Short answer: the door style is the shape of the door; the finish is what covers it. Slab is a flat door. Shaker is a flat centre panel inside a square frame. Raised panel has a centre panel that is shaped and stands proud of the frame. Glass is a frame with glass in the middle. Most of the price, cleaning and durability questions depend on which finish you put on that shape, so choose the two together.

Slab (flat) doors

A slab door is one flat board with its edges banded or wrapped. It has no grooves or profiles, so it is the easiest door to keep clean and the most consistent from door to door.

Because the face is flat, a slab door can take every finish: melamine or PVC film, PET, soft-touch lacquer, high-gloss lacquer, wood veneer and stainless steel. That makes it the usual choice for modern and handleless kitchens, and the easiest door to match with wall panels in the same finish.

Shaker doors

A shaker door has a flat centre panel and a square, plain frame around it. It is built in one of two ways: five separate pieces joined together, or one board with the frame shape cut into its face.

The finish has to suit the method. A cut profile exposes the board core, so it needs a finish that covers the cut surface, such as lacquer or a wrapped film. A flat melamine board cannot simply be cut into a shaker face and keep its surface. Ask the factory which method they are quoting, because two "shaker" doors in the same colour can be built quite differently.

The inside corner of the frame is where dust and grease sit, so shaker doors take a little more cleaning than slab.

Raised panel doors

A raised panel door has a centre panel that is shaped with a bevel or curve and stands higher than a flat panel. It is the traditional look, often in solid wood or in painted board.

It has the most edges and grooves of any style, so it collects the most dust and needs a finish that can cover curved profiles evenly. If you like the traditional look but want easier cleaning, a shaker door usually gets you most of the way there.

Glass doors

A glass door is a frame, usually aluminium or timber, with a glass insert. It is used for display cabinets and to break up a long run of solid doors. The frame, the glass type and any lighting inside the cabinet each change the price, so glass doors are normally quoted as their own line rather than as part of the main door count.

Which finishes go with which style

Our veneer options are oak and walnut. Stainless steel doors come in four finishes: sandblasted, microcrystalline lacquer, soft-touch lacquer and standard laminated film. We do not make acrylic door fronts.

How door style and finish change the price

Our guide prices are per linear metre, FOB, and exclude benchtops and appliances: melamine or PVC film USD 50–90, PET or soft-touch USD 80–140, lacquer USD 110–170, and wood veneer or stainless steel USD 140–200+. The bands overlap on purpose, because door style, cabinet sizes and hardware choices shift a kitchen within its band. A profiled door in the same finish is not the same price as a slab door. More detail is in our published price ranges.

Common questions

Which door style is easiest to clean?

Slab. No grooves means nothing for grease and dust to settle in. Raised panel is the hardest.

Can I mix door styles in one kitchen?

Yes, and it is common: slab on the base cabinets and glass on a few wall cabinets, or shaker on the island only. List each style and finish as a separate line when you ask for a quote so every factory prices the same thing.

Does the board inside the door matter?

Yes. The core affects weight, stability and how well a profile can be cut. See plywood vs MDF vs particleboard.

If you have a door style in mind, send a photo or a drawing of it with your plan through our contact page, and name the finish you want. If you are comparing quotes, see how to compare quotes from different factories.