Masterpiece Collections
Masterpiece Collections
Wood Characteristics
Which wood look do you like best?
Choosing a type of wood goes hand-in-hand with choosing a stain or translucent finish. Each has characteristics that those finish options will accentuate (or disguise). Just look how different our Ginger finish looks on each wood:
Alder
Ranges from pale pink-brown to tan
Features knotholes, burls and mineral streaks
Commonly used for a rustic or industrial look
Cherry
Reddish-brown hues that mellow (darken) over time
Smooth, straight-grain pattern
Cherry wood features light and dark color variation which becomes more pronounced as it ages.
Maple
Off-white with light, creamy hues of gold
Consistent, fine grain with occasional mineral streaks
Maple is typically used with paints because of it’s smooth uniformity
Hickory
Dramatic color contrasts from light cream to dark reddish-brown
Random grain pattern with burls and knots
Oak
Light to medium brown
Richly-textured, wavy grain pattern
Remember, wood is a natural material.
1. Joint Lines
Since wood is in a constant state of expansion and contraction, visible surface cracks at joints may appear in the finish. This is normal and will not weaken the strength of the joint or the integrity of the finish.
2. End Grain
You may notice a darker appearance to cabinet doors where end grain is exposed. End grain is a softer surface that may accept more stain than the facing surface. Variances are not controllable.
3. Aging
As wood ages, the appearance may change or darken. For example, a lightly-stained Cherry will “mellow” adding depth over time. This is often considered a desirable characteristic.
4. Telegraphing
Wood grain, pin holes, knots and mineral streaks may remain visible as a dark area or texture under painted finishes. Open-grain woods (oak, hickory) tend to show more than fine-grained species (maple, cherry).
5. Mineral Streaks
Wood may feature dark, blackish-blue streaks that run parallel with the wood grain. These discolorations come from mineral deposits trees extract from the surroundi
We know how much you depend on your kitchen, day in and day out. So we build our cabinetry to stand up to whatever life throws at it. Count on your Masterpiece kitchen to look beautiful and perform flawlessly throughout a lifetime of constant use.
Masterpiece kitchen and bath cabinets are durable, high-quality cabinets with unmatched cabinet features and premium construction. See what you get when buying high-quality kitchen cabinets:
1. MasterCoat™ Plus Finishing System
Live without worrying about everyday scuffs and stains. Our proprietary, two-layer cabinet topcoat is just part of a 14-step high-quality finishing process that offers enhanced protection and wipe-clean kitchen cabinet durability.
2. SOFT-CLOSING DRAWERS AND DOORS SOFT-CLOSING HINGES
Keep the peace with soft-close doors and drawers. Six-way adjustable hinges engage softly and quietly, while ball-bearing drawer slides have integrated buffers to gently control closing.
3. Solid-Wood Dovetail Drawers
Made with 3/4" solid wood, these sturdy joints are capable of withstanding generations of use. You’ll find them on all four sides of a Masterpiece drawer.
4. Deep Drawer Boxes with Full-Extension Drawers
Load up on oddly shaped utensils and economy-size boxes. You’ll find what you need with ease because the drawers extend beyond the cabinet face.
5. 90-LB Drawer Slides
Heavy jars? Grandma’s cast-iron grill press? Tools? No problem. Your drawers will stand up to just about anything you put in them.
6. 3/4" Face Frames on Cabinets
Eased edges reduce the risk of snags and scratches, plus allow the wood to better hold your choice of finish.
7. I-Beam Sturdy Construction
Full-depth braces ensure your cabinets will remain sturdy, stable and square during delivery, throughout installation and beyond.
8. 3/4" Fully Adjustable Shelves
Position your shelves to fit any storage need using satin chrome wall cabinet shelf rests and locking base cabinet clips. The full-depth configuration provides 25% more usable storage compared to half-depth shelves.
9. 1/2" Panels
Strength comes standard too. You’ll find 1/2" panels on the top and bottom of all wall cabinets and on the bottom and end panels of all base cabinets. (All plywood case cons
Durability Testing
Expect more from your cabinets. We do. We test our cabinets beyond industry standards to ensure they stand up to the wear and tear of daily life.
| Test | Masterpiece requirements |
|---|---|
| Drawer Glide | To ensure smooth operation and years of durability, we open and close our drawers 35,000 times – 10,000 more cycles than the industry standard. |
| Door Hinge | Like drawer glides, we open and close our doors 35,000 times – 10,000 more cycles than the industry standard. |
| Chemical Resistance | We apply 30+ different substances (including vinegar, olive oil, mustard, crayon and household cleaners) to finished doors and wait 24 hours before cleaning to make sure there’s no evidence of appreciable staining or deterioration. |
| UV Light | Many cabinetmakers don’t bother with UV testing. We expose our finished doors to intense UV light for 400 hours to ensure there won’t be unreasonable color changes after years of sun exposure. |
| High Heat | The industry standard heat test calls for subjecting cabinets to 120°F heat at 70% relative humidity for 24 hours. We crank up the heat to 160°F so you’ll never have to worry about finish failures that might be caused by cooking activities, dishwasher steam or extreme shipping conditions. |
