' quartz which I believe might be an exclusive (or at least exclusively-named!) one for DIY Kitchens from Silestone.
I think the main aspect pushing us towards the timber options was the grain. Whilst one of the MDF options had a fake grain we figured if we liked the grain then we may as well go for the real thing. The non-grained MDF options looked slightly 'plastic' in finish given how perfectly smooth they were which some might really like - particularly for a modern look - but it wasn't working for us.
Regarding the difference between Linwood and Norton this was just a subjective preference between the former having grooved joints and the latter being flush.
Nice kitchen by the way rsbmw. Is that Dove Grey for the perimeter units? (It's what we're going for) Also, what is the worktop? We've currently got our eye on the 'Innova Unique Marble' quartz which I believe might be an exclusive (or at least exclusively-named!) one for DIY Kitchens from Silestone.
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