It sounds like they may be trying to educate you on the standard way they build cabinets, but it is possible to use all solid wood. Cost would most likely be affected though. Every pre-finished cabinet line I have worked with, high end or low, has a disclaimer form they require to be signed by the cabinet dealer and the customer stating that you understand the properties of a painted finish. It has to be sent in with the order or else the order wont be processed. No matter how well it is painted, tiny "cracks" in the paint will show at the seams between the stiles & rails of a paneled cabinet door. schreibdave noted the reasons above - expansion & contraction from humidity changes will get to you sooner or later. It does not look horrible, they are tiny hairline cracks that you would have to be ok with. Go to a showroom and take a look at the displays. Up close you will see them & notice that you had most likely not ever noticed them before. BUT...once you know about something, it may bother you. To answer your other questions, a mix or birch & mdf would not necessarily be bad. You would likely never know the difference once it was painted. It is probably a mix of cost, ease of construction & the paint / expansion qualities of the materials that determines what the cabinet maker uses. With that said - these are your cabinets, and you asked for low toxins/ VOC's. If your builder/ cabinet maker isn't working with you to assure you their methods and materials will fit your desires (or to find alternate ones that do), then I would find another professional that does. Surprisingly, factory finished cabinet lines can have a much better quality finish than "custom" built & painted on site cabinets. It is a controlled environment with less dust, etc. floating in the air. But good quality custom site built cabinets have their perks too. It all depends on the craftsman. Check out examples of their work similar to what you are looking for and see what you think. Good luck with your project!

Oak white combo is not dated. This pic on This Old House site last week: Other pics: Paint your cabinets only if you want to. Do not get on the trend merry go round. Unless your budget is huge, you wont be able to keep up with the changing trends.

Here is our instructions for paint interior doors as well to help you out, good luck, and seriously get a new contractor ;) Interior Door Care & Finishing Proper care and finishing is very important to gain the maximum benefits from your interior doors. When finished properly your new doors should exceed your aesthetic and operational expectations. Below are a few key points everyone should know when it comes to the care and finishing of interior doors. Initial Care Interior Doors need to be acclimated to the environment where they will be installed. This process normally takes two days. Doors stored for more than a few days should have the top and bottom rails sealed with a prestain wood conditioner. Single (not pre-hung doors) should be laid flat on a dry, clean surface. Do not subject them to extreme or rapid changes in humidity or heat. Avoid finishing in hight humidty conditions. Finishing No finishing process exists today that totally eliminates the transmission of water vapor or moisture into and out of wood doors. The key to proper finishing is to slow down the transmission process so the door performs within tolerances. All doors have six sides--not two, not four, but six--front, back, two edges, plus the most ignored and most vulnerable, the top and bottom. Failure to finish all six surfaces uniformly is the number one cause of door failures. Sanding is critical--the first rule to remember is the importance of field sanding all wood door products. Every wood door, regardless of manufacturer or style, requires some surface preparation before finishing. The key component of this surface preparation is thorough sanding to remove naturally occurring surface blemishes, handling marks, dirt, etc. Each basic type of wood door requires a slightly different procedure. The following are sanding instructions from our key suppliers: Molded Doors Before finishing, lightly sand a primed molded door with 220-grit sandpaper. Blow off all dust, sand lightly between finish coats with 320-grit sandpaper. Remove sanding dust with tack cloth before applying your finish. Wood Flush Doors Lightly sand the face of the door just enough to remove handling marks using 100-grit sandpaper. Avoid spot sanding and using too fine of sandpaper. This can close the grain and cause staining problems such as light spots. Note the veneer is approximately 1/100 of an inch thick on a 4-ply skin. DO NOT OVER SAND. Remove sanding dust with tack cloth before applying your finish. Wood Panel Doors Before finishing, sand the entire door thoroughly with 150 or 180-grit sandpaper. This will remove handling marks, surface blemishes, cross grain scratches, drag marks, surface oil and dirt, thus allowing a more consistent finish. When sanding, always follow the direction of the grain to avoid cross-grain scratches. Remove sanding dust with tack cloth before applying your finish. How to Paint an Interior Door Supplies Required: High Quality Primer - Approx. 1 Quart (For wood doors - oil based primer only, for molded and MDF doors - latex primer is OK.) High Quality Paint - Approx. 1 Quart (For wood doors - oil based paint only, for molded and MDF doors - latex paint is OK.) High Quality, Synthetic Bristle Paint Brush Painter's Tape Sandpaper (Molded Doors 220 & 320 Grit, Wood Flush Doors 100 Grit, Wood Panel Doors 150 or 180 Grit) Cotton Cloth Elastomeric or Polyurethane Caulk (To ensure that the door unit is properly caulked and all fastener holes are filled.) Step #1 Ensure the door unit is properly caulked per installation instructions. If necessary, set and fill all fastener holes. Ensure all caulking is fully cured before proceeding to the next step. Step #2 Remove or mask off all hardware prior to painting. Step #3 Lightly scuff sand the door and jamb per above sanding instructions. Step #4 Wipe the door with a clean cotton cloth. Step #5 Apply a quality primer according to manufacture's instructions. Note: Make sure all six sides - front, back, edges, top and bottom - receive the same uniform coverage. Step #6 Apply 2 coats of a quality paint according to manufacture's instructions. For wood and molded panel doors, always follow the grain of the door. Paint the panels first then the stiles and rails. Allow the door to dry completely between coats Note: Make sure all six sides - front, back, edges, top and bottom - receive the same uniform coverage. Step #7 Allow the paint to dry completely before unmasking and installing hardware. How to Stain Our Interior Door Supplies Required: High Quality Oil Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner High Quality Oil Based Stain* - Approx. 1 Quart High Quality Oil Based Polyurethane* - Approx. 1 Quart (Oil based products are recommended for interior wood veneered doors. Water based products can raise the grain and cause multiple moisture related problems.) White China Bristle Paint Brush Painter's Tape Sandpaper (Molded Doors 220 & 320 Grit, Wood Flush Doors 100 Grit, Wood Panel Doors 150 or 180 Grit) Cotton Cloth Tack Cloth Elastomeric or Polyurethane Caulk (To ensure that the door unit is properly caulked and all fastener holes are filled.) *You may substitute an Oil Based Stain/Clear Top Coat 1 Step Product for the Stain and Polyurethane. Step #1 Ensure the door unit is properly caulked per installation instructions. If necessary, set and fill all fastener holes. Ensure all caulking is fully cured before proceeding to the next step. Step #2 Remove or mask off all hardware prior to staining. Step #3 Lightly scuff sand (220 Grit Sandpaper) the door and jamb per above sanding instructions. Step #4 Wipe the door with a clean cotton cloth. Step #5 Apply an oil based pre-stain wood conditioner to promote uniform stain coverage and minimize sharp color contrasts that can occur in wood veneer doors. Allow to dry per manufacture's instructions. Note: Make sure all six sides - front, back, edges, top and bottom - receive the same uniform coverage. Step #6 Apply oil based stain and allow to dry per manufacture's instructions. Note: Make sure all six sides - front, back, edges, top and bottom - receive the same uniform coverage. Step #7 Apply polyurethane top coat and allow to dry per manufacture's instructions. Note: Make sure all six sides - front, back, edges, top and bottom - receive the same uniform coverage. Step #8 Lightly sand (320 Grit Sandpaper) and wipe clean with tack cloth per manufacture's instructions before applying second coat. Step #9 Apply second coat of polyurethane and allow to dry per manufacture's instructions. Note: Make sure all six sides - front, back, edges, top and bottom - receive the same uniform coverage. Step #10 Allow the polyurethane to dry completely before unmasking and installing hardware.

@kel_kat5 How wide is the counter space in each of those three options with the various pantry sizes? How big is your family? I'm considering a 15" pantry which seems quite small in comparison to most I've seen, but I live alone and currently have no pantry at all, so I think any tall cabinet would seem luxe!