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Photographs are close to useless for this decision. Gloss flattens on a screen, texture disappears entirely, and the colour rendered on your phone is not the colour of the panel. Which is why people choose a finish from an image and then find the kitchen does not feel the way they expected.
What follows is how these finishes behave once they are doors somebody opens every day. If you want the full range walkthrough, the Al Noor LMDF guide covers all nine collections; this is specifically about choosing between the gloss and matte options.
The finishes, and what each one is actually like
Super Gloss is the flagship mirror finish in the Alnoor Lasani range, UV-cured. It is the most reflective option we carry and the one people mean when they picture a modern gloss kitchen.
High Gloss is the other mirror-type finish, supplied with a protective P.E. film on the panel. It reads very similarly to Super Gloss in a showroom and the meaningful differences are in surface handling rather than appearance.
Natural Matte is a flat, non-reflective surface in earthy natural tones. No sheen at all — the surface absorbs light rather than bouncing it.
Alongside these sit the textured options — Tactile Timber, Tactile Terra, Tactile Lasani — where you feel the surface as well as see it. Those are a different decision and sit closer to matte in daily behaviour.
The room should decide, not the trend
Gloss earns its place in a small or dim kitchen. A reflective front bounces light back, and in a narrow galley or an internal kitchen with one window it genuinely changes how large the room feels. This is the strongest argument for gloss and it is a functional one, not a fashion one.
Gloss is harder work in a bright room. In a kitchen with strong afternoon sun, a mirror finish shows every fingerprint, every water spot and every smear from the last wipe-down. It also shows the wall behind you, which some people like and some find busy.
Matte hides the daily life of a kitchen. Marks that would be obvious on gloss simply are not visible. In a family kitchen that gets heavy use, this is the practical argument, and it is why matte has quietly taken over in kitchens that get cooked in rather than photographed.
The thing nobody mentions until the doors are hung
A mirror finish is a flat plane, and a flat plane reveals whether the plane behind it is true.
If a carcass is slightly out of square, or a door is very marginally bowed, gloss shows it as a distortion in the reflection — the same way a slightly bent mirror does. Matte shows nothing. That means a gloss kitchen is less forgiving of the carpentry beneath it, and it is worth knowing before you choose gloss for a job where the walls are old and nothing is quite square.
This is a real argument for spending on a properly built carcass if the fronts are going to be gloss. Our board comparison covers what to build those boxes from.
Mixing is normal
The most common arrangement we supply is not one finish. It is gloss on the uppers, where light bouncing helps and hands rarely touch, and matte or a textured decor on the base units, where the cleaning happens.
That split costs nothing extra in principle — you are buying the same number of panels either way — and it hedges both weaknesses. It is worth considering before committing a whole kitchen to either extreme.
For wardrobes rather than kitchens
Wardrobe doors are large flat panels at eye level, usually in a bedroom with softer light. Gloss at that scale can dominate a room and the reflections are more noticeable when you are close to them.
Textured and matte finishes are generally the easier choice there, with gloss working well on smaller fronts or as an accent panel. Which board for wardrobes covers the structural side of that decision.
See them before you commit
This is genuinely a decision to make with panels in front of you, in daylight, tilted to catch the light the way a door would.
We carry the full Alnoor Lasani collection and are an authorized dealer, so the ranges are on the floor rather than in a catalogue only. You can also download the colour catalogue to narrow things down first, or browse the ranges.
Ali Plywood Center, Purani Hattian, New Mirpur City, 10250 — next to Janjua Timber Merchant. Message +92 355 6415415 before travelling if there is a specific decor you want out ready, or tell us about the job.
Good to know
Questions we get asked
What is the difference between High Gloss and Super Gloss?
Both are mirror-type finishes from the Alnoor Lasani range. Super Gloss is the flagship UV-cured product and High Gloss carries a protective P.E. film on the panel. They read similarly in a photograph; the practical differences are in the surface hardness and how each is handled during fitting, which is worth discussing against your specific job.
Do high gloss kitchen cabinets show fingerprints?
Yes, noticeably more than matte. A mirror surface shows fingerprints, dust and smears, and it shows any unevenness in the carcass behind it. In a kitchen that catches strong afternoon light this is the main thing people underestimate.
Which LMDF finish is best for a modern kitchen?
There is no single best. Gloss bounces light and makes a small or dim kitchen feel larger, which is why it is popular in flats and internal kitchens. Matte hides marks and suits a room that already has plenty of natural light. The room decides more than the trend does.
Which finish is better for wardrobes?
Matte and textured finishes are usually the easier choice for wardrobe doors, because wardrobe doors are large flat panels at eye level in bedrooms where lighting is softer and gloss reflections can be distracting. Gloss works well on smaller wardrobe fronts or as an accent.
Can I mix finishes in one kitchen?
Yes, and it is common. A frequent split is gloss on the upper cabinets to bounce light and matte or a textured decor on the base units where hands and cleaning cloths do the most work.
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