[gwen]

We are in the planning and dreaming stages of our IKEA kitchen. Our current house has a really strange kitchen configuration and NO good source of natural light. As a result, we are thinking of going with the Lindingo White cabinets with the NUMERÄR butcher block countertops. Our floors are likely going to be a natural oiled oak as well. We hope that this will help lighten up our kitchen.

However, my husband is concerned that the white cabinet doors will not withstand our three young children. Since every room is a playroom for them and the kitchen is one of our main hubs, it gets a bit of attention (and not always the most gentle).

So here are my questions:
1. Are we CRAZY for thinking of going with a white cabinet door - especially a factory painted one - that may or may not receptive to touch up painting?

2. Since hubby would really like a wood door like the Liljestad - would it look incredibly wierd to have a birch frame with the white Lindingo doors? Or in contrast, if we got a white frame would it look funny to have a dark wood door on them?

Gwen

[DesignDiva]

Since the doors cover the entire cabinet frame, and you can get cover panels for exposed sides, it isn't really as jarring as you think it might be. There may be a tiny tiny bit of white or birch exposed, depending on how well your doors are installed, in which case you may want to touch up the frame a bit with either iron on veneer tape, paint or a Sharpie marker

I don't think you're crazy for wanting white...the finish is durable and will certainly hold up to some abuse. I am sure Susan will chime in with real world experience, since she has Stat white and two toddlers.

[GardenOfDarwin]

gwen...eva's right on the money. As per usual.

And yes, I have STAT white, but I'm afraid I don't have 2 toddlers. I have 2 preschoolers -- the eldest is going to be 5 in three months! FIVE?!?! It was only a few short months ago that I could still convince myself that they were toddlers. Oops...sorry, off-topic.

Anyway, yes...they do hold up well. Our kids have full access to the kitchen, and we're home all day since we work from home and homeschool. The kids have their own 12" wide pull-out base pantry that all their dishes, bowls, cups, etc. are in and they use it/abuse it at least 3 times a day. It's held up beautifully after a year -- only a few small dings, mostly due to our carelessness with tools rather than theirs. We color-matched STAT white with a Benjamin Moore color: Simply White, and touchups, where they've been necessary are pretty invisible.

Hope that helps!
Susan

[kmcg]

Gwen - I have the Lidingo and have to say they are the easiest to clean of any cabinets I've ever owned. A great surface to just wipe down.... such bliss! My kids are big, which means they're messy but not otherwise threatening to the cabinets. But I agree with Susan, if anyone is going to damage cabinets, it will probably be a big person with an errant pan or tool.

I also have oak floors and oak counter - love the look.

Kathy

[gwen]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond. From everything I've read, the finish on the painted fiberboard doors sounds well done - I just don't know if it's seen the likes of my "let's have a Plasma Scooter race 'round the kitchen gang".

Susan & Kathy - On your white cabinets (Stat & Lindingo, respectively) do you have white frames too?

In the Houston showroom the Stat white and Lindingo samples looked to be a different color - was this just a fluke? Are they really the same? It would be great to have an instant paint match!

We're homeschoolers too which adds to the concern of durability. Poor kitchen doesn't get a break - if we're not cooking in it, we're concocting something for our latest science lesson. I too love the idea of the kids having their own cabinet for dishes and cups and we plan on incorporating something similar into our kitchen.

Gwen

[kmcg]

Yep, I have the white frames with the Lidingo doors. I did not get the cover panels, so that means - in theory - that my doors are a different white than the sides of the boxes. I can't tell the difference.

Kathy

[GardenOfDarwin]

gwen -- Yes, I have white boxes. I'm not sure why your STAT and LIDINGO samples look to be a different color -- perhaps it's more a texture thing? They're supposed to be the same color, but I suppose they could be slightly off.

Lots of homeschooling IKEAns!

Susan