Thoughts on gloss kitchens?

[BlackbirdSingsInTheDeadOfNight]

We are planning to turn our dining room into a kitchen because the dining room is a big unused space (15ft x 12ft) and the current kitchen is teeny in comparison. We don't have a large budget so will be going with B&Q or Wickes or somewhere like that.

What are people's thoughts on gloss doors to the units? And what's the difference between units described as gloss and those described as high gloss? The designs we particularly like are described as 'gloss slab'. However I've heard horror stories about sticky finger marks, unremovable scratches etc on high gloss units. We have two boys aged 8 and 10 and an 8 month old puppy and wouldn't want to spend our money on something that isn't hard wearing and durable. Our house is a traditional 1930s Edwardian type place, so a shaker style would look fine, but we prefer the look of gloss. Is the gloss style likely to date quickly? Or will the shaker style? All thoughts much appreciated!

I honestly think you should go with what you like. All kitchens date, even the plainest Shaker style.
It's worth trawling round lots of kitchen showrooms so see all the variations.

Choose what you like. IMO Matt from this point forward is more timeless than gloss. Grey painted at the moment is de rigeur but choose what suits you and your lifestyle and what you like. I do know someone who has hummed and haa'd for 20 years over a kitchen in case they don't choose the 'right' one.

I HATE gloss kitchens - they show finger prints every time you open any of the cupboards. Ours were a nightmare and we ended up ripping them out as soon as we could afford to!

With regards to scratches and general wear and tear, it depends on what type of fascia it is (vinyl wrapped, lacquered, acrylic). They all have varying degrees of resilience. The kitchen designer will be able to tell you that.

Fingerprints, though. That would bug me. I have no small children and a black fridge, and that is bad enough to irritate me.

We have a white, gloss kitchen. It's six years old now and is still mistaken for new. We have no problem with finger prints at all.

I agree. I think all kitchens will date. So go with what you like.

Had a black gloss kitchen in a previous house. Fingers prints weren't an issue - it had handles - but I did scratch one cupboard using an abrasive cleaner.

Thanks everyone, really useful to get all your views. The gloss style that we're looking at does have handles, so fingerprints would hopefully be less of a problem, but we have an American style fridge freezer and I get the heebiejeebies every time I find finger marks on that! Not good for the blood pressure! I've booked an appointment with the kitchen design person and hopefully they'll give an honest and informed opinion on each of their different styles. But yes, going with what we like the most does make a lot of sense!

I've got gloss with handles. Every time I open a drawer there are fingerprints.

Easily removed with a damp cloth, but even so. You have to be quite on top of it.

My best friend has gloss white and it still looks like new - she's got a few kids too and it always looks shiny!. A family member has black and whilst it kind of looks like new, everything visit, I like it less and less!

Maybe pale is better then. Mine are dark.

Clean them with glass cleaner and they stay glossy!!

I find anything other than hot water smears

We had a handleless cream gloss kitchen installed earlier this year. No problem with fingerprints and much less prone to dust a Nd muck that fronts with indentations like Shaker ones.

Agree with get what you like rather than worrying about it dating though.

I was thinking of grey, but it's quite dark (there's a really nice dark slate grey or a rather odd lighter grey that looks a bit olive green in the wrong light!) - and I really don't like the idea of an olive-y kitchen! There's also an 'aubergine' shade in the same range. Get over yourselves, kitchen designers, it's not aubergine, it's purple. PURPLE.

There's a nice cream shade in the same range and I am beginning to think that that would make the room lighter and brighter and hopefully would have less of a finger mark problem.

I have white gloss (b&q) and it actually shines up lovely and looks way more expensive than it was.

Fingerprints all the bloody time. I loved my gloss kitchen but living with it is full on job to keep it looking good. We have gloss furniture in the spare bedroom and the dust really shows up.

White gloss Howden kitchen here - no problems whatsoever, always looks clean and shiny. So pleased I chose it.

cream gloss Howden kitchen here and yup no issues - takes next to no time to give it a quick clean when it needs it - as long is there are no ridges in the doors, I would say they are very low maintenance.

Thanks so much everyone, we are definitely moving in the direction of cream gloss. And maybe duck egg blue walls....I'm getting unreasonably excited about our kitchen transformation! Got our design consultation booked in for Sunday!

All of your thoughts and tips are enormously appreciated - thank you!

Good luck!! It is all very exciting :)

I like them to look at. But as others have stated, one word- fingerprints.

I love our white gloss Howdens kitchen, it isn't a problem with marks/fingerprints and really brightens the kitchen.

As someone said upthread, all kitchens date so just go for what you love.