High Gloss Kitchen Cabinets Pros and Cons

A contemporary lover’s dream – high gloss kitchen cabinets that are vividly sharp and sleek. Gloss is the finish of choice for kitchens of many flavors, with a clean and sleek veneer that lends a subtle sophistication to any design.

1. What is a high-gloss finish?

High gloss seems as popular now as it was when it was last trending in the 1970s. It is more suited to a contemporary-style kitchen with flat cabinet fronts than it is for a traditional-style kitchen.

High-gloss finish may also be referred to as ultra-high gloss or 100-per-cent gloss, depending on the materials you are using and the supplier you speak to.

High-gloss cabinet doors have a shiny finish that reflects light, which is one of the main reasons that gloss kitchens, especially white gloss kitchens, are so popular.

By reflecting light, the shiny finish of these gloss cabinet fronts helps to make the space feel bigger and more open than it actually is, making gloss-finish cabinets an excellent choice for smaller kitchen spaces. This light reflection is also a bonus if you are considering a darker colour, as you won’t need to worry about the shade absorbing the light out of your room.

Due to the fact that cabinets with a high-gloss finish reflect so much light, fingerprints, dirt and scratches are much more noticeable on them than they are on matt or semi-gloss cabinets. (But as I mentioned, they are very easy to clean so this may not be an issue for you.)

The disadvantage of a dark colour in a gloss finish is that any tiny imperfections on the surface of the doors, such as scratches or finger marks, are much more noticeable than they are on lighter colour gloss doors. You might want to steer clear of darker colours if you have young children or are concerned about having to clean the cabinet fronts more regularly than you would like.

Reflections of light on gloss cabinets are much more apparent on higher cabinets than they are below kitchen benchtops, because they are more at eye level.

If you would love some high-gloss cabinets in your kitchen, but are concerned about seeing fingerprints, consider choosing a high-gloss finish on your upper cabinets, and use either a matt or a semi-gloss finish for the lower cabinets.

Likewise, if you would love to incorporate a darker colour into your kitchen and really have your heart set on a gloss finish, then consider mixing it with a lighter colour. Position the darker colour cabinets at eye level where they are out of reach of sticky fingers (especially if you have children), and keep the lower-level cabinets a lighter colour, which won’t show fingerprints as easily.