Best cabinets for kitchen remodel: which material wins?
From the Goldenwood workshop in Wetherill Park, family-owned and family-run, making custom timber pieces and joinery since 1988.
For a kitchen remodel, the best material for kitchen cabinets in Goldenwood's workshop is engineered board finished in sprayed two-pack polyurethane: every Goldenwood kitchen is built in it, with a stone benchtop where the design calls for one, while solid timber is kept for the furniture around it.
Choosing cabinet materials for a kitchen renovation
Goldenwood has built kitchens and fitted joinery in its Wetherill Park workshop since 1988, and it offers full kitchen renovations as well as the cabinets.
Every Goldenwood kitchen cabinet is engineered board finished in sprayed two-pack polyurethane, with a stone benchtop wherever the design calls for one.
Most pieces leave the workshop in a two-pack polyurethane finish, and every kitchen, vanity and built-in does, so the joinery matches from room to room.
You see the kitchen designs in immersive 3D visuals before the first cut, with 2 design rounds to change the layout, the storage or the cabinet door style.
Every kitchen is customised to its owner's brief, from the materials to the finish. See how Goldenwood's custom kitchens are made.
Renovating the kitchen you live in
Goldenwood's consult can happen in your own kitchen: it discusses the brief, walks the room with you and brings timber samples and finishes to compare in your light.
The showroom holds sample boards of every timber and finish, and the workshop works with over 50 timber species if you want timber shelves or a bench beside the cabinets.
The kitchen can be drawn together with the wardrobes, the vanities and the furniture, so a renovation that grows beyond one room is still planned as one design.
Each piece is built from start to finish by one maker in the Sydney workshop, and you receive progress photos at each major stage of construction.
In the Sydney metropolitan area, Goldenwood's own installation team unwraps and inspects the work on site, places it in the room and removes the packaging.
Where solid timber fits in a kitchen design
Goldenwood makes its furniture in solid timber, so a dining table, a bench or a sideboard beside the kitchen can be real timber all the way through.
The materials page lists 7 species: American Walnut, Tasmanian Oak, Spotted Gum, Blackbutt, American Oak, Tasmanian Blackwood and Jarrah.
The workshop works with over 50 timber species, and every timber on the materials page can be ordered in for a commission.
An oiled timber surface is identified at handover, and a light re-oil every 12–18 months keeps it even and water-resistant.
A timber veneer is a thin slice of real timber glued over a core board, which gives the grain pattern of timber on a flat panel.
Benchtops, cabinet doors and hardware
Stone tops can be honed or polished, templated on site and fitted to the joinery, so the benchtop is made for the cabinets under it.
Cabinet doors can be flat panel or framed, as in the shaker style, and the door style sets the look of the kitchen.
Hinges, drawer runners and the other installed moving hardware carry a lifetime warranty, which matters on the cabinet doors and drawers you open every day.
The workshop's CNC machine arrived in 2026, takes sheets up to 3.6 m by 1.2 m, and cuts board, solid timber and Corian.
Living with the kitchen: wear and tear
Goldenwood's craftsmanship warranty runs for 10 years and covers defects in the joinery, structure or finish that come from how the kitchen was built.
The warranty excludes normal wear, misuse, impact, water, heat and harsh cleaning agents, so daily care keeps the finish in good order.
For ordinary care, wipe the cabinets with a soft, slightly damp cloth, use trivets for warm items, and wipe spills promptly.
Keep bleach, ammonia, methylated spirits, silicone sprays and citrus solvents off the cabinets, along with prolonged direct sunlight.
If you find a fault on delivery, have it recorded on the delivery sheet and send photos within 7 days.
Planning the remodel with your builder
Fitted work is measured on site, drawn to the room and installed by Goldenwood's own crew.
If you are budget conscious, the itemised quote shows what each choice adds, and it is locked at sign-off.
Shop drawings and a production schedule keep the workshop in step with the builder and the other trades on site.
Goldenwood has 2 inspection checkpoints: one before finishing, for the structure, and one after, for the final surface.
The showroom is open 7 days, 9:30am to 5:30pm, and holds sample boards of every timber and finish to compare before you choose.
Kitchen cabinet materials compared
| What you compare | Engineered board in two-pack | Solid timber |
|---|---|---|
| Where Goldenwood uses it | Every kitchen, vanity and built-in | Its furniture, such as dining tables and sideboards |
| Finish | Sprayed two-pack polyurethane | Two-pack polyurethane on most pieces, or an oiled finish identified at handover |
| Upkeep | Wipe with a soft, slightly damp cloth and wipe spills promptly | The same care, plus a light re-oil every 12–18 months on an oiled surface |
| How it is cut | On the workshop's CNC machine, which cuts board | On the same CNC machine, which also cuts solid timber |
Questions, answered
- Can a kitchen remodel include a stone benchtop?
- Yes. Goldenwood's stone tops can be honed or polished, templated on site and fitted to the cabinets.
- Does Goldenwood do the whole kitchen renovation?
- Yes. Goldenwood offers full kitchen renovations, as well as the custom cabinets and joinery.
- How should I clean two-pack kitchen cabinets?
- Wipe them with a soft, slightly damp cloth and wipe spills promptly. Keep bleach, ammonia, silicone sprays and citrus solvents off them.
- What if I find a fault when the kitchen is delivered?
- Have it recorded on the delivery sheet and send photos to Goldenwood within 7 days.
Goldenwood has made custom joinery and timber furniture in its Wetherill Park workshop since 1988, and every kitchen is customised to its owner's brief. Tell us about your kitchen to get an itemised quote.