Glossy cabinets, their pros and cons, as well as rules for care

It is not at all difficult to decide which facade should be near the cabinet if there is a precise understanding of what effect is required to be achieved. Color, strengths, weaknesses and other features have a significant impact on the final choice. These parameters are also taken into account if a person intends to purchase glossy cabinets for his home.

Features

The main features of glossy cabinets directly depend on what material the coating is made of:

plastic - profitability, resistance to household chemicals and temperature increase. Inability to correct minor faults and defects;
film - low cost. Unpretentious in relation to the used detergents. With increasing temperature and increased humidity, colors may fade, and the film begins to peel off;
paint and varnish - it’s easy to fix minor damage, but if handled carelessly, it is likely that chips can form. A product with such a coating has a high cost.

These brief descriptions will help you make your choice faster, but keep in mind that glossy surfaces require special care. For example, such a coating wiped with an ordinary dry rag is electrified and begins to attract dust.

Advantages and disadvantages

Glossy facades have a significant list of advantages:

spectacularity and beauty of appearance;
the ability to reflect light incident on their surface, which visually expands and also brightens the room in which such a cabinet is located (gloss acts almost like a mirror);
wide range of color schemes;
the ability to make interior design as aesthetically pleasing as possible, softening rough lines and unexpected color schemes;
easy surface cleaning.

In contrast to these positive points, negative ones are also noted:

the surface of the cabinet quickly gets dirty (including from accidental finger touches, splashes of water, oil, and so on). This drawback can be mitigated if you buy a cabinet that has not one-color, but mottled color (colored, gold or silver chips). Even better, if the facade of the cabinet is decided in dark colors;
gloss is characterized by increased sensitivity to mechanical damage;
in order to maintain the “salable” appearance of the cabinet, it will have to be cleaned at least twice a day;
to care for a glossy facade, instead of conventional detergents, you have to use specialized ones.

However, these shortcomings do not cause too much inconvenience, and therefore are not an obstacle to the acquisition of such cabinets.

Material Options

To create a glossy surface of the cabinet, several different materials are used. Each of them has its own differences, which affects the properties of the finished product.

Film

Glossy PVC film is applied to MDF boards using the vacuum pressing method. This method can be called an economical option. The film coating demonstrates a high degree of resistance to fading (except when exposed to direct sunlight) and damage.

This material is considered the most democratic. It is applied using vacuum, which allows you to create a smooth, shiny surface. At the price of such products are relatively cheap, but only their service life is short, and the film is not subject to restoration and restoration. Such a gloss is not sufficiently resistant to temperature effects, so you should not place it too close to the stove or oven.

Plastic

One of the most economical options is plastic gloss. This application is not used for finishing chipboard and MDF boards. The cabinet cover is created using the postforming method (combined exposure to pressure and high temperature), and only the front part of the furniture is covered.

This version of glossy cabinets has a significant drawback - any damage that appears on them is practically unrepairable. Help in this situation can only re-applying plastic. However, the gloss of plastic is quite durable and wear-resistant. Therefore, it is not necessary to replace it very often.

Enamel (varnish)

The staining method is suitable mainly for MDF boards. At the first stage, the desired color is applied, and after that the cabinet surface is covered with several layers of varnish, which allows to achieve the desired effect.

This method of decoration is quite time-consuming. After applying each of the layers, it is necessary to sand, primer, grind and dry the surface of the cabinet. But the output is a completely smooth, flawless glossy surface.

It is easier to get rid of minor damage on such cabinets than in the case of plastic. However, you still need to handle such cabinets carefully, avoiding scratches whenever possible. But despite all the shortcomings, this option for designing the facade is today considered the best.

What styles are suitable

Using glossy cabinets in rooms with ceilings of a similar type is an unsuccessful decision. Glossy furniture looks quite profitable only if it is framed by matte surfaces and calm colors. An interesting option is when the upper part of the furniture set (cabinets) is covered with gloss, and the lower (tables, bedside tables and so on) does not have a glossy surface.

Another not too harmonious combination is gloss and bright patterns, as well as textured protrusions on a glossy surface. Cabinets that demonstrate smoothness and luster will fit perfectly into a room designed according to one of the modern design styles: modern, loft, hi-tech and so on.

You should always remember one significant limitation - gloss should not be present in excess.

Shine of smooth facades is perfectly combined with objects from natural materials: stone, wood massif. Glass corners give a special sophistication to glossy cabinets.

Depending on the color, cabinets with a shiny facade can create different effects:

white - allows you to visually expand the space (suitable for rooms with a small area), harmonizes well with any other colors, fits into any style (from classical to minimalism), combines with chrome, wood and glass elements;
beige - makes the room more comfortable and calm, has a variety of different shades, looks good in combination with other colors;
black - adds sophistication, easy to combine with juicy and bright shades, creates a sense of technological effectiveness, poorly combined with glossy black color of the opposite (cold or warm) shade.

Gloss of more characteristic colors is also actively used. Shades of red convey a sense of activity and assertiveness, while shades of green convey peace and tranquility (suitable for country style or classic design). Fans of the avant-garde style and any unusual decisions should take a closer look at the combination of yellow and purple.

How to care

For the processing of plastic gloss, only mild detergents can be used, otherwise there is a risk of discoloration of the cabinet surface. The best option is to clean the surface with a solution of laundry soap. It is necessary to wash the lacquer and film gloss with non-abrasive substances (for example, a glass cleaner, but a soap solution is also suitable), and wipe it dry with microfiber material (this will prevent the appearance of stains).

All concentrated cabinet detergents must be diluted. The best solution would be to use specialized wax or paste designed to care for kitchen furniture. The wax used to polish wooden furniture, on the contrary, will cause the cabinet to fade, and the dirt will stick faster than it can be washed off. Due to corrosive, solvents containing chlorine or alcohol, glossy surfaces will begin to fade. All powdered cleaning products, as well as hard sponges, will almost immediately remove all the gloss from the cabinet surface.

Selection rules

When choosing a closet, it is worth considering not only the appearance, but also the content, especially if this will be the only storage system in the apartment. Also, when choosing such a cabinet, it is worth considering such factors:

both bright and bright options are suitable for the bedroom. In a small room, a glossy wardrobe should be installed along the wall. For a spacious bedroom, you can consider the option of a built-in model. Cabinets with patterns on a glossy facade look good;
nursery should be done in bright colors. As an option, images of fairy tale heroes or original patterns can be applied to the glossy facade;
a light glossy cabinet will help expand the space, while a black gloss will reduce it;
since the gloss does not really like interaction with moisture, it is better for the kitchen to choose such cabinets only as hanging structures;
in the hallway, a glossy wardrobe will work well with a mirror on the facade.