White Cabinets/mud Room Floor

Updated on April 21, 2014
J.M. asks from Melrose, MA
17 answers

We are doing a kitchen renovation and gravitating towards white cabinets (an up charge). Our designer says they are very popular now. Do you like them and do they look dirty? Also, would you put hardwood in your mud room (continue from kitchen) or is tile better to not get ruined? Thanks!

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.G.

answers from Chicago on

I wouldn't want wood in the mud room because you want something you can scrub. Go with a grade 5 tile.

4 moms found this helpful

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

The way I see it is white cabinets are ok if you are looking at saving money and doing melamine or thermafoil, but I don't see why anyone would pay for wood and then paint it white. I would definitely prefer wood over white. My old cabinets are white melamine, and they are hard to keep looking clean.

3 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.P.

answers from Cleveland on

I'm not a huge fan of panted cabnets. They end up looking tacky within a few years especially if it's a fad. I would go with solid wood my preference is dark cherry wood.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I have always wanted white cabinets and dark counter tops. I like a dark charcoal or slate. I don't care much for granite or other "upgraded" tops. I don't want cheap but I don't have to have other premium stuff either.

I will have a rather plain shaker style door. The more detailed and fru fru they are the dirtier they get. Those details catch dust and grime.

I don't know that I'd put wood in the kitchen due to spills and such. I'm a tile all the way sort of person. Tile can be totally scrubbed with Comet if needed, bleached, sanitized, etc...what if you drop an egg on a wood floor and it runs through the cracks! EEEWWWEEE!

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.B.

answers from Beaumont on

We are building right now with white cabinets as well so I can't tell you about the clean part right now but we are definitely not putting hardwoods in the mudroom. Our mudroom is a high traffic area, right off the garage and has a doggie door to the outside as well. I think wood in there would be a disaster, at least for us. Have fun with your reno!!

2 moms found this helpful

C.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I love white cabinets. THe last 2 places I lived in had them. They never looked dirty. I just gave them a quick wipe down about once a month.

1 mom found this helpful

V.S.

answers from Reading on

I don't care for white cabinets because our old house had old cabinets that the previous owners painted white. I know that's not what you're proposing, but I will never have white cabinets again because of that. And I would do tile.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

We put white cabinets in our first house. I liked them and they were easy to keep clean. We put cherry cabinets in my existing house. I absolutely love the look of cherry. I think it is a much richer look and they are easy to clean too.

I have tile in my mudroom and kitchen. I like being able to scrub the floor with water. Additionally my washer/dryer are in the mud room so if my washer ever leaked, my floor would not be ruined like it would be if it was hard wood. I see your dilemma though, I like continuity too.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.C.

answers from Denver on

I love white cabinets in theory, but they are high maintenance. They will show everything and after a while, they can start to yellow slightly. I was going to put in a white kitchen, because they're just so gorgeous. But then my practical side got the best of me and I went with dark stained maple, which shows almost nothing.

Mudroom = tile. I do have hardwood in my kitchen and it works just fine. But the mudroom gets A LOT of traffic and has to have the absolute toughest of floors. That would be tile.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.K.

answers from Kansas City on

I have white cabinets, walls, and wood floors in my mud room. I have a very large rug in there also. It does get dirty, but not more dirty than anything else. Just make sure you vacuum often, and you will have to clean the baseboards often too, since it is high traffic. In the winter time, I put a blanket in there, so everyone can make sure the snow lands on the blanket and not the floor. Works for us.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.H.

answers from Topeka on

I have white cabinets and love them. I do cook all the time too. They aren't hard to keep clean, just a wipe if you slop something, much like you would do with oak cabinets. Really not a big deal. I would suggest tile in a mud room..you just never know when something will leak.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

X.Y.

answers from Chicago on

I have white cabinets. We've lived here 10 years and they look brand new. I had white cabinets in another home too. I also love wood. Don't go by whats popular, that's silly.

Angi C has a strange post; I cook ALL the time for my family of 6 and my revolving door of company. I hardly ever have to wipe them down because they just don't look dirty. One thing she got right is I am OCD about cleanliness but put my OCD to use on other areas of the house and not on my white cabinets.

When I wipe them down it's super easy, I use a baby wipe or maybe once a year I will use magic erase.

As for the mud room, go with tile. My entire first floor has bamboo flooring (looks beautiful with white cabinets) but my laundry room has tile.

D.D.

answers from New York on

I wouldn't use white cabinets. They may be popular right now but in the long run they'll looked beat up and you'll end up having to replace or repaint.

Your mud room would do better with tile. It's easier to clean often. Hardwood will look worn really fast because of mud and dirt tracking in from outside.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

We have wood white painted cabinets, and I love them. Just make sure to use a high gloss finish. If you do that, stains and dirt are very easy to wipe off. I basically just go over mine with a warm wet cloth about once every couple of weeks. I don't have a huge kitchen, so it's not an inconvenience.
I have hardwood flooring in my kitchen that also has an entrance to our outside yard. I love the hardwood as it doesn't show up dirt and it's easy to clean. Just make sure the wood is properly sealed and you should be fine.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

No way, would I put white cabinets in the mudroom or kitchen nor wood flooring.
That is the wrong room, to put those finishes in.
The designer should know that.

As an option, for that "wood" look per flooring, you can use Vinyl planks. We have that in our kitchen. It is also waterproof. Easy cleaning. Just easy and many people think it is real wood.

Any good designer, can make flooring choices, based on the room's use. NOT it being only, about what is "popular" now. And a good designer will, make flooring suggestions based on room use AND appearance between rooms.
Make your own, choice.
Common sense.

We have, white cabinets in a couple of our bathrooms. OVER time (like 20 years), it looks yellowed. And this is top of the line cabinets. In a synthetic material that can be cleaned.
We also have, real wood flooring in some of our areas. BUT in the kitchen, it is vinyl planks which look like real wood.
A good designer, can and should, help you choose a good product, that is appropriate for a room's use. NOT it being based on what is "popular."
ALSO a designer, will go according to a homeowner's taste and preferences and, budget. NOT push something that is only popular.

I worked in architecture.

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

i love the natural look of wood, and am always puzzled as to why people paint it, setting themselves up for chipping and future Big Jobs. but i do get that it brightens up the overall atmosphere. as for getting dirty, if you have them painted in the right paint, cleaning is easy enough.
no way would i go with hardwood in a mud room, at least if it actually IS a mud room and used for that purpose. tile would be great. i have a nice-looking laminate in mine, with big heavy-duty boot-wipe rugs at both entrances. it's easy to clean, and not prohibitive to replace every 5-10 years. but my mudroom gets used hard.
khairete
S.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.C.

answers from Washington DC on

White kitchens are for those who don't cook much and/or are OCD and like to scrub stuff down A LOT. Had one ... HATED it.

I have hardwood in my kitchen/eat in area/morning room/mud room combo. And it has held up well. A good rug by any door is a must as far as I'm concerned. My mud room comes off the garage so some "guck" gets left out there ... then there's a rug to wipe off on in front of the door inside.

Get a decent quality for whatever you get because these are EXTREMELY high traffic areas. Better quality = less pay out in the long run.

Also a properly installed and sealed hardwood is easy peasy to keep up on and is durable (and water isn't as big an issue as most think it is). I have a steamer mop and it does a great job. Before I had that I just used Morphy's oil soap, water and a mop to keep 'em clean. And I've dropped PLENTY of eggs on my floor and just wipe them right up.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions