DOORS generally fall into 5 types and all types are available in solid and framed-glass versions.

PLAIN BOARD - Usually made from coloured or woodgrain MFC (like the carcase material) which is lipped all round with 2 or 3mm pvc edging. These will generally be the least expensive door choice.

VINYL-WRAPPED MOULDED - Moulded from MDF (Medium Density Fibre-board) and ‘wrapped’ using heat and vacuum with a thin vinyl sheet. Some early doors were of very poor quality, but many are now difficult to distinguish from much more expensive hardwood and hand-painted doors.

VINYL-WRAPPED FRAMED - One of the problems with a moulded door is that the false ‘wood-grain’ in the vinyl can only run in one direction. For a more authentic appearance, the framing material and centre panels are vinyl-wrapped separately so that they can be cut and assembled to give the impression of a solid wood door.

HARDWOOD - Generally still the most expensive option. The very expensive will be hand-crafted from the exact solid wood you specify and deep-waxed for feel and smell. The least expensive versions are likely to be machine-made in something like Pine and then stained and varnished in a wide range of hardwood colours. There are 1000s of options between these two extremes.

WARNING - One of the most regular complaints received from Customers is about quality hardwood doors. Unfortunately, every tree is different and every board produced from the same tree will be different in grain, colour, and the way it absorbs waxes and varnishes. So your finished kitchen may not be a uniform colour to start with and it will certainly change colour with age. If you want your door and drawer-fronts to match exactly, and to remain the same colour throughout their life, then choose a Vinyl-wrapped woodgrain lookalike or go for a painted finish.

IN-FRAME DOORS & DRAWER FRONTS - Recently there has been quite a shift towards these products. Instead of the door & drawer-front ‘laying’ on the front of the carcase, they are inset into a matching frame and the whole assembly is attached to the front of the carcase. This provides a much more authentic, traditional ‘cabinet-built’ appearance to the finished kitchen. Once the reserve of the most expensive ‘hand-built’ installers, mass-production has now brought this option more into line with mainstream prices.

Many other types of specialist doors are available such as solid glass and metal-finishes, but some are not suitable in certain installations - your supplier can advise.

MOULDINGS

Light-pelmets, cornices, skirtings, worktop-edges, pillasters, plate-shelves - in fact everything which makes the difference between an assortment of cabinets, doors and appliances and a ‘fitted’ kitchen. Generally, they are all an expensive but important part of your installation. Mouldings are made in exactly the same materials as the doors & drawer-fronts to provide an overall match to the full installation.

HANDLES

The kitchen furniture market is served by 100s of handle manufacturers, producing literally 1000s designs, which they change and add to regularly to match changing fashions in kitchen design. From the humblest plastic knobs to designer gold-plated mouldings there is something to please everyone - if you can find them!

Obviously, the vast range also covers a vast price variation - so make sure you ask about the effect that any special choice has on the overall kitchen cost. Generally speaking, your installer will quote a kitchen price based on a fixed selection of handle designs, which you will able to view in the showroom. Alternatives will generally only be viewable from catalogues and are likely to attract additional cost.

HINT - Choosing the wrong handle initially needn’t be the end of the world, provided any change you make can be fitted into the same drill-holes and many suppliers use the same sizes and spacings of screw fittings. Be particularly careful though if choosing the very long, thin bar handles - they look great in very modern kitchen designs but there are no traditional designs to fit into their screw spacings if you get your initial choice wrong.

NO HANDLES - If you want a very streamlined look, you can do away with handles altogether. Some cabinet designs allow you to simply hook your finger behind the door and drawer-fronts - not many around so you’ll have to ask especially for such designs.