Many cabinet lines are regional, and most custom makers are very local indeed. If you included your location, you might get more suggestions for specific makers in your area. You've hit many of the national higher end makers, but many of them spray rather than brush their finishes. If you are looking for a brushed finish with brush marks in it, then local custom would be the first route to explore.

Hi,
Take a look at Medallion cabinets, (they go by the Schuler brand name at Lowe's). I highly recommend them. They are semi-custom cabinets with a beautiful matte painted finish. I used them (Schuler) for my kitchen and I am very pleased with the quality of the finish and construction. I know that they have a few different "whites" that you can choose from. Good luck with your renovation!

If you happen to want frameless cabinets, I know Bellmont 1900 series has an Heirloom finish, which is painted with brushstrokes. It comes in 3 colors. Their painted sample doors looked very nice, but I was going for stained from the start.

Thanks! For some reason I feel really intimidated approaching a custom cabinet maker (and at a loss about how to find someone who can make & paint a great cabinet!) I am meeting with a KD who reps Medallion so we'll see what happens. I am in a small place and the kitchen showrooms are all "appointment only." Since the finish & color is really important to me I don't want to take up someone's valuable time if the lines they carry won't work.

This post was edited by belle_va on Mon, Mar 11, 13 at 22:05

Medallion's Divinity is a softer white than Medallion's White Icing. Ours are on order. Medallion offers many upgrades and decorative trim. Once you start really looking you'll see how that makes a huge difference too. Most of the painted white on maple cabinets will be authentic looking and not too shiny. Good luck!

Brookhaven/Wood-Mode, Dura Supreme, QCCI are generally considered to do paint well. Showplace Wood Products recently added a matte finish at no charge (nice at the price point). All the others also offer matte.

Each of these also have versions of brushed "look" paint. The same is true for most of the brands you listed in the op.
All of the above will match some paint mfg colors at a modest charge.

Price low to high SWP, BH, Dura, WM, QCCI.

jackuvall, would you comment on Starmark cabinetry paint finish? Glossy or matte? I think most, but not all, do opaque conversion varnish, known for its durability but not easy fixability. thanks.

I don't have experience with Starmark so can't say.
Yes factory paint is more durable and more difficult for the average person to repair well. Serious repairs are best done by a pro. Often the dealer can (should) handle those.

I wanted to report back guys. I am on a quest for the perfect warm white paint finish and this might be helpful for others who search the board. Today I met with a really nice KD who reps Crystal. She also had a Shiloh display in the showroom. I was surprisingly impressed with Shiloh- it was a heavily glazed and distressed paint finish so I couldn't really judge color, but the construction and overall finish felt really solid. I studied it and looked for things like seam lines and I was impressed with the paint application. I liked the Crystal too- it was an inset, simple shaker display in a matte white. Crystal seems to have a larger number of whites from which to choose though the Shiloh Soft White seemed nice... and Shiloh has some nice colors. I am considering doing a hutch type piece in a contrasting color. Both, though, felt very "modern" to me. Living in a nearly 100 year old house full of English farmhouse type antiques, I think I am just having trouble getting used to modern paint finishes. I know they are more durable but I think I am just going to have to wrap my head around the idea.

I would prefer inset-I love the look- but I worry (or rather my DH worries) that it will be more challenging to install in our 'nothing is even, nothing is level' house and the KD did mention that it might be more prone to environmental expansion issues in an old house with more temperature swings than in modern houses. Decisions, decisions...

Belle did you decide?

Belle,I highly recommend spending a full day gathering samples from several manufacturers. Bring them home in your light, compare them, and you'll see what you like. When I held Schuler next to Kraftmaid, the Schuler finish looked matte and more high end. We almost went with a local KD who used an Amish cabinet maker. He brought a sample that was a higher % sheen and if he had brought the matte version I may have been swayed. Definitely check out the different whites in your home, with your lighting. It's amazing how different whites can look! Good luck :-)

Island- I haven't made any decisions. I started this process wanting to make all my decisions like... you know... yesterday. It took so long to get DH to say yes that once he did, I wanted to go, go, go. Now I am slowing down and thinking everything through. (Though hopefully not for too long!) By the time it is all done, I'll probably be able to write a novel on different whites, different cabinets, appliances for tiny spaces...