Dec 18, 2024

What material should I choose

We pride ourselves on being able to provide our customers with beautiful high end designs, in a wide selection of styles, at competitive pricing. With hundreds of colours, unique materials and numerous accessory options to customize your space; we are sure you will find the look that fits your design and budget.

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6279efce7920cf59187fc795 solid wood material kitchen guide

Solid wood

Natural woods provide a traditional look with intricate moldings, wood grains, and rich colours. We offer many different colours and patterns. Available in maple, oak, walnut, and cherry woods. Natural woods will commonly vary in colour and characteristics due to the density of natural solid woods. Shaker doors may expand and contract due to temperature and humidity, up to 0.5mm visible cracking around joint areas may be visible from time to time. 

Stained

Our stunning stained wood cabinets add warmth and texture to any space. Because wood density can vary, stain may absorb in the cabinet slightly different than the samples shown here and in our showroom. When choosing a wood-stained cabinet finish, our sales, and design experts will help guide you through the process to ensure your satisfaction with the result.

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Painted

The most obvious advantage is the silky-smooth finish. You will only get that from painted wood or MDF. They also prevent dirt, and scratches, and are easy to repaint if the colour goes out of fashion. They cost more than the alternatives for example Laminate, Melamine, etc

Matte lacquer laminate

Matte Lacquer Laminate is glued onto the surface of the MDF board but could remove the fringe line making the product look seamless. It has a matte, smoothy, and anti-finger surface, while also recovering scratches that might occur on its facade with ease! The 16 subtle colour options of Matte Lacquer Laminate make it an excellent choice when you are in the market to update your home.

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Acrylic

High gloss acrylic has a surface of rich colour combined with a glossy finish, making it a perfect product for maximizing lighting and creating an opening up any space. Acrylic may have prevalent characteristics over time, such as slight discolourations, blurs, slight waves, dimples, and scratches. Otherwise, they are also easy to clean, have high scratch resistance. At Zen Living, Acrylic is available for slab cabinet doors only.

High pressure laminate

High pressure laminate (HPL) is one of the most consistent and durable materials in today’s cabinetry market. HPL is a laminate applied to MDF Core which is bonded with high levels of pressure. It can withstand temperature changes without warping, is scratch resistant and comes in various colours, textures and wood grains. In rare cases, this product may experience slight colour discolouration over time.

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Low pressure laminate

Low-pressure laminate (LPL) is an affordable wood alternative that enables clients to create bespoke creative designs. This product is available in hundreds of finishes and textures. LPL is an often refered to as Melamine. 

UV

UV Mirror White is one of our best-selling finish options for cabinetry. It has a glossy and clean look that can withstand even the most active kitchen environments. They are also UV-resistant, so you can enjoy lasting colour that always looks new.

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Engineered veneer

The main source of engineered veneer sheets is natural woods, so it is varied in colour and grain. The structure of engineered wood veneer and higher yield helps in minimizing waste and costs. However, it can be prevented stain colour consistency as they are sliced from big tree logs with retaining properties bestowed by nature.

Material Comparision

Veneers & Solids

Natural woods provide a traditional look with intricate mouldings, wood grains and rich colours. We offer many different colours and patterns. Available in maple, oak, walnut, and cherry woods.

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Stained Natural Woods

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Solid Painted MDF

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Engineered Veneer

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Wood Grain
Grain Consistency
Colour Consistency
Colour Selection
Styles
slab only
Mouldings
Hardness
Scratch Resistance
Stain Resistance
Temperature / Humidity Resistance
Price
$$
$$
$$

Synthetics & Laminate

Synthetics and laminates are highly durable, less prone to discolouring and are easy to maintain. We offer many different colours and patterns to suit your design style.

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High Pressure Laminate (HPL)

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High Gloss Acrylics

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Textured Melamine (MFC)

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High Gloss
Wood Grain
some
Textured Surface
Styles
slab only
slab only
slab only
Hardness
Scratch Resistance
Stain Resistance
Temperature / Humidity Resistance
Colour Selection
Price
$$
$$$
$$

Wood Types

Natural wood with unique grains and colour.

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Birch

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Cherry

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Maple

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Density
Colour
pale white to yellow
rich, variant, darkens
overtime
light with some reddish-
brown hues
Grain
straight-grained, fine and
even texture
smooth, even, natural
markings
light, limited variations
Can be stained stained
Price
$$
$$$
$$
6279fdea70bdd02b94d27c99 Beech

Beech

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Knotty Alder

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White Oak

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Walnut

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pale green with pink or
brown hue
rich, variant, lighten over
time
light to medium brown
elegant, rich, variant
straight-grained, fine to
medium texture
smooth and straight-
grained
consistent
inconsistent with
character
$$
$$$
$$
$$$

What Our Customers Are Saying

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