August 14, 2025
How to Choose the Right Timber for Your Kitchen Cabinets
Selecting timber for kitchen cabinets involves balancing aesthetics, durability, maintenance, and cost. Learn what matters most when choosing the perfect timber for your space, with practical insights from EZY Cabinets.
Choosing timber for your kitchen cabinets is about more than just matching colours or following trends. The right timber affects durability, maintenance, and how your kitchen feels day to day. In Melbourne homes, where architectural style is often front and centre, your cabinet material needs to perform as well as it looks.
Australian hardwoods like Blackbutt, Spotted Gum, and Tasmanian Oak remain popular picks thanks to their strength and distinct grain character. These timbers handle the knocks of daily life without fuss and can be finished to show off their natural tones or painted for a refined look. If you manage a busy household—think sticky fingers and endless school lunches—solid hardwood is a practical choice that stands up to wear. Engineered options such as veneer on MDF or plywood can offer the grain detail of real timber with more predictable stability, particularly in kitchens exposed to shifting humidity.
When selecting your timber, consider how much maintenance you’re willing to take on. Oiled finishes need regular care but reward you with warmth under the hand and renewed character over time; high-gloss polyurethanes need less attention and deliver that crisp architectural edge. Don’t forget the rest of your home’s design language—a heritage terrace kitchen calls for different timber choices than an open-plan penthouse. Whatever you settle on, make sure it works with everyday use as much as it matches your vision. Good cabinetry feels just as right years from now as it did when first installed.
Built-In vs Freestanding Cabinets
Cabinetmaker's Guide to Kitchen Renovations
Sustainable Cabinet Making Practices
Modern vs Traditional Cabinets
Choosing Timber for Kitchen Cabinets
Custom vs Semi-Custom vs Flat-Pack Cabinets
Maximising Small Apartment Spaces with Clever Cabinets
2025 Custom Cabinetry Trends for Melbourne Homes
Tailored Cabinetry Solutions
We provide end-to-end cabinetry services. From initial design and consultation through to precision manufacturing and on-site installation, we create premium kitchens, bathrooms, living spaces and commercial projects.
Bedroom Cabinets
Architecturally integrated bedroom cabinetry for Melbourne homes and developments
Learn More
