BobSHEla t1_iu8oc6v wrote on October 29, 2022 at 12:40 PM

We had the same cabinets with the wood trim and we brought a door to Sherwin Williams and had them color match the cream veneer. We left the veneer as is and only painted the wood trim and added brass hardware- they looked awesome and no one ever knew they were the melamine cabinets! Just an idea- good luck :)

iRamHer t1_iubjxjl wrote on October 30, 2022 at 1:47 AM

just commenting because of the "no one ever knew they were melamine" comment. houses in all price ranges from $5k demos to multi million dollar builds have melamine/ mdf cabinets. melamine isn't an inferior material, its actually one of the main and is great if the base material is decent and the melamine adhesive is quality.

if a cabinet is built right, sealed right, according to the room's needs [and ventilation/ drainage if that's needed] melamine is a great material. I don't like it because of its additional weight but will definitely use for floor cabinets/ occasional wet areas when I can properly seal it.

with that said, it gets a bad rap because it isn't properly sealed and/or is used in high humidity/ high splash areas and is allowed to touch the ground.

nothing to be ashamed of and you can route a nice edging on it with time. yes I prefer plywood but with these prices we're gong to see a lot of negative comments because flippers used it in appropriately and people can't seperate the poor install from the product itself.

I know you didn't say all that but I feel people should be aware that it IS a great material and can be potentially used anywhere with custom edging, what have you, if done properly. some people feel "poor" because HGTV tells them what they have isn't good and frankly, HGTV and all those home shows are garbage.

BobSHEla t1_iubkwaq wrote on October 30, 2022 at 1:54 AM

I totally get your point and apologize if I made anyone feel less than. The kitchen in my home was installed in the early 80s so my melamine and wood cabinets were in that 80s style. My goal painting was to update/modernize the feel of the room. By not “noticing” I meant it didn’t feel so 80s anymore. That being said- those cabinets lasted over 40 years working perfectly with no chips or peeling or anything so the quality of the material is awesome!

iRamHer t1_iubmpn5 wrote on October 30, 2022 at 2:10 AM

no I get what you meant. but people care so much about what others think I can see people jumping on the "x material is bad" band wagon. I was just pointing out for others who are looking for material, especially with these prices, that melamine/mdf always has a place in any price range. it just takes care whether you're building on your own or buying pre built.

no harm from me, just leaving a tid bit for anyone getting lost in cabinet world. yes it's very susceptible to edge swell more so than plywood, but again that's as simple as elevating or sealing edges. same with laminate for those reading. great surface, brands like formica 180fx really do great at their 3d designs imitating depth of stone, especially with modern manufacturing of certain brands, but severely botched by poor installation or poor subsurface/ adhesion. these great materials get kicked to the curb thanks to misinformed word of mouth, or because someone moved into a house with 50 year old laminate that needs replaced.

rant over. again no offense to you, I got what you meant. just wanted to clarify for other people browsing