The lowdown on some of the best finishing options you can choose to design a budget kitchen

Designing the interiors of your home is a constant balancing act between creating an efficient space, expressing your personality, and sticking to your budget. This is often most apparent while designing the kitchen— one of the busiest spaces in the house. 

Kitchen surfaces see a lot of wear and tear. They are often exposed to heat and moisture and must be easy to clean and maintain. The ideal surface material must thus be durable and require low maintenance. With the trend of open and small modular kitchens here to stay, kitchens are being designed to not just be functional but aesthetic too.

Here are some of the most popular and aesthetic finish options to help you build a value for money kitchen:

1. Laminates

Laminates, also known as sun mica or mica finish, have emerged as the most popular choice for anyone looking to build a practical and low price kitchen. Laminates are artificial materials produced by bonding together sheets of paper, plastics, or resins using polymer glue under specific heat and pressure conditions. 

The Big Debate: Veneer Finish vs Laminate Finish

Veneer finishes, which are made by sticking a very thin layer of wood to the surface below, are often a highly considered finish alternative. Here’s how they compare against laminates:

• Cost: Veneers are natural and cost higher to produce as compared to laminates, which are mass-produced and therefore affordable.
• Durability: Laminates are designed to be heat resistant and waterproof but veneers are prone to damage from heat and moisture.
• Maintenance: Laminates do not require any particular maintenance, whereas veneers do require regular polishing to retain their look.
• Aesthetics: Veneers look like real wood (because they are real wood!) while laminates, on the other hand, are and look artificial.

While veneers do tend to look more luxurious and high-end with their distinctive ‘real wood’ appearance, laminates definitely feel like the better choice for a more modern, easier-to-maintain, and cheaper kitchen. Also, it’s worth noting that popular brands such as Merino Laminates and Greenlam Laminates offer a variety of laminate finish types with a wide range of color and texture options that can cater to whatever design aesthetic you have in mind.

2. Artize

Artize takes laminate finishes to the next level by adding an artistic flair to it. You can make your kitchen cabinets stand out by adding a unique design to the shutters. This is done using a CNC laser cutting machine whose software can read designs and cut those patterns into high-grade laminates. 

Artize shutters come in standard sizes with a variety of designs such as African Art, Floral Art, Maple Leaf patterns or Indian Warli patterns. These can create a unique aesthetic that belies the budget of your economy kitchen and is something you’d be hard-pressed to find, even if you had them custom-made by a carpenter!

3. Gloss Meister

Gloss Meister panels add a PU+ coating on a substrate of melamine-based pre-laminated MDF and particle boards. This process is cheaper than the traditional Poly-Urethane paint and as the name suggests, is quite glossy with a mirror-like finish. The PU+ coating creates an elastic and flexible layer, making it easier to cut and drill them while allowing them to remain resistant to scratches and abrasion. Gloss Meister panels maintain their color for a long time and guarantee that they won’t suffer any yellowing. Gone are the days when kitchens were tiny, mostly-hidden corners of the home. The kitchens of today share the spotlight with the living and dining areas of the home and deserve to be designed as such. 

Whether you prefer the rich variety of a laminate finish, the artsy vibe of Artize or the sleek luxury of Gloss Meister, our experts at Bespoke Décor is happy to help you design a kitchen to perfectly suit your tastes and fit your budget!