THE CABINET CONTROVERSY: PAINTED VS. STAINED

So you're building or remodeling your home, but can't decide whether to go with painted or stained cabinets.  Allow us to help!  We've laid out a few pros and cons so that you can make a confident decision when it comes to your cabinets.

Stained Cabinets
​

​​​Pro: Allow the natural beauty of the wood to show.  A stain will beautifully enhance and add contrast to the whorls and grain that make your cabinets unique.
​
Pro:  Stained cabinets look very rustic, and will meld perfectly with that style of home.
​

​​Pro: Touch-ups on stained cabinets tend to blend well into the wood, especially if it has a lot of grain.  Finding a touch-up marker that closely matches your stain is typically pretty easy.

Pro:  Stained cabinets lend a warm, rich, luxurious feel to a room.
​

​Con:  Medium density fiberboard cabinets don't take stain as well as they do paint.  They are less-expensive cabinets, but staining them won't look as authentic as stained walnut cabinets, for example.

Con:  All of the wood's flaws (some call it character) are easily visible when you use a stain.  While paint covers that up, a stain will enhance it.

Painted Cabinets
​

​​Pro:  Painted cabinets give a rather crisp, clean, contemporary feel to a room.

Pro:  Paint sticks better to medium density fiberboard.  You can cut cost on the actual cabinet.
​

​Pro:  You're not limited to the color of the wood.  With paint, you can customize your cabinets to whatever color you'd like.

Pro:  If painting your cabinets white, it'll really open up the area and make the room appear spacious, well-lit, and airy.
​

​Con:  Paint tends to be more expensive.  You'll have to decide if the added expense will work with your budget.  Of course, you can always go with medium density fiberboard to combat the added cost.

Con:  Paint can be pretty tricky to touch-up.  If your cabinets are bought pre-fabricated, it might be impossible to find an exact match in color.  Also, if the manufacturer applied the paint by spraying, it'll be hard to perfectly blend the touch-up with the smooth finish.  Brushed paint finishes are easier to touch up.

So there you have it!  Hopefully this article will help shed light on which direction you want to go with your cabinets.  Contact the helpful staff at Michael's Homes if you have any further questions, or if you'd like to schedule a remodel today!