We talked about replacing doors and resurfacing the frames, but there are so many doors that it was close to $10K for this option, which isn't in my budget. My cabinet maker suggested glazing, which I am unfamiliar with. He brought over a couple of samples, but I am concerned about the quality of the finish. The sample I like looks a little "cloudy" and the color is a little uneven. Here are my questions...

1) Is it normal for it to look cloudy? Is this a feature of glazing, or is it possibly not a great sample?
2) Is it normal for the color to be uneven? Again, is this a feature of glazing, or is it possibly not a great sample?
3) What is the durability of glazed cabinets vs. stained?
4) My cabinet maker is also putting in NEW cabinets in other locations in my home. We are going with Alder, because it takes a stain well. Again, the color we are after is slightly lighter than a traditional cherry. Will the glazed kitchen cabinets match my stained family room cabinets? I have one big open area which is kitchen, nook and family room. So, the cabinets won't be right next to each other, but they are in the same vicinity... about 15 feet apart.

Thanks for your help!

To answer your questions, first, it depends how much glazing is left on the surface if it looks cloudy. I like to use glazing to antique a piece, not as a stain. When I glaze I want the color uneven. I want corners, edges to look darker, like they've seen more wear. If you're using glaze as a stain, its difficult to apply over a finished surface as a stain without it looking as you describe. Dry brushing helps I've found.
Durability of glazed cabinets is the same as any other. The glaze offers no protection, its your finish, lacquer, poly, varnish, whatever that provides the durability. Alder is a great wood and is the cherry of the west. A great wood that can be made to look like many others. I have no idea if it will match. Glazing maple cabinets to look like cherry, using Alder to look like glazed maple cherry cabinets... The problem you're going to have is he is applying stain to new wood, how the Alder takes the stain you'll only know once its applied. After the new cabinets are to your liking, then I'd mix the glaze on a maple finished sample (similar to your current cabinets) to match the Alder new ones.

Most often, I employ them to 'tweak' colors to get a good color match when I'm either trying to match something or I'm only stripping part of a piece or part of a set.