Those are impact chips.

Yes, all those chips are from getting whacked. Notice how they are all on corners/ edges? Places that are most vulnerable to damage. To make matters worse, you have a lot of turned, fluted, fancy millwork, i.e. a lot of vulnerable edges.

Did the 'professional company' detail the prep work steps they perform prior to top coating? The chipping can be an indicator of insufficient prep. I don't have experience w/ the modern lacquer products. It could be that the coating is brittle which would make it more prone to damage.

The only practical suggestions I can make is to start a money jar for replacing the cabinets for the time when you just can't stand it anymore.

I really have no idea what can be done but those are definately impact chips Nor sure about the system used for the finish so no idea there.Is there a reason you chose a laquer finish? There are much tougher finishes that can be used. This is a write up about laquer finish on cabinets .

Home builders in Kansas City love putting lacquer finishes on custom kitchen cabinets. Lacquer finishes are fast, easy and cheap. A moderately skilled painter can spray lacquer on kitchen cabinets and woodwork and get good-looking finishes. Your new kitchen cabinets sparkle like a jewel. The difference is that a jewel looks good even after 10 years. Your lacquer finished cabinets won’t.

I have had Italian laquer pieces in my home for years but the finish is much different than the laquer finishes I see from NA. Not sure how the application is different but it is for sure as to how it stands up.

I don't understand what lacquer means here. I wanted a room done up in lacquer walls and the price was prohibitive. The painter explained the painstaking steps, the endless prep work it took to get to the point where lacquer would be applied (the surfaces have to be perfect and blemish free or the paint magnifies every imperfection.) Then the lacquer application was coat upon coat. And that was for plain walls, no cabinets, corbels or fluting.

I would find a way to touch up the chips, so they are not as glaring. Painting cabinets so they stand up to wear and tear takes a lot of effort.

My question is why the chips/wear are occurring SO easily? I am very careful and have plastic bumpers on all the doors and edges were pieces meet. When the stone people were taping an area of cabinet to protect it from the stone being installed, the paint came off on the tape. (Blue tape). When the plumber came to install the sink/faucet, his holding on to the cabinet handle caused the paint to wear off under the cabinet handle where his hand rubbed against the cabinet. This was within a week of finishing the cabinets. This should not cause the lacquer to peel off or wear off with such little effort. Do I have any legal recourse in this situation? Should I file a claim in small claims court? I have reached out numerous times to the owner with photos. Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you.

The chips are occurring because the finish is harder than the wood beneath the finish.

Just like an egg.

I had my kitchen cabinets lacquered and antiqued while ago. Had so many chips and cracking and had the painter come back to touch up. Now he has passed away and need to touch up again. They are beautiful and was costly ! So frustrated now and don’t know how to move forward! Help!!!

@guy1little It almost sounds as if the surface may not have been adequately prepped with sanding and primer. The new lacquer just didn't have the best base for adhering, possibly. Sometimes when you have a widespread failure of cabinetry finish, the best thing to do might be to step back and assess the possibility of a total kitchen remodel. It sounds overwhelming, but in the long run, to get new cabinetry from a company that does a factory finish with a 2-part conversion varnish that carries a lifetime warranty might be the best investment long term. If you absolutely cannot fathom something of that magnitude, then get some lacquer matched to the existing color and keep touching up yourself with a paintbrush.

You could also hire a refinisher to come in and repeat the refinishing process, but if you are considering that, then new cabinetry with a factory finish should be discussed because a refinishing job on site is hard to compare to one done with large equipment designed for perfection using the industry standard, post-catalyzed, 2-part conversion varnish finish. The fact that your cabinetry is coming into this game with previous finish on it that would need to be stripped down and prepped not just for the first time but for a second time now is also a huge cost factor and may impact delicate design details of the cabinetry moldings that wear away with multiple refinishings.

After a lot of research for my own kitchen remodel, I like to recommend that people start by looking at Plato Woodworking's Prelude line or anything from Jay Rambo. Both those companies will do flawless finishes for you with lifetime warranties. Bentwood/Harmoni Kitchens is another supplier with outstanding finish quality but isn't as cost effective from what I have found as the other two I mentioned. Of course, there are many others, as well, but I recommend to pick a cabinet supplier based on the finish quality first, then the styling, since as you can see a prematurely failing finish exceeds anything else in consumer satisfaction.

Great idea! Thank you