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Decorating options for your new cabinets

PAINT vs LACQUER

There are a lot of decisions you will have to makewhen planning out an interior remodel. What layout works best for your lifestyle? What are the ideal countertop, flooring, and splashback materials for your home? What colours will blend with the aesthetic of the rest of the house? While these are all important, there is one question that you may have overlooked: are painted or stained furniture the right choice for your home?

Whether you are purchasing brand new furniture and trying to make a decision on natural wood grain or painted styles or you are considering giving your current furniture a facelift, the answer to this question depends on your goals, budget, and the look you are going for in the room. Both painted cabinets and lacquered cabinets can deliver stunning visual appeal and a warm, welcoming atmosphere, as long as you know what you are getting into by taking the leap in replacing your furniture.

A full spectrum of colour choices and finishes

PAINTED FURNITURE

Painted furniture is the perfect solution for homeowners that like bold, crisp colours or have a home with a modern, minimalist design. One of the biggest bonuses to choosing painted furniture is the vast array of colours to choose from, all of which can put a unique spin on the overall look, feel, and functionality of your home.

If you are considering purchasing painted furniture or repainting outdated furniture in your home, the advantages to this style include:

Clean aesthetic
From classic all-white kitchens to contemporary greys and muted blues, painted cabinets give your kitchen a clean, flawless finish that goes well with modern home designs.
Easier application
For homes with MDF furniture, it is wise to consider painting over staining. Paint adheres better to MDF construction than stain and can mask the fact that your furniture isn't real wood.
Range of colours
There is no limit to colour when you are painting your furniture or buying newly painted furniture From brilliant teals and yellows to deep, dramatic reds, you can customise the look of your kitchen easily with painted furniture.

While painted furniture definitely has a long list of benefits, there are still a few drawbacks to choosing this style over a more traditional, stained cabinet design. You’ll want to keep the following in the mind when weighing the pros and cons of painted cabinets:

  • The innate thickness of paint means that the fine details, including wood grain, knots, and other character features, will be more hidden with painted cabinets.
  • Painting isn’t the most budget-friendly way to give your furniture a makeover. For example, new painted cabinets cost about 10-15% more than purchasing stained cabinets.
  • Touch-ups are a reality with painted furniture, and if you purchased your cabinets already painted, it can be a challenge to find a matching colour to repair the damage.

Bring out the natural beauty of wood grain

LACQUERED FURNITURE

When you think of traditional, timeless furniture, lacquered furniture are what likely comes to mind, and for good reason! lacquered furniture showcase the intrinsic beauty of natural wood grain and can blend well with other bold features of a kitchen space. Advantages of choosing lacquered furniture over painted options include:

Highlight charateristics
Lacquer is ideal for highlighting the character of the wood, which is a major bonus for many homeowners. With a thinner consistency, lacquer allows the wood’s natural beauty to shine through
Easy to work with
Touching-up your furniture is much easier when they are lacquered! Lacquer blends well when reapplying to areas of damage and finding an exact match isn’t as big of a concern.
Easy on the wallet
When you want to save money on your interior remodel, lacquered furniture is the way to go. While costs vary widely in bespoke furniture, lacquered furniture tend to cost less than painted furniture.

Like painted furniture, there are also drawbacks to having stained furniture in a home:

  • Lacquer isn’t ideal for MDF furniture, as this material doesn’t absorb lacquer well.
  • If you have major damage or blemishes, stain will highlight, not hide, them.
  • Darker laquer shades have a tendency to show dust and dirt, requiring more cleaning and upkeep.

Whatever you choice, we can help

CWORKSHOP PAINTING & STAINING

Whether you choose painted or classic lacquered furniture, the look that is right for you depends on what you want to get out of your remodel. Consider your furniture material, the room layout, and the overall features and colour scheme of the space to decide whether lcquered furniture are the perfect addition, or if painted furniture are your ticket to seeing a beautiful before and after in your home remodel.

Cworkshop can paint and lacquer your furniture, in whatever colour you would like, ensuring a perfict finish each time.

Learn about our painting service