Are gloss kitchens... "cheap"

[Tractortod]

I don't like gloss kitchens as a general rule of thumb, simply because I preference Matt colours and surfaces.

However I've found drawn to a certain colour kitchen in a gloss finish which I think only works in gloss, helps with the light and airy feel of it all.

I've been ruminating on why I dislike gloss and... this is where I'll like offend lots of people.. I think for me, it doesn't give off a 'high end' feel a (for examle) well fitted, coloured shaker kitchen does.

We don't own an expensive classy house... so it's not snobbery as such, I can't really find the words to articulate...perhaps because the displays in the lower end price bracket (Ikea.. b&q etc) feature a lot of slab gloss, lots of newbuilds and investor homes on RM always seem to have the default cream gloss unit set up.

I'm too scared to ask any friends genuine opinions and lots do own gloss kitchens so it would be breathtakingly rude. So i'm anonymously putting it to MN and be well prepped for a flaming.

I'm not keen on gloss but mainly because it strikes me as one of those trends that will date quickly and soon look 'of its time'. I don't think it looks bad necessarily, in fact it looks great in the right space, it's just not for me.

I have gloss - white with a sort of very light grey grain, hard to describe. I felt pure white gloss was too clinical but we wanted gloss because a) I hate shaker and b) the extension we did made the kitchen area darker so I wanted to bounce as much light as possible. Mid grey stone worktop (spenny but it grounds the whole kitchen) and pale oak floor. Pops of primary colour - red lamps, a yellow splash back. I love colour though. I doesn't look cheap, primarily because it wasn't!

Oh and if you don't want fingerprints get handles! My friend is always moaning about fingerprints but her doors are push doors...

I don't think marble would be shiny-shiny. You can probably pick the finish and go for something less "buffed".

There are loads of matt laminates and "solid laminates" like Dekton tend to be matt and textured.

Gloss is not the only alternative to shaker. You can get a flat door that’s matt.

I lived in a house where the kitchen was 20 years old, white shaker, hand crafted wood, looked fab.

I’ve moved to a house with a grey high gloss kitchen which is 5 years old and it’s forever dirty, is falling apart and the seals are knackered. The whole thing needs binning.

I don't think it looks cheap, however, I'd never buy a shiny kitchen or fit shiny floors as they make me feel stressed (odd I know).

We've got cream gloss, it's fab.

So much easier to clean than wood, doesn't show fingerprints, smears, dust, doesn't scratch (2 dogs, 3 cats)

It was far from cheap, it's 7 years old but still looks brand new (unlike the granite worktop)

We had a self catering holiday in a place that had a red gloss kitchen. It looked great (not my taste, but hey) for the first hour or so until we started cooking.

With Easter hols coming up, you could always look to see if there is an Airbnb with a glossy kitchen somewhere you fancy staying!

Hi hilbil21. i love your kitchen, exactly what we are looking for. Do you mind me asking where you got it. Also is the worktop quartz or laminate?

I have a white gloss kitchen with white corian worktops. I certainly don't think it looks cheap. It's fabulous and so easy to keep clean. I love the brightness from it and don't think I could ever live with anything else

Gloss kitchen from B&Q teamed with laminate work surface and floor, stainless steel sink and bargain appliance pack then yes it will totally scream ‘Homes under the Hammer’ make over cheap, but it’s like anything really, it you style it correctly get high end units and team with quartz worktops, high end appliances and flooring the effect will look expensive (because it is!).

I think you should get what you like and what suits the house.

Redriver... I think the problem here is, now it's time to make decisions it seems I don't know what I like.. or suits the house.

I have a cream gloss kitchen and it looks lovely and not cheap.

Just get the one you like, for every person that likes something someone else won’t.

I have a gloss kitchen which is years old and I've never had problems with reflections or fingermarks (we have handles). It is totally dog-proof. I thought it would scratch but it does not at all. It was sold as 'fabulous vanilla' and still looks fabulous.

I have darkish grey gloss bathroom units and they do show up marks much more easily and need to be cleaned far more often.

We both dislike gloss and would not buy a house with it unless exceptional. But if you love it then go for it.

disfordarkchocolate me too - I just find overly, or lots of, glossy finishes (except for bathroom) ‘unrestful’ in a living space.
Always just assumed that was my personal taste - never really thought about ‘cheapness’.
Do think high gloss kitchens can be very out of character with look and feel of rest of house quite often.
Good luck with decision op!

Gloss kitchens seem to suit more modern houses, we have a MFI Shreiber, cream matt shaker one and walls painted in F&B setting plaster paint in our 1930s house as it goes with the general look of the house, a shiny one would look awful and not go with the overall look.

Not saying I don't like gloss kitchens but just can't imagine one in our slightly untidy rather old fashioned house.

If budget is constraint, I would choose high gloss IKEA with quartz as it doesn't look much different to a modern expensive german kitchen. If I had more money I would go for inframe shaker wooden painted kitchen.

For like and dislike, when I moved to my current house , I didn't like the white high gloss kitchen at all. But it has grown on me and I like it now. I like how easy it is to keep clean as compared to wooden shaker in my previous place and it makes small kitchen look all bright and fresh. That wooden shaker regardless of price looked all dated, dark and pokey in small kitchen. So it depends on the kitchen itself what would suit the space.

we live in a cheap and cheerful house compared to most MNers, so a huge handcrafted solid wood job was never on the menu for us.

we have cream gloss, which I chose for a couple of reasons. Firstly our kitchen is small and north facing and so something pale and slightly reflective really brings light into the space. Secondly, they are an absolute breeze to clean compared to the shaker style we had before, which would accumulate a kind of immovable grease 'n' crumb combo in all the wee grooves. Better housewives than me might not have this issue, but gloss is ace if you're a bit of a slattern.

We have a German cream gloss kitchen which is 5 years old and looks brand new. The work tops are cream speckled quartz and as it’s a north facing room it looks much lighter and brighter. The floor is oak which I think softens the look. We looked at lots of different styles including painted shaker but kept going back to the gloss as it looked so much fresher compared to our old cabinets and black surfaces.

but gloss is ace if you're a bit of a slattern

I've been dithering about gloss or not gloss, but this statement has convinced me to go gloss!

We've got a mix of the two, textured matt wall units and gloss on the island.

Have never noticed fingerprints, but it's only been in 6 months and I like it too much to find any flaws just yet.

It's also a very light grey, almost white so that might be why the finger prints and smears aren't noticeable.