Matt
The dominant choice now. Absorbs light rather than bouncing it, hides smears, and makes a deep colour feel soft instead of severe. Super-matt versions are anti-fingerprint and heal light scratches.
The finish most kitchens are specified in now, and the one that flatters a colour most.
Matt absorbs light instead of returning it, so what you see is the colour itself rather than a reflection of the ceiling. On a deep shade — ink blue, forest green, charcoal — that is the whole difference between rich and severe.
It is also the most forgiving surface to live with. The smears and water spots that read as bright patches on a shiny door simply do not register, which is why it has become the default in kitchens that get properly used.
There are two tiers worth knowing about: standard matt lacquer, mixed to any colour you like, and super-matt, which adds an anti-fingerprint surface and a soft, warm touch. Handle both in the showroom — the difference is in the hand as much as the eye.
The colour reads true
No sheen sitting between you and the shade you chose. It is why a matt sample and the finished kitchen look like the same colour, which is not always true of gloss.
Made for deep shades
Charcoal, ink blue and grey-green all soften on a matt door. The same colours in a high sheen can look hard, and matt is what keeps them warm.
Standard matt or super-matt
Standard matt lacquer comes in any colour you can name. Super-matt adds anti-fingerprint performance and self-healing to light scratching, in a fixed but generous palette.
It suits warm metals
Brass, bronze and antique nickel all sit beautifully against a matt front, where they can look overstated against a reflective one.
Pair it with texture
Timber, stone and linoleum all give a matt run something to play against. That contrast is what stops a flat surface reading as plain.
Excellent in a north-facing room
Where light is soft and even all day, matt holds its depth rather than going flat — one of the few finishes that actively suits a cooler room.
