Once you've decided on a full-overlay cabinet transformation, the fun — and slightly overwhelming — part begins: choosing a style and finish for your new PET doors and drawer fronts. PET is the finished surface on the fronts, available in a wide range of matte solids, natural woodgrains, and high-gloss finishes. There are a lot of options, but you can make confident decisions by working through a handful of questions in order.
Start with the door profile
The door profile is the single biggest driver of your kitchen's overall feel. Most choices come down to two families, with variations in between.
Slab (flat) doors
A slab door is a clean, flat panel with no frame or raised detail. It reads modern, minimal, and calm, and it's easy to keep clean because there are no grooves to catch dust. Slab doors pair especially well with contemporary and transitional kitchens.
Shaker doors
A shaker door has a recessed center panel framed by a simple square-edged border. It's a timeless, versatile look that fits everything from classic to transitional kitchens. If you want something that won't feel dated in a few years, shaker is a safe, well-loved choice.
Pick the profile first — slab or shaker sets the tone, and the finish builds on top of it.
Then choose a finish direction
With a profile in mind, the next decision is finish. Think in terms of three broad directions.
Matte solids
Solid, matte-look colors — warm whites, soft greys, greens, deep blues, and blacks — give a clean, cohesive look. Lighter tones make a kitchen feel open and bright; deeper tones add contrast and drama, especially on an island or lower cabinets.
Woodgrains
Woodgrain finishes bring warmth and texture. They range from light, airy oak looks to richer, deeper tones. Woodgrains are a great way to add character, and they pair nicely with solid colors if you want a two-tone kitchen.
High-gloss
High-gloss fronts — like the Reflekt collection — have a polished, visually reflective surface that bounces light around the room. The look is bright, sleek, and contemporary, whether you choose a crisp white, a bold color, or a metallic. Gloss reads especially striking on flat slab doors, and, like the other finishes, it’s part of the full-overlay PET selection.
Consider contrast and cohesion
A few guidelines help the finishes work together:
- Two-tone kitchens — pairing a solid color on the perimeter with a woodgrain or contrasting color on the island is a popular, high-impact look.
- Match your fixed elements — consider your countertops, flooring, and backsplash, since those aren't changing. Your fronts should complement them, not fight them.
- Think about light — north-facing kitchens tend to read cooler, so warmer finishes can help balance the room; bright, sunny kitchens can carry cooler or darker tones well.
Don't forget the day-to-day
Style matters, but so does living with your choice:
- Very dark and high-gloss surfaces are more reflective and show more of the room, so many homeowners like to give them an occasional wipe to keep them looking their best.
- Flat slab doors are simple to wipe down; heavily detailed profiles have more edges to clean.
- Neutral finishes tend to age gracefully and are easier to update around later.
See it in person before you commit
Screens and photos never quite match real life. Color, sheen, and texture look different in your own kitchen light. That's why MOD Fronts brings real physical samples to your home during a free in-home estimate, so you can hold them up against your counters, floors, and lighting before you decide.
During that visit, a designer also inspects your cabinet boxes and professionally measures and engineers the full-overlay conversion — you don't submit measurements yourself. Your chosen full-overlay PET doors and drawer fronts are then custom-made by our specialized Denver manufacturing partner to fit your exact openings, and we prepare and paint the exposed frames to coordinate with them.
Coordinate hardware and the little details
Once your door and finish are settled, a few finishing touches tie the look together. Cabinet hardware — knobs and pulls — is the jewelry of the kitchen: sleek bar pulls lean modern, while knobs and cup pulls feel more traditional. Think about metal tone, too, and whether it should match or intentionally contrast your faucet and lighting. These are small choices, but they make a polished kitchen feel intentional rather than accidental.
Test your shortlist against real life
Before you lock anything in, live with your top choices for a day or two if you can. Set samples on the counter and look at them in the morning, at midday, and under your evening lights. Finishes that looked identical in a showroom can read very differently once they're in your own kitchen next to your flooring and countertops.
The bottom line
Narrow it down in order: pick a door profile, choose a finish direction, then refine with contrast and practicality in mind. Do that, and a huge range of options quickly becomes a short, confident shortlist — especially once you can see the samples in your own space.