What are the pros and cons of gloss kitchens?

Embarking on a new build, decorating your forever home, or just wanting to update your current property? You’ve probably already started looking at kitchen designs. As the heart of any home, it’s crucial to get the kitchen right.

Upgrading an old kitchen is a big decision, especially if you intend to create an entirely new kitchen. In fact, it’s a series of big decisions, with so much to think about that it can become overwhelming. For example, what colours are the best choice for a modern kitchen?

The important thing is to weigh up the pros and cons of a design before committing to anything. To help you understand why gloss kitchen cabinets and drawer fronts could be the best fit for your home, we’ve compiled a guide explaining the pros and cons of high gloss doors and drawer fronts to show you how to get the most out of them.

What is a high gloss kitchen finish?

Most high gloss kitchen doors are made by building up thick layers of lacquer or paint on a wooden or MDF base. Sometimes, a PVC laminate is used as a cheaper alternative. It’s possible to get gloss doors made from coated metal, polished glass, or solid acrylic, though less common.

At Kitchen Warehouse, our high gloss kitchen doors and units are made in Italy with melamine-faced chipboard (MFC) and high-quality lacquer, also benefitting from German soft-close hinges. Finishing touches like this can make all the difference.

gloss kitchen advantages disadvantages

Advantages of high gloss kitchens

It’s undeniable that high gloss kitchens have immediate visual appeal; they can transform a tired kitchen design into a modern masterpiece with very little effort. A gleaming kitchen with clean lines is the dream for many, and this is how a smooth high gloss finish can help to achieve it.

The primary selling point of high gloss cabinets is that they reflect more light than other finishes. This has the effect of making the space look and feel larger and more open, which is ideal for smaller kitchens.

Nobody wants to spend hours meticulously scrubbing on a kitchen door. You’ll be glad to know that slick lacquered surfaces are waterproof, making it harder for grime to stick and easier to clean it off. All you have to do to remove splashes and smudges is wipe them down with a soft damp cloth.

High gloss kitchen doors have the benefit of being available in a range of shades. Whatever your preferred style and colour scheme might be, you’re sure to find a fresh colour to suit your interior style and design plans. We offer a selection of high gloss colours at Kitchen Warehouse, from light and neutral greys to bold blues.

Disadvantages of high gloss kitchens

While their reflectivity is one of their greatest strengths, it can also be a source of a slight weakness depending on your personal preference.

Since marks are more visible, you may need to wipe them a little more regularly. This can be annoying if you’re constantly leaving fingerprints on the doors, but it’s quick and easy to fix – especially if they’re handleless.

design a high gloss kitchen

High gloss kitchen design tips

Interested in upgrading your current kitchen? The Kitchen Warehouse team always recommends taking a personal approach when designing your dream kitchen. This means taking your tastes and resources into account, then selecting complementary pieces to create the space you imagined.

High gloss doors can steal the show, so it’s best to incorporate them as the stand-out feature of your kitchen and go simple for the walls and floors. Many people prefer a classic, crisp white for modern glossy kitchen cabinet doors.

The solution to ensuring that too much light doesn’t glare off the cupboard doors and reveal dirt is to plan your kitchen lighting properly. The kitchen layout and the window/lighting positions can make or break a high gloss design, so calculate these factors into your choices.

To make the room look brighter without feeling too plain and empty, it’s a good idea to use dark colours on base kitchen cabinet doors and light colours on wall units rather than the same shade throughout. Avoid harsh overhead lighting or spotlights. You can soften the glare by implementing diffused kitchen lighting.

You need the light to spread throughout the kitchen uniformly for the to look its best, so light fittings should be as symmetrical as possible. Consider task-based and ambient lighting solutions, like downlights underneath upper cabinets above the worktops, and plinth lights along the base.

Ways to maintain the seamless glossy look include choosing handleless doors, built-in appliances, and items in complementary finishes and accent colours if they’ll be on display.

high gloss kitchens worth it

We take pride in helping our customers to transform their kitchens at a fraction of the cost they expect, without compromising on quality. Our wide range of kitchen unit types ensure that you can find exactly what you’re looking for to complete your new high gloss kitchen makeover.

If you need more advice on our product selection, get in touch and we’ll happily discuss this with you. Just give us a call on online form, or send an email directly to, and we’ll be in touch. Alternatively, for inspiration, you can order any full sample high gloss doors from any product page and have it delivered to your door.