Kitchen Remodeling With Low-Maintenance Finishes

One of the biggest requests from homeowners planning a kitchen remodeling project is creating an easier and less expensive space to clean and maintain. Keeping your kitchen clean is important, but if spending hours doing it isn't an option, you need to look closely at your finishes. 

From hardware to flooring, the materials you choose can add extra time to your cleanup routine. If you're wondering what materials can cut down on dusting, wiping, and scrubbing, here's a list of low-maintenance finishes for your kitchen remodeling project.

Flooring Choices That Look Great and are Easy to Clean

Your kitchen flooring is an important choice for both aesthetics and functionality. A kitchen floor needs to look great, offer durability and should be easy to keep clean. Here are a couple of options that fit the bill!

Ceramic or Porcelain Tile

Your kitchen is both a high-traffic area and a wet zone, so proper flooring is critical. Ceramic and porcelain tile offer moisture resistance that is superior to natural stone or wood, and both are highly resistant to scratching and staining. Unlike natural stone, you'll never need to seal ceramic or porcelain tile. They don't require special cleaning materials and can handle just about any sanitizing agent.

Vinyl

Whether it's sheet vinyl, LVT, or planks, vinyl is well-equipped to handle any challenge in the kitchen. Unlike laminate or hardwood, vinyl tiles, sheets, and planks can handle moisture easily. Its PVC veneer and backing protect against spills or leaks, and it's tough and scratch and stain resistant like tile or porcelain. Cleanup is quick and easy! A mop and warm water will clean up most messes, plus you'll have no grout lines to deal with! Today, LVT rivals wood and natural stone in looks and is an affordable as well as a beautiful flooring option.

Easy to Clean Cabinet Options for Your Kitchen Remodeling Project

Your kitchen cabinets take up a lot of physical and visual real estate in any kitchen. Choosing an easy-to-clean style can save you hours of scrubbing and cleaning. Here are two design choices that look great and are low-maintenance too!

Flat Panel Doors

The more detailed the doors, the tougher it is to keep them clean. While flat-panel doors offer a more modern look, even if you're not a fan, it's worth considering them if your top priority is low maintenance. Flat-panel doors are easier to wipe down and keep clean because they don't have details like recesses or raised grooves.

Shaker Doors

If flat panel doors are “too modern” looking, or they just don't match, shaker doors are an excellent compromise. They offer some detail for visual interest but are still relatively easy to keep clean.

Color Options: Medium-Tone Stains

Dark paint and stains in the kitchen can offer a dramatic look, but they also show dust particles and fingerprints. White or light cabinets don't, but they show just about everything else! Medium-tone paints or stains are perfect, they are not immune to wear and tear, for example, but they show significantly less mess. They're also easier to touch up than paint. Pair them with a wood species that feature grains and grooves to help hide stains and scratches. Oak, quarter-sawn oak, hickory, or beech are all smart options.

Quartz Countertops Are The New Granite

For years homeowners wanted granite countertops in the kitchen. And why not? Granite is durable and beautiful. However, it also needs periodic sealing, can scratch or stain, and requires special cleaning solvents to keep it looking great. 

Engineered quartz is about the most durable material out there, is scratch and stain-resistant, and comes in various colors and patterns that look amazing! All you need is a soft cloth and water for a post-meal cleanup, and if you have dried on stains, quartz holds up well to common cleaning products like Clorox, Lysol, and Windex.

You'll need to avoid a couple of things like corrosive chemicals and don't set hot pans directly on its surface!

Stainless Steel Appliances

Stainless steel isn't perfect, but it cleans up well. For example, stainless steel sinks can develop a chalky residue if you have hard water, and they are also prone to scratching. But overall, they're really durable and fairly easy to clean. Black and white appliances can face the same maintenance issues as light and dark cabinetry. 

Today, many manufacturers offer fingerprint-resistant “black stainless steel” and other finishes that resist fingerprints and stains. These can be a good alternative that can reduce the time spent polishing!

Satin Paint on the Walls and Cabinets

Without a doubt, if you're looking for the best low-maintenance paint finish for your walls and cabinets, consider a satin finish. While you would think the answer is high-gloss or semi-gloss, when t comes to cabinets and walls, these finishes are a bit too shiny and reflect too much light. 

Satin paints are definitely the best bet for easy upkeep and design integrity. They're not as “loud” as high-gloss and are less porous than flat paint while still offering good durability over time. Just make sure you work with a talented painter. Satin paints can show brush and roller marks more easily than other finishes.

Choosing the Best Backsplash Material

Like flooring, your backsplash material choice can save you a ton of cleanup time in the kitchen. If you're looking for a material that is both aesthetically beautiful and durable, here are a couple of choices to consider.

Ceramic or Porcelain Tiles

Like flooring, a ceramic or porcelain tile backsplash is practically maintenance-free. Most options have a protective glaze that resists stains and never requires sealing. However, check the manufacturer's specs as there are exceptions. These two materials are excellent at water-resistance as well!

Glass

Although a glass backsplash is more likely to show grease and food splatters than ceramic or natural stone, there incredibly easy to clean thanks to the smooth surface. If you're looking for a modern-looking surface that's even easier to clean, ditch the grout lines altogether and use solid glass sheets.

Quartz and Granite

The photo at the top of the page shows a stunning slab of Quartz countertop used as the backsplash behind the range. Quartz backsplash can integrate beautifully, and in this case, we used the same quartz on the island as the backsplash, with a contrasting quartz countertop for the perimeter cabinets.

Don't Neglect The Window Coverings!

You can even achieve a low-maintenance finish on your windows with the right window covering choice. As a general rule, try to avoid wood products, especially in wet zones like over the sink. Here are a couple of low-maintenance choices for your consideration.

Vinyl or Composite

These are good choices for both blinds and shutters. They are non-porous, scratch resistant, handle moisture well, and be cleaned with many common household cleaners. As mentioned above, avoid wood as it can warp if left wet and can be tough to clean without special cleaners. Remember, shutters might require more care and time to maintain than blinds as they can trap dirt and allergens, and their decorative frames tend to collect dust.

Machine Washable Fabric

Fabric shades like roller, cellular, or Roman shades generally aren't the best choice for kitchen windows. They're susceptible to staining, especially lighter colors. Many of these options need to be dry cleaned, making it more difficult and more expensive to treat them. Look for curtains and fabrics that are machine washable, and always check the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations.

Tips For Low-Maintenance Hardware

Your cabinet hardware is the jewelry of your kitchen. Choosing a low-maintenance, easy-to-clean material can keep your kitchen sparkling and looking clean and polished. Here are a couple of great options.

Brushed Nickel

This finish can stand up to anything your kitchen throws at it! It's easy to clean and has a long-lasting finish. Because it's a matte finish, it hides water spots and fingerprints really well. Unless you want to constantly be polishing and scrubbing water spots, steer clear of similar options with shinier surfaces like chrome.

Oil Rubbed Bronze

This is a classic finish that is known for being low maintenance. It doesn't take much to upkeep it; however, you will see fingerprints because it has a dark surface.

The Bottom Line on Low Maintenance Kitchen Design

With a little planning and smart choices, you can have an aesthetically beautiful kitchen that's easy to keep clean and requires little maintenance. A bonus of choosing low-maintenance materials for your kitchen remodeling project is that they are often budget-friendly as well. Your design-build professional can help you to make choices that will meet all of your needs.

If you live in the greater Madison, Wisconsin area and are planning a kitchen remodeling project, give the Degnan Design-Build-Remodel experts a call at (608) 846-5963. Their award-winning kitchen remodeling team is ready to help you realize your creative vision. Call today and arrange a free consultation to discuss your upcoming project.

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 9/27/2022.