Heartland Millworks

Before the backsplash or the appliances or the sink or the fixtures, people notice the kitchen cabinets. If you’re embarking on a kitchen renovation in Kelowna or you’re building a new house, spend some time thinking about the cabinet stain that will capture your tastes and give your kitchen a truly unique, beautiful finish.

Fine woodworking in Kelowna is easy to spot. The kitchen cabinetry is custom built, fitting every inch of the room like a glove; the cabinet’s finishes are hand applied to let your wood’s natural beauty shine through and blend with the surrounding decor and materials.

Before you visit a cabinetmaker to choose a stain, here is a list of things to think about:

Your ideas and tastes.
Designers will tell you what’s in, but are those looks and colours really you? Everything in your kitchen, especially the stain, should complement your home and express who you are. Would you say your taste is modern or traditional? Eclectic, Asian, or minimalist? What colours and shades are you drawn to? Flip through a few design magazines and find photos of spaces you like.

Decor.
For a seamless and stunning appearance, your kitchen stain needs to enhance the other materials you’ve chosen. Make a list or collect samples of them for your woodworker. What colour is your paint? What kind of floor do you have? If you’re using hardwood, for example, certain cabinet stains will complement certain hardwoods better. We’ve even helped clients choose the right granite countertop to match their stain!

 

Configuration.
What style of cabinets do you like? For example, if you choose the simple, clean lines of shaker cabinets, your cabinetmaker would probably dissuade you from an off-white chalk finish since it would cover up the wood’s beauty and the craftsmanship required to build shaker-style cabinets.

Budget.
Homeowners often hesitate to discuss their budget with tradesmen, but with a small, respected Kelowna woodworking firm you can trust, such as Heartland Millworks, it’s best to be up front. That way they can present choices that are both beautiful and within your budget.

Now that you have a strong sense of your tastes and the style you’re going for, your Kelowna cabinetmaker can suggest the kitchen cabinet stain options that will help you achieve that look. Your custom kitchen will be complete with a hand-rubbed stain that brings out the beauty of the wood you’ve chosen and a durable topcoat to protect your kitchen cabinets for years to come.

Before you explore stain finishes for your cabinet doors, check out our post on the fit and function of custom Kelowna kitchens.