Doors and panels are made up of two components, a scoreboard, and its surface layer. The core board is usually made of MDF or a compact particleboard. This Mdf can be covered with five different materials. You can choose one by looking at its pros and cons and matching them with your needs.

Investment/rental properties

• We recommend laminate/Melamine for investment/rental properties because:
• Very low cost and fast manufacturing.
• Big range of color, texture and finish options are available.
• Resilient, scratchproof, and hard-wearing.
• Do not differ from other finishes in dispensing value to your property.
• Follows low investment and high return policy of rental and resale properties.

Tenants have a careless approach and do not maintain the property like we maintain our own homes. The homes built for rental purposes should value comfort,  functionality, durability, and cost-effectiveness overlooks. Also, easy damage replacement without much charge should be a priority.

The laminate gives you all the above advantages along with fast production. It can withstand heat and moisture and does not dent or chips easily.

We recommend polyurethane or a combination of pol and timber binder for homeowners with kids because:

• Large range of colors for endless mixing and matching.
• A premium finish that is in line with modern trends.
• Give Delux finish which you can enjoy without stressing about the damage that kids make.
• Timber gives a natural soothing look to your kitchen which is organic to its very core. But unlike other natural products, it needs low maintenance and is highly durable.

In a home with kids, property damage is inevitable. But in a home with grown-ups, one can opt for beautiful bright-colored finishes which reflect light and give an illusion of extra space. Poly is a good option for such purposes. Even though it chips easily and is expensive to replace, good care will lengthen its life span equal to other materials.

Limitless color options and seamless finish is why people choose polyurethane. A paint chart is made available (Dulux/Taubman) in which you can easily choose the color that matches all your finishes.

We recommend Laminate and a combination of Laminate, poly, and acrylic for homeowners who have kids because:

• Laminate and poly-laminate-acrylic combo can withstand the destruction that comes hand in hand with small kids.
• Mixing them will give a high-end modern theme effect.
• Poly’s virtually limitless color range opens up limitless color combination possibilities.

The only thing you expect from a toddler is that he’ll bang his and scratch everything to his limits. The good news is, acrylic and laminate can take most hits without chipping off. It’ll scratch in the extremes of condition which is not that noticeable. Even though the damage becomes visible due to multiple hits, you can easily replace the panels of lower cabinets for a new one after your little one grows up.

For a stronger and more durable finish, mix acrylic and laminate with a little poly and voila, you get the best of both worlds. Alternatively, you can use laminate in higher drawers and the combination for the lower one that undergoes maximum mutilation.

Play around with color, contrasts, and textures and find a design unique to your kitchen. You can use bright attractive colors with gloss or keep it subtle with matte. Open up a world of possibilities and find a style that speaks for you.

We, at Sydney Kitchens, use the best quality drawer runner and hinges for our custom-made cabinets and focus on the test runs to remain ahead of the withering factors.

Wreckless closing of a drawer catalyzes the damage to the joinery. Soft closing drawer runners and hinges help in minimizing the impact and increasing the durability of the cabinets.

With everything getting smarter, why not the drawers too? Just push a button to open and close a door or a drawer effortlessly. The downside to this mechanism is that you’ll leave fingerprints behind and it’ll be expensive to repair if breaks. The fingerprints can become less noticeable by using certain finishes take fewer marks.

Overhead cabinets are hard to reach and one can install lift systems for easier access. Lift systems come in different ranges which are available at Sunday kitchens. As the name suggests, this system goes up and down, rather than sideways like a normal door. The additional advantage is no risk of banging your head on the door. Both manual and automatic operation is available for relatively close and hard-to-reach cabinets respectively.

Ditch the handles altogether for a modern minimalistic Scandinavian look. It’s very popular nowadays and for a good reason. No-handle look gives a sleek contemporary finish to the design and also your toddler will have fewer chances to hit his head on one. But in some cases, handles impart a finishing touch which can make it break the look. Conclusively, having handles or not mainly depends on the style you are trying to achieve. Do not hurry when choosing the right handle and take the help of 3D prints for getting an idea of the final look. A too modern, too old, too big, or too small handle will knock down all your hard work.

For a kitchen with too many cabinets/drawers and built-in appliances with a door, opt for a small handle or no handle look. Too small handles will also do no good. Not only difficult to grasp, but they can also cling to your clothes and make you fall. Also, some people find no-handle drawers irritating, so test the no-handle drawers with your own hands before you conclude. Remember, you’ll use the drawers daily, you cannot compromise.

The next big question after functionality check is, do they complement the style of your kitchen? Ask your designer to check on a 3D scale if your chosen handles match the color and texture of your kitchen.

Lastly, how do the handles feel? Handles with sharp edges can be annoying, especially when the cabinets are overloaded. Choose soft round handles for a smoother clutch with a sturdy fit.

1. Handles pros/cons

Pros: The door is easy to open in overloaded drawers. You can easily clean the drawers as the finger marks are limited to the handles. You will get a space to hang your wiping cloth/tea towel. Will complement your desired kitchen style and color.
Cons: In case of too many cabinets or big handles, the kitchen might look a bit busy.

1. No handles – pros/cons

Pros: Modern contemporary, streamlined, minimalist, Scandinavian look.

Cons: Complete no handle look is not attainable as integrated appliances and overhead cabinets need handles. Plus with no handles, finger marks are all over the door requiring frequent cleaning.

If you still want no handle look without having to worry about the finger marks, consult your design specialist for a recommendation regarding the material of the surface. Finger marks are inconspicuous on some materials. Another reasonable option is to use discreet style handles that are not as noticeable and mimics a no-handle look.