Today’s kitchens are trending smaller and sleeker, with functionality and ease of maintenance key components of the design. These elements do not mean scrimping on the wow factor, however, as these spaces provide plenty of dramatic visual impact.
Cabinets are often the biggest statement makers, acting as both the backdrop and the anchor for the room’s design. While woods and painted cabinets have made their mark, for an uncluttered, more modern space, high-gloss cabinets are grabbing the spotlight.
High-gloss cabinets often provide a cleaner look, adding a pop of shine and European flair. The polished surface also reflects light across the room, which can make the space appear larger than it is. This is especially true with white cabinets, which are a top seller in high gloss and give the kitchen a light and bright appearance.
In addition to their overall sleekness, high-gloss cabinets also provide easy maintenance, wiping clean with a microfiber anti-scratch cloth and water. This is very beneficial in the kitchen, where exposure to grease, humidity and chemical agents pose special challenges. The smooth, shiny surface also inhibits the growth of bacteria and germs.
There are a variety of options when choosing high-gloss cabinets. Many of the glossiest cabinets are lacquered, an elaborate multi-layered paint process, followed by a multi-layered surface finish application with intense buffing. Using modern surface and edge technology, cabinet builders can now create the look of high-end lacquer using more economical, manufacturing-friendly polymers.
Quality is an important factor when choosing a high-gloss cabinet, because lesser quality doors are prone to surface imperfections, among other issues. Common examples are ripples and an orange-peel effect in the gloss due to inferior laminating techniques and visible seams that can discolor and allow liquid to enter the panel.
Some finishes can also show poor colorfastness over time, with cabinets fading due to UV exposure and other factors. This is very problematic for white cabinets, which are prone to yellowing. Other finishes are susceptible to scratches. This is especially true of darker tones, which show dirt and scratches more quickly than their lighter counterparts.
So, qualities to look for when researching high-gloss surfaces include: superior reflectivity, excellent UV resistance, scratch resistance and a seamless, solid-surface finish for durability.
RAUVISIO ADDS BRILLIANT+
REHAU’s latest offering, RAUVISIO brilliant+™- mirror high-gloss acrylic surface, addresses each of these quality factors, as well as other markers. The product’s enhanced finish provides a superior scratch-resistance, increasing the durability of its mirror-like reflective quality.
RAUVISIO brilliant+ joins REHAU’s other high-gloss surfaces – RAUVISIO radiant™ and RAUVISIO brilliant™ – adding a Best choice to the company’s Good-Better-Best offering, allowing the company to bring quality high-gloss doors to every project.
The mirror-like gloss of RAUVISIO brilliant panels is achieved by laminating the acrylic surface to a very smooth MDF core using high-quality PUR glue, while RAUVISIO radiant panels use a biaxially stretched PET radiant™ foiling process that offers excellent (but not quite mirror-like) reflectivity.
Doors made with the RAUVISIO brilliant line feature a double-sided coating, finished with the company’s exclusive, proprietary LaserEdge™ technology, bringing the same high-quality shine to all door surfaces. The use of LaserEdge gives the doors a seamless finish, with the surfaces and edgeband being perfectly matched.
The RAUVISIO brilliant line also boasts the highest UV-rating in the industry, 20+ years of UV resistance, especially important for the popular white kitchens of today. In addition to its Bianco white shade, RAUVISIO brilliant surfaces are also available in a range of color choices, from deep navy to metallic graphite, as well as custom colors. The RAUVISIO brilliant line displays saturated color due to its production, which uses a color-matched PMMA top layer instead of a clear layer.
EASY ONLINE ORDERING
REHAU’s cabinet door order portal, along with a live chat service on the company’s website, help to streamline the ordering process. Ordering through the portal, cabinet makers can choose custom door sizes in a variety of modern finishes and receive instant pricing. Custom doors can be ordered online and are ready to ship in days.
On the portal’s dashboard, users can also view outstanding invoices, see their account status, view open orders and see existing company contracts. The order portal is accessible at http://na.rehau.com/cabinetdoors.
“As the modern trend picks up in North America, we want to make it easy for every cabinet maker to offer frameless cabinets that rival the best in European cabinetry,” says Jesse Collins, marketing manager for the company’s furniture solutions division. “With seamless slab-front doors, online ordering, delivery in about a week and no MOQs, we’re removing all of the barriers to entry,” she stresses.