The Pros and Cons of Matt and Gloss Kitchen Finishes

Gloss or Matt Kitchen

Are you looking for a new kitchen renovation? If so, then the chances are that you might feel a bit overwhelmed by the number of options available to you. There’s a common dilemma that echoes in the kitchen industry: a matt finish or a gloss finish? Like black and white, these two styles have contrasting personalities, but both offer you a stunning kitchen that you’ll boast about.

Gloss or Matt Kitchen

Before taking the plunge, there are some important questions you need to address. Firstly, is a matt or gloss kitchen better? Remember you need to be asking how big is your kitchen? Do you want it to have a modern or traditional style? How much natural lighting is there?

It boils down to what you want most out of your kitchen, which is why we’ve taken it upon ourselves to strip down each of their features and analyse everything through a microscopic lens. Read on to find out more.

What’s a Gloss Finish Kitchen?

Shiny kitchens and reflective gloss finishes are high in demand, mainly due to their ability to light up the kitchen. Like night and day, modern gloss kitchens have a completely different relationship with light than the matt finish kitchen. Instead of absorbing light, gloss surfaces reflect it. Interested? Let’s explore this further.

Makes Your Kitchen Seem Spacious

Matt finish kitchens are great for making kitchens seem smaller than they really are. The high gloss kitchen does the opposite. Your kitchen will appear more spacious by reflecting light, making it an ideal choice for a high gloss small kitchen.

Easy to Clean

Trying to remove a stubborn stain is frustrating enough but what really tears the hair out are the permanent marks left on the kitchen surfaces as evidence of your cleaning efforts. Thankfully, with gloss kitchens, all you need is a damp cloth to wipe away your worries.

Creates a Vibrant Look

Vivacious and energetic, your gloss kitchen will add an exciting vibrancy that will rub off on you and your guests if you’re looking for a new and fresh look to your kitchen; the gloss design ticks all the right boxes.

Things to Look Out For

Easy to Notice Marks

Since the light is so reflective, it’s not difficult to notice fingerprints, scratches and even dirt accumulated. This can be a bit of a headache if you’re obsessed with having a spotless kitchen - and even more so if you’ve got children.

Darker Colours Reveal More Imperfections.

Even just a fingerprint will be a lot more noticeable with gloss finishes in darker colours, perhaps restricting you to only the lighter shades.

Best Suited to Only Contemporary and Modern Kitchen Styles.

Mixing gloss cabinets with any kitchen accessory with a classic or rustic feel to it is like mixing oil with water - there’s no cohesion. This means that you won’t have any future flexibility in your kitchen style, forcing you to stick with this design.

What’s a Matt Finish Kitchen?

Matt finish cabinets absorb all the lighting, giving them a flat but stylish look. Elegant and sophisticated, this type of finish dresses your kitchen in a tailored suit, ready to greet and charm guests in the heart of your home. Apart from providing your kitchen with a charming personality, the matt kitchen style offers so much more. Let’s delve a bit deeper into this.

Great Versatility

Matt kitchens are appreciated for their ability to work with a broad range of different kitchen designs. Whether you’re looking for a more traditional look or something more contemporary, matt kitchens can complement any look.

Low Maintenance

If you’re one for getting easily irritated by smudges and fingerprints on your kitchen tops, then the matt finish will definitely overcome this problem. This style helps to conceal any imperfections, making it more difficult to notice stains due to the lack of light, exposing them to the naked eye.

Better Consistency

Have a look at the photo above. Notice how the dark colouring consistency provides it with a fuller look compared to the red kitchen above with the gloss finish. A matt kitchen will add real depth to the chosen colour.

A Luxurious Feel

The consistency of the colours combined with the kitchen tops' soft and smooth feel provides a stunning and sharp look that accentuates an aura of sophistication.

Things to Look Out For

How To Clean Matt Kitchens & Cupboards

Matt kitchens are highly effective at hiding initial bumps, scratches and smudges, but when these eventually show up, they do become a problem. How so?

Are matt kitchens easy to clean? When you clean matt kitchen units and surfaces, the whole process runs the risk of adding further damage by staining them with streaks and permanent smudges, leaving evidence of your efforts.

Not Suitable For Smaller Kitchens

Matt surfaces absorb light instead of reflecting it, making your kitchen space seem smaller than it actually is. Having surfaces that can reflect light is a simple but effective way of creating the illusion of a bigger kitchen. A gloss style is what you’re looking for here.

Poor Lighting

If your kitchen doesn’t attract a lot of natural light, then the matt finish will further absorb what’s there, creating a rather dull look.

Final Thoughts

And there we have it, a summary of the most important features to take note of when choosing between these two popular kitchen finishes high gloss or matt kitchen. Choosing between the matt or gloss finish is a favourable dilemma since either design is guaranteed to give your home a stunning look.

For more inspiration on the different designs available to you, make sure to have a look at our kitchen store, which boasts an exciting range of the most popular kitchen styles around, or contact a member of our team today to find out what kitchen would best enrich your home.