Choosing a kitchen made of MDF with film: an economical solution for kitchen design

Furniture kitchen fronts can be installed on new sets or used to update old kitchen furniture. This section presents all types of facades that we use. Decor collections are constantly updated, and therefore the full and current range of colors can be viewed in our showrooms.

More information about our kitchen fronts

The Kitchen-Everything factory offers furniture doors made from the following types of materials: Solid oak, laminated chipboard, MDF and Plastic.

You can order facades from us in both standard and non-standard sizes; for reference, the most common sizes are:

• 716mm×296mm
• 716mm×396mm
• 716mm×496mm
• 716mm×596mm

When measuring facades yourself, be sure to take into account the gaps between the doors, for example, if the cabinet has a size of 700x600 mm, the required facade size will be: 696x596 mm -1 piece for a single-leaf version and 696x296 mm -2 pieces for a double-leaf version. The required gap between the doors is 4mm, and from the edge of the door to the edge of the body is 2mm.

You can buy kitchen doors separately from the furniture itself at the prices given in the price list for facades. We remind you that if you want to buy a ready-made kitchen with a complete set, see the main price list of the Kitchen-Everything store. Detailed photos and descriptions of various types of facades are posted below.

Kitchen fronts made of chipboard with a glossy UV varnish coating.

Glossy chipboard facades are made on the basis of “Alternative” varnished boards,

supplied to Russian. High-gloss boards coated with UV varnish are an excellent solution for creating kitchen furniture facades. These facades are highly resistant to damage and have a stable glossy surface throughout their entire service life. As the name implies, UV varnish is applied to a chipboard board (its thickness is 16 mm).

Details about high-gloss chipboard-LAK facades

The ends of the facades can be finished with a two-color 3D edge, or PVC edge, repeating the decor of the facade material.

The cost of kitchen sets with chipboard-LAK facades, of course, is significantly higher than the prices for simple kitchens made of chipboard; strictly speaking, sets coated with UV varnish can already be attributed to the premium segment of furniture, but at the same time, “chipboard-LAK kitchens” turn out to be still noticeably cheaper than the very similar “MDF-LAK kitchens”. To create headset projects in various designs and colors, and instantly calculate the price, as always, we suggest working in our unique online kitchen calculator.

Please take a look at the catalog of decors of UV varnished chipboards, some colors can be successfully combined with each other

in one project.

Attention: the cost of a kitchen with combined facades can be increased by UP TO 20%!

What to look for when choosing

The kitchen is the main room in the house, so it is extremely important that the furniture set meets all the requirements for safety, durability and strength. At the same time, kitchen furniture must match the design of the room.

When choosing a kitchen made from MDF, you need to pay attention to the quality of the material, the coating of the facades, design and fittings. Key points to consider when purchasing:

• Material thickness. You should not skimp on this parameter. The optimal thickness of the base that is decorated with film is 1.6 cm. When decorating facades with plastic or acrylic, the thickness of the material should be about 1.8 cm. The film coating should be applied to both sides of the facade.
• Type of coverage. In this case, you can choose veneer, plastic, acrylic, film or enamel. The choice of coating will determine the durability, wear resistance, appearance and cost of the product.
• Design and color. You can order whole structures or individual modules. Before ordering, you should decide on the design of the furniture and the room as a whole. White kitchens are suitable for a classic interior, and colored ones for a modern one. Glossy MDF kitchen in vanilla color is an excellent solution for any interior. This also applies to furniture with imitation natural wood.
• Manufacturer. The quality of the furniture, its durability and appearance will depend on this indicator, so you should not trust the manufacture of furniture to unverified companies. In this case, the risk of receiving low-quality products is too high.
• Features of operation. When choosing a coating for furniture, you should also take into account the individual characteristics of use. Steam, high temperature and high humidity can negatively affect the condition of facades, so you should choose coatings that are resistant to moisture and temperature if the furniture will be located close to the oven and stove.

MDF is a strong, durable and affordable material. However, for a high-quality kitchen, it is necessary to give preference only to high-quality coating that will withstand operational loads and also fit perfectly into the interior of the room.

Kitchen facades made of MDF-Frame.

“MDF-Frame” facades for inexpensive economy-class kitchen furniture are a rectangular frame made of MDF profile with a decorative insert, assembled using special glue and Hoffman dovetail dovetails.

Details about frame facades The inside of the frame is filled with a decorative insert made of 4 mm HDF (high pressure fiberboard) or laminated chipboard 10 mm thick. Corrugated glass with a “Crizet” texture (similar to a waffle towel) is installed in the display facades. For additional gluing and filling of voids, the groove of the frame profile is filled with silicone sealant before installing the insert. The cross-section of the MDF profile has a rectangular or semi-circular shape. The color range of MDF frame facades produced at the Kitchen-Everything factory includes beautiful wood and combined plain textures, which you can see below.

Which solution is better: plastic, PVC or enamel

The answer to this question cannot be unambiguous, since any option has its advantages and disadvantages.

1. Enamel is a coating of painted facades that effectively protects them. This is the optimal solution for design styles such as classic and Provence. In texture it resembles glossy ceramic tiles. Such facades of a set are best covered with patina. But their high price is due to complex painting technology and the cost of materials. In addition, washing such a cabinet is not so easy: the doors should be carefully wiped with a damp cloth, but in no case with abrasive agents, like glass, especially if the color of the furniture is ─ white. Even the imitation wood finish hides the smallest scratches, and the white tint demonstrates how carefully the owners treat things.

   
   In the photo - kitchens with MDF facades - enamel

2. Plastic as a coating for MDF facades is a universal solution. Customer reviews indicate that even a white kitchen cabinet with this finish is practical and easy to clean, since the plastic is not at all afraid of abrasive detergents, and they can even be washed with a stiff brush. The price of such options ─ lower than for painted models, but higher than for those covered with PVC film.

   
   In the photo - an MDF plastic kitchen in an aluminum frame

3. Film coating remains the most economical option. Its price is lower compared to other methods of finishing facades due to simple gluing technology, although the design of finished products is varied: here there is a film for tiles, with a pattern and photo printing, imitation wood or stone, patina coating (this technology is often found in Provence styles or classic). Kitchen furniture with film facades, as seen in the photo below, can be varied in design. But in general, the quality of the film is, of course, inferior to enamel and denser plastic. Although the problem may be identical: like plastic, the film coating peels off after some time.

   
   In the photo - a kitchen with facades made of film MDF

The protective film can cover not only MDF, but also glass. Then you can choose an interesting design solution to apply photo printing and make the interior and each cabinet original.

Obviously, only the buyer himself can decide which facade finishing is best, depending on factors such as the availability of funds, the style and design of the kitchen, and the features of its care. The most economical doors remain those covered with PVC film.

Kitchen facades made of plastic.

The plastic facades used by our factory in the production of economy-class kitchen furniture are made using postforming

, the meaning of which lies in a special method of gluing a base made of chipboard or MDF with a sheet of plastic of various colors.

More details about plastic facades for the kitchen A distinctive feature of such facades is the characteristic bend of the edge of the canvas, due to which the furniture door acquires high decorative properties. The plastic coating has a glossy sheen and a visual sensation of pearlescent color depth, the finished canvases for the manufacture of such facades are produced in Italy, at the Kitchen-Everything factory they only cut these panels into blanks and edge the horizontal ends with PVC edging. Available plastic decors are divided into two groups: glossy with deep texture

and
glossy colored plain ones.
In the Kitchen-Everything online store you can buy plastic facades as semi-finished products, or equip them with ready-made models of sets of our production.

Manufacturing materials and coatings

The quality, susceptibility to various external factors and cost depend on the material from which the furniture façade is made. You can choose from several options:

• laminated chipboard;
• MDF;
• solid wood;
• glass;
• metal.

Chipboard is the most affordable, but least practical material of all listed. Its strength can be increased through special protective coatings. Contains formaldehyde resins, which negatively affect human health. Suitable for the manufacture of products of geometric shapes, never used for the production of furniture with radius facades.

MDF is a safer material that also has a long service life. Its price is in the middle category, which, against the backdrop of excellent qualities, is another advantage. The only disadvantage is considered to be high susceptibility to temperature changes and mechanical damage.

MDF facades are found in all types of furniture, painted products are used, as well as in PVC film or plastic. The first option is the most expensive, as it involves manual labor. An undoubted advantage is the unlimited color range and the ability to use special effects. PVC film is much cheaper, can be matte, glossy, or allows you to imitate wood. In this case, additional processing is possible to obtain patinated furniture facades. The choice of plastic coatings is also huge: from bright colors to imitation of natural materials. Unlike film, they increase the strength of the product, since their thickness reaches 2 mm.

On MDF facades, enamel is applied in several layers - the more layers there are, the better the quality of the finished product.

Wooden facades are considered the most expensive, furniture from which has significant weight, deforms under high humidity, and requires special care. But any shortcomings seem insignificant against the background of such advantages: environmental safety, luxurious appearance, maintainability, high strength, durability. Carved facades are made from wood for the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and hallway.

Materials and dimensions of furniture adjustable supports, operating rules

Glass facades are made from hardened alloy or triplex. They can effectively complement any interior; they can be straight or curved. They are heavy, which requires additional reinforcement of the frame. They have an almost unlimited service life, but if damaged they cannot be repaired. The choice of glass facades for furniture in the kitchen or living room is large, the material is presented in a wide range of colors.

In modern interiors of bedrooms, hallways, and living rooms, new metal facades are often found. Manufacturers give preference to stainless steel and aluminum. They not only have an attractive appearance, but are also much stronger than wooden ones and are not afraid of mold or mildew. In addition, the aluminum profile does not lose color over time, so the service life of such products has no clear limits.

For those who cannot spend money on wooden facades, but prefer natural materials, chipboard or MDF lined with veneer would be an excellent solution. The latter is a thin layer of wood obtained by sawing, planing or peeling logs. Such products are less capricious to use. Facades with 3D milling, the surface of which imitates the texture of wood, waves, flames, and sand dunes, are also becoming increasingly popular. And when using modern photo printing on furniture facades, you can decorate your wardrobe with any image, even your own portrait.

Laminated chipboard

MDF

Solid wood

Glass

Metal

Types of kitchen facades: pros and cons

Before making a choice, it is important to understand that furniture should last for many years and not lose its appearance. The most popular types of materials for the manufacture of kitchen sets and their descriptions are presented below.

Solid wood

Classic solid wood is not only appropriate at all times, but also durable with proper care. If you are tired of the facade, you can transform it yourself. There are a huge number of special products on the market for these purposes. Furniture can be varnished or the base color can be changed using stain. The tinted set looks interesting. This is not difficult to do even at home. You just need to buy a stain that is a shade darker than the furniture itself.

The main disadvantages include:

• The need for constant care and maximum attention.
• High cost.
• In small rooms, massive furniture looks out of place.
• At the slightest damage to the protective layer, the furniture will instantly become unusable. There will be difficulties with opening, an unpleasant creaking may occur, even the appearance of mold.
• Not all detergents can be used. Wood is a material that requires the most careful treatment.

Classic pompous interior
The positive aspects include:

• Majestic appearance.
• Combination with many well-known styles.
• The solid wood is homogeneous and therefore the fasteners adhere perfectly to it.
• Possibility of surface repairs. You can update the appearance using special equipment.

Even by choosing a wooden facade, you can cheat a little and save money. If you make the frame from MDF or chipboard, and the outer part from wood, you can reduce the cost, but maintain pomp.

Ash furniture option

Various types of wood can be used to make furniture:

• Pine is the cheapest option, but the performance is not up to par. Even pets can easily damage the top layer of the headset.
• Ash is a more resistant species, but the cost is several times higher. Initially it has a light color, but looks great even when painted.
• Oak furniture is the most expensive. The natural color is initially dark. It is almost impossible to change it, that is, to give it a different shade.
• Material such as beech has proven itself well. The cost is lower than that of oak, but the performance is much higher.
• Larch tolerates moisture the easiest. Previously, it was even used in the construction of ships and foundations.
• Exotic species, which include cedar and mahogany, are used extremely rarely, as they are very expensive.

Solid wood facade

MDF painted

A set of painted MDF can be laminated or matte. The variety of very rich colors will not leave anyone indifferent. During manufacturing, several layers of enamel are applied to the surface, then carefully sanded to obtain a smooth surface and varnished. But, like any material, painted MDF has a number of positive and negative characteristics.

Advantages of these facades:

• Stunning color options. Can be chosen to suit any taste.
• Suitable for all modern design solutions.

Minuses:

• Expensive price tag.
• Furniture is exposed to the negative effects of ultraviolet rays, that is, it fades.
• Does not tolerate mechanical stress, which can lead to scratches and chips.

Despite the disadvantages, more and more people are choosing this design solution. This type of material has topped the ratings in recent years.

Veneered MDF

These are panels consisting of composites and lined with a very thin layer of natural wood.

Among the positive qualities it should be noted:

• Cheaper cost than wooden facades.
• Exact copying of expensive solid wood.
• Luxurious appearance.

Of the minuses:

• Short service life.
• Low resistance to variable humidity - facades crack and peel.

Veneered MDF is an excellent option to reduce the cost

Glass facades

Glass has recently been used more and more often in the manufacture of kitchen sets. In most cases, it is framed by an aluminum or plastic frame. Glass facades can be made of ordinary or painted glass, or they can be covered with a special film with a pattern.

Positive sides:

1. The most durable material that is very difficult to damage. This is due to the use of exclusively tempered glass.
2. Resistant to moisture, even direct contact.
3. Maximum hygienic and not susceptible to mold and corrosion.
4. Large selection of all kinds of decor options.

There are no negative qualities. If the facade suddenly breaks, it will not harm a person, since it breaks up into small, absolutely non-sharp pieces.

Using glass in kitchen design

Metal facades

Metal is being used more and more often in the manufacture of kitchen furniture.

Main advantages:

• No one can take away the strength of metal.
• It is practically not subject to corrosion and withstands the effects of abrasive substances.
• Very long service life.

Negative qualities:

• It is used in tandem with decorative inserts, and the service life of the facade depends on them.
• A plastic insert made of chipboard will be non-uniform, that is, it will be more difficult to clean, and plastic also reacts negatively to high temperatures. Glass, as the base of a cabinet, is a source of streaks and stains.