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Question on Inset Material for Shaker Style door

11 years ago

Hello Members,

Would appreciate someone's insight into this. We are getting new cabinet doors and drawer front from a local cabinet maker. He is giving us the doors in Cherry wood and we like the Shaker Style. Our assumption was that the entire door is a cherry wood- but he told us since the inset (the central part of door) is a thinner piece - he will use MDF for that. For the drawers we are going for a flat front- so that will be all a solid piece of wood. My question is:
1) IS it ok to have a MDF inset into the borders which are made of cherry?
2) how will this look over time. Will the two kinds of material age differently? Also how will the grain be matched
3) Is there a way to have an all "cherry' wood door- ie can the inset be also wood and not MDF. I would assume that would raise the price.
Please help me here- I am confused. If putting MDF into a shaker style is standard practice and they last- I am then ok.

Thanks
Charu

Featured Answer

live_wire_oak

11 years ago

You can do a Shaker reverse raised panel for at least 20% more money. Veneer covered MDF is the preferred method for recessed wood panels as it is more stable with the change of humidity and seasons.

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Comments (8)

eandhl
11 years ago
In my last kit I did a reverse raised panel door. I wanted the the solid wood. I had no problems.
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Cloud Swift
11 years ago
Our panels are plywood with a cherry veneer on both sides - more stable than solid wood and lighter than MDF. Since the veneer is real cherry, it should age the same as the cherry frames and there normally isn't a grain match between the frame and the panel.

Are the MDF panels going to have veneer on both sides? I wouldn't want to open the door and see MDF surface instead of cherry.
jellytoast
11 years ago
I have solid cherry doors (reverse panel) and can definitely tell the difference between the solid wood and the veneer panels that are on the interior of the panels that surround the refrigerator and on the end panels of the cabinet run. The color is the same, but the grain is much more beautiful on the solid wood than it is on the veneer, making me VERY happy that I went with solid wood. No problems with humidity/seasons, but then, I'm in Southern California.
amandasplit
11 years ago
We have Thomasville shaker cabs from home depot in Cherry and the slabs inside are all wood so, yes, it's possible.
GreenDesigns
11 years ago
You can have reverse raised panel, or a veneered panel. With reverse raised panel, the wood will be "stripey" as it will be composed of many different strips of wood to achieve that solid panel. With a veneer panel, you will get the prettier grain pattern. Veneer panels are generally on top of a MDF core although it could also be plywood. MDF is preferred for veneering as it doesn't have any grain to telegraph through the veneer and spoil the look. If your panel is recessed on both sided, then you have a veneer panel. If the recess is only on the front, and the rear is raised and the wood is stripey, then you have a reverse raised panel. One is not "better" than the other, just more expensive. Veneer has long been used in furniture flat panels and using it in the recess panel is a perfectly fine choice.
cribbs
11 years ago
like it has been said above- if you go with 1/4 panels then mdf is superior but a reverse raised panel feels more solid but it does cost more. We do both in my shop and most people can't tell.

Travis Alfrey
Pinehurst, NC
robbcs3
11 years ago
I think the solid panel looks better on cherry, has more character. If it were maple I would do the veneer.

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