Kitchen cupboard doors buying guide

Shaker kitchen doors are extremely popular, deriving their roots from shaker furniture and incorporating simplistic styling and borders with clean lines. Extremely versatile and purposeful, they blend in well no matter your chosen aesthetic, from traditional to modern.

The sophisticated design of shaker frontals also works well with a variety of tonal finishes, making them ideal for a timeless look, with our shaker kitchen cupboard doors available in a variety of finishes from natural oak to blue, white, and grey.

One of the great aspects of traditional kitchen cupboard doors is that they add instant warmth and character to your space, which has ensured they’ve remained popular over time!

When combining with appliances, look towards range cookers with statement overhoods to create a striking focal point that’s in keeping with the traditional theme, and keep an eye out for dark greens, creams, and whites.

Tall traditional kitchen unit doors with large rectangular panels will also create a sense of height, harmonising especially well in Victorian kitchens or high-ceiling layouts.

Handleless kitchen cupboard doors offer a sleek, practical design, with many layouts featuring stylish integrated cut-outs like the 'J pulls', soft-closing hinges, and push-to-open mechanisms for effortless opening.

No handles also means fewer accidental bumps, making them ideal for homes with young children. Cleaning is simple with the absence of handle grooves, too, and they leave fewer finger marks, thanks to their outer-edge pull design.

Industrial-style kitchen doors are ideal if you’re a fan of blending the old with the new. Inspired by raw factory finishes, they will help to create a sophisticated look reminiscent of a professional chef’s kitchen.

Functionality is a priority as far as industrial kitchens are concerned, with black, grey, and stainless-steel accents all crucial components. Choose materials that are suitable for a high-traffic cooking area - doors which are easy to clean, extremely durable, and scratch-resistant.

Make a striking statement with our bespoke Autograph kitchen doors - available in our Infinity and Infinity Plus collections – selecting high-gloss white or cream doors for a captivating finish that will wow your guests. For a minimalist layout, the Autograph Pacrylic range lends an understated, glass-like look, while Autograph Stainless will add an industrial edge to your space and nicely complement metallic accents and features.

Country-style kitchen doors are ideal if you’re trying to achieve a cosy and inviting look. Give a nod to the countryside’s natural hues and woodland textures by incorporating organic-style kitchen unit doors made from oak and timber – perfect for evoking a rustic feel! Or, opt for frontals in soft pastel shades such as pink and green, reminiscent of the countryside’s florals and greenery.

Inframe kitchen doors are when a kitchen door sits within a frame – think of it as an additional border. Having an extra detail like this helps to elevate the appearance of your entire kitchen.

Even better, the ingenious design improves edge protection, lowering the likelihood of wear and tear. Additionally, the doors are usually fitted with exposed hinges, making them less prone to droop over time. What’s more; inframe kitchen doors are expertly crafted with meticulous care, guaranteeing an extremely sturdy frame.

Kitchen unit doors in lighter shades will elevate an airy layout, creating a feeling of openness, as well as providing mood-boosting benefits. Moreover, the likes of white kitchens and cream kitchen frontals are brilliant at reflecting natural and artificial light and creating the illusion of more space – especially when finished in gloss. For this reason, these frontals typically lend themselves well to kitchens on the smaller side, as well as darker spaces with minimal sunlight.

In addition, light-coloured kitchen cupboard doors have lasting neutral appeal, giving you the flexibility to adapt the surrounding kitchen backdrop should you decide to refresh your features later on. Neutral hues also complement a range of colour schemes and design elements, so opting for a white, cream, or grey kitchen will create a sense of freshness, perfect for achieving a clean and understated look.

Often associated with a modern and contemporary aesthetic, dark-coloured kitchen cabinet doors, such as those you find in slate, charcoal, or black kitchens, are the perfect choice for anyone creating a bold look. They also have the added benefit of being highly practical, concealing dirt and scratches more easily than lighter coloured alternatives - something to consider if you have kids or pets. Deep-shaded cabinets take centre stage, enabling you to mix and match your accessories, whereas lighter-coloured cabinets are more subdued and put your accessories in the spotlight.

While dark kitchen cupboard doors can make a statement, though, it's important to think about how well-suited they will be to the lighting in your room. For instance, they work especially well in large kitchens, creating a warm and cosy atmosphere – perfect if you have a kitchen diner and regularly host guests for dinner. If you want to convey a sense of mystery and decadence in your kitchen look, consider black or dark midnight blue kitchen doors. Alternatively, inject a bold pop of colour by incorporating dark red kitchen cabinet doors.

If you’re looking to make your kitchen low maintenance, matt kitchen frontals are ideal. That’s because, unlike high-gloss kitchen doors, the matt finish absorbs light rather than reflecting it, meaning dirt, fingerprint marks and wear and tear imperfections are not as visible.

Matt kitchen doors integrate perfectly with contemporary designs, but also work well with pretty much any aesthetic. The denser hues of matt kitchen doors are ideal for adding a muted feeling to your space, so choose from a variety of colours, from grey and white to green and coral.

Gloss kitchen cabinet doors are the way to go if you’re looking to maximise on room and give the impression of extra space. As well as bouncing lots of light around your kitchen, the stunning reflective finish will add the wow factor, helping to create that gleaming look you’ve always dreamt of.

The lacquered surface is waterproof too, making spillages easy to wipe clean. Our gloss fronts are available in a variety of shades, so choose from soft whites and creams to a striking black-gloss finish that evokes feeling of grandeur.

Choose grainy wooden kitchen doors to infuse warmth and create a cosy atmosphere in your home. Timber frontals are renowned for their durability, standing up to everyday use due to their lightweight yet sturdy composition, while also boasting the benefit of being an eco-friendly material.

Wooden doors complement a range of kitchen styles, marrying especially well with traditional and country kitchens. Choose kitchen unit doors in light oak to impart that sought-after farmhouse feel.

Layout is key when choosing new kitchen units and door frontals, so take the size and shape of your space into account. For instance, do you have a particularly tall kitchen that demands full-length frontals, or is small and wide? Some kitchen door materials lend themselves better to certain settings, such as light-reflecting gloss fronts which can create a spacious feel in a small rectangular layout.

Have a think about the lighting and overall aesthetic of your kitchen layout when choosing new cupboard frontals. Is your chosen design scheme bright and light, or subdued and cosy? What sort of theme and colours are you going for? Assess the geometry of the countertops and walls too, to decide whether to opt for a design with straight lines, curves, or borders.

Think carefully about functionality when selecting your kitchen fronts and consider practicality of materials, maintenance, and cleaning. On top of this, take into account their operation and how easy they’ll be to open and close – particularly if you have a busy kitchen. Keep your lifestyle in mind, considering factors such as having kids or pets, and the frequency of kitchen use.

Set a budget upfront before choosing your kitchen cupboard doors. Certain finishes and materials will, of course, cost more than others. Matt cupboard doors are usually cheaper than gloss cupboard doors, for example. Also consider budget in relation to how functional you want your kitchen to be – are you looking for an affordable kitchen that does the basics, or would you prefer a luxurious setup with high-tech features?

If you’re looking to make your kitchen low maintenance, matt kitchen frontals are ideal. That’s because, unlike high-gloss kitchen doors, the matt finish absorbs light rather than reflecting it, meaning dirt, fingerprint marks and wear and tear imperfections are not as visible.

Matt kitchen doors integrate perfectly with contemporary designs, but also work well with pretty much any aesthetic. The denser hues of matt kitchen doors are ideal for adding a muted feeling to your space, so choose from a variety of colours, from grey and white to green and coral.