Painted vs stained kitchen cabinets: how to choose, and how each wears

What is the difference between painted and stained cabinets?

A painted cabinet has an opaque coating that hides the wood completely and gives one even color. A stained cabinet is colored by a stain that soaks into the wood, then sealed under a clear topcoat, so the grain still shows. Both are protected by a finish; the difference is whether you see the wood.

How do painted cabinets wear?

A good factory paint finish is durable, but paint sits on the surface. Where a pot or a ring hits an edge hard enough, it can chip to the wood below, and a chip in a solid color is easy to see. Touch-ups are possible, but can show in raking light.

Wood also moves with the seasons as humidity changes. On a five-piece door, a frame around a center panel, that movement can show as a fine hairline at the joints where the frame pieces meet. It is a natural characteristic of painted solid wood, not a defect, and it is the reason many shops point clients to slab drawer fronts or carefully chosen materials for painted work.

How do stained cabinets wear?

Stain is in the wood, so a small ding or a worn edge reveals more wood of nearly the same color rather than a contrasting layer underneath. That is why stained cabinets often look good longer in busy kitchens. Wood does change color over time with light, and a stained kitchen will mellow and warm as it ages.

Which woods suit paint, and which suit stain?

For paint, choose a smooth, close-grained material so open grain does not telegraph through the color. For stain, choose a wood whose grain is worth seeing, such as oak, walnut or cherry. Maple can go either way. Our guide to the best wood for kitchen cabinets compares the species.

The paint system matters as much as the color. Our comparison of water-based paint and conversion varnish explains why.

Can you mix painted and stained cabinets?

Yes, and it is one of the most popular ways to do both. The usual pattern is painted perimeter cabinets with a stained island, or painted uppers over stained lowers. Stained wood warms up a painted kitchen and takes the wear in the place that gets the most of it.

How do you choose between paint and stain?

• Do you want a specific color? Only paint gives you any color you like.
• How hard is the kitchen used? Busy family kitchens forgive stain more easily.
• What is the rest of the house? Stained cabinets often suit homes with wood trim and floors; paint suits lighter, brighter rooms.
• Which door style? Slab and Shaker doors suit paint; detailed and mitered doors often look best stained.
• Have you seen it in person? Finish color changes with light. Always look at a real sample in your own kitchen.

For the finishes themselves, see our guide to kitchen cabinet finishes.

How does Crafted Cabinetry handle paint and stain?

Crafted kitchens are fully custom, so paint, stain, or both are chosen in design with your dedicated designer. Finish samples are mailed to your home so you can see them in your own light before anything is built. The cabinets are then built to order in our California shop, delivered fully assembled anywhere in the continental US, and backed by a limited lifetime warranty on materials and workmanship.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Kitchen cabinet finishes: paint, stain or clear, and which one lasts
• Alder, maple, oak or walnut: which wood is best for kitchen cabinets?