Acrylic & Formica Kitchens

This is the material we recommend more often than any other, and we will tell you plainly why: it is the best value for money in the Saudi market today. The idea is simple and clever — glossy acrylic where the kitchen is seen, and durable formica where it is used hard or not seen at all.

The result is a kitchen that looks glossy and expensive to anyone who walks in, at considerably less than a full acrylic kitchen, with higher durability in exactly the places that take punishment. We manufacture it in our own Riyadh factory and install it with our own crew in Riyadh, Al-Ahsa, Buraydah and Hail, with a written ten-year warranty.

How the two materials are actually distributed

There is no single distribution that suits everyone, but these are the three we use most:

1. Acrylic above, formica below

The most requested. The wall units sit at eye level and are the first thing a visitor sees, so they are glossy. The base units take knocks from feet, water, and daily hard cleaning, so they are formica. This distribution saves between 25% and 40% against a full acrylic kitchen — and is sometimes more durable than one.

2. Acrylic on the doors, formica on the internal carcasses

Everything visible from outside the kitchen is acrylic; everything internal — cabinet sides, shelves, backs, drawer interiors — is formica. A very sensible saving, because nobody judges a kitchen from inside a closed cupboard, and formica interiors resist pan scratches better than gloss does.

3. Acrylic on the island and the main run, formica elsewhere

Right for kitchens open to the living room. The island and the section visible from the reception area are glossy; the rear wing or the service kitchen is formica. A large saving with the full visual effect intact.

During the measuring visit we propose the distribution that suits you after seeing where the kitchen is entered from and where it is seen from — because that is what decides where acrylic is worth its cost.

What acrylic is, what formica is — one essential difference

To understand why this combination works, you need the real distinction:

• Acrylic is a glossy polymer sheet bonded to the board under heat and pressure. Its gloss has genuine optical depth and does not fade, it resists humidity and steam well, and light surface scratches can be polished out. Its costs: it shows fingerprints, and it is more expensive.
• Formica (laminate) is a melamine-resin-impregnated paper layer pressed onto the board. Cheaper, good scratch resistance, available in convincing wood effects. Its costs: it does not give gloss with acrylic’s depth, and a deep scratch cannot be repaired.

The important point: both are skins on the same kind of board. The structure of the kitchen itself does not differ — the difference is the outer layer. Which is why combining them is entirely sound engineering, and creates no weak point where the two materials meet.

When we recommend this combination — and when we do not

We recommend it strongly if:

• You want a glossy look but a full acrylic budget is out of range.
• Your kitchen opens onto the living room and you want a refined visible section.
• The kitchen is used heavily and the base units take constant impact.
• You have children — formica below withstands more in the zone children actually reach.
• You want the best appearance-to-price ratio available, with no flattery.

We do not recommend it if:

• You want completely uniform gloss across the whole kitchen with no variation — then full acrylic is your choice.
• The budget is very tight — then a well-specified full formica kitchen is more sensible than a combination built to a poor specification.
• The kitchen runs on constant heavy steam (a production kitchen or a small restaurant) — then aluminium or saj steel is more capable.

And the drawbacks? Two, stated plainly

1. Visual mismatch if the coordination is poor. Glossy acrylic and matte formica reflect light differently. If the formica colour does not sit well with the acrylic colour, the kitchen looks patched rather than designed. The fix: we show you the coordination in 3D design before manufacturing, and we recommend either harmony (the same colour family in two textures) or deliberate contrast (glossy white above, matte wood-effect below).
2. Some suppliers exploit the idea. They sell an “acrylic and formica” kitchen, put acrylic on two doors and cheap formica everywhere else, and price it as acrylic. The fix: ask for a plan showing which unit is which material, in numbers rather than in words. We provide it with every quotation as standard.

Neither is a fault of the material. Both are faults of execution and of selling — and both are solved by written clarity.

How to tell good execution from bad — seven checks

1. Ask for a materials plan. A sheet that says: unit 1 acrylic, unit 2 formica, and so on. Without that plan you are buying a verbal promise.
2. Ask for the acrylic sheet thickness. Acceptable is no less than 1 mm. Very thin sheets begin to reveal the board beneath at the edges over time.
3. Look at the acrylic door edge from an angle. The band should match the door colour and be heat-bonded. Any colour difference at the edge will grow more obvious with use.
4. Measure the door thickness. 18 mm for both materials. Do not accept 16 mm in either.
5. Ask for the board type. MDF or HDF, and green moisture-resistant board in the wet units. This is the foundation both skins stand on.
6. Confirm the plinths are raised. Adjustable plastic legs, not timber sitting on the floor. Most kitchen failures begin here.
7. Test the hardware with your hand. Open and close a drawer ten times. A soft-close hinge and a full-extension telescopic runner are felt immediately.

Do these checks with us as readily as with anyone else. We are not asking for blind trust — we are asking you to compare line items.

The colour combinations that work best

After thousands of kitchens, these are the pairings we have seen succeed every time:

• Glossy white acrylic above, wood-effect formica below. The most requested and the safest visually. It widens the space and adds warmth at the lower level.
• Glossy grey acrylic with cement-grey formica. A calm contemporary look, and it hides daily use better than white.
• Navy acrylic with light oak formica. A bolder, elegant pairing — excellent in kitchens open to the living room.
• Black acrylic with dark grey formica. Very luxurious, but it needs strong lighting and enough space; we do not recommend it for small kitchens.
• Olive-green acrylic with beige formica. Currently fashionable, and easy on the eye over the long term.

A golden rule: never use more than two colours on the doors. A three-colour kitchen always looks busy, even if you like every colour on its own.

And a lighting note: glossy acrylic depends on light. LED lighting under the wall units is not a luxury here — it is what reveals the value of the acrylic you paid for. Without good lighting the gloss looks flat, as though you never paid the difference. Choose warm white; cool white makes gloss look clinical.

Where the price differences come from

Line item	The cheap shortcut	Our specification
Proportion of acrylic	Two doors only, priced as an acrylic kitchen	A written plan with units and proportions
Acrylic sheet thickness	Under 1 mm	1 mm and above
Board type	Ordinary particle board	MDF / HDF + green board in wet zones
Door thickness	16 mm	18 mm
Edge banding	0.4 mm with cold glue	2 mm heat-bonded, colour matched
Hinges and runners	Generic / roller	Soft-close + full-extension telescopic
Plinths	Timber on the floor	Adjustable plastic legs
Lighting	Not included, not mentioned	A clear line in the quotation

The first row is the dangerous one. A kitchen with two acrylic doors is not an acrylic-and-formica kitchen — it is a formica kitchen with a touch. Ask for the proportion as a number: how many units of each material. That alone protects your budget.

And the plinth row deserves a sentence of its own: a timber plinth resting directly on the floor is the commonest cause of early kitchen failure in Saudi homes. One mopped floor or one small leak and it absorbs water, swells, and takes the unit with it. Every cabinet we build stands on adjustable legs behind a removable plinth.

Our process — eight steps

1. A call or WhatsApp message. City, property type, approximate size, and the budget you have in mind. Free and non-committal.
2. The measuring visit. A technician measures the walls, corners, sockets, water and gas points and the extraction position himself — and records where the kitchen is seen from, which is the decisive point for distributing the two materials.
3. Free 3D design. You see the acrylic and formica distribution in the real colours before any payment.
4. Revisions. Unlimited at this stage. Changing a drawing is free.
5. An itemised quotation plus a materials plan. A table of line items, and a plan showing the material of every unit.
6. Manufacturing in our own factory. No middleman and no subcontractor.
7. Installation by our own crew across the four cities.
8. Handover and inspection with you, plus the ten-year written warranty certificate.

Care — each material and its own rule

The beauty of this combination is that the care differs slightly between top and bottom, and both are simple.

The acrylic fronts:

• Wipe with a soft microfibre cloth and a mild glass cleaner. Microfibre specifically, because it does not scratch.
• Never use steel wool or abrasive powder — it will kill the gloss permanently.
• Fingerprints are normal on gloss. A quick wipe every couple of days is enough.
• Light surface scratches polish out with the compound we hand over at delivery — ask us rather than experimenting on the door.

The formica fronts:

• A damp cloth, not a wet one, then dry. No standing water at the edges.
• No chlorine bleach and no acetone — both lighten the colour locally.
• No hot pan directly on the surface.

And for both: run the extractor every time you cook, and check the hinges every six months — a quarter turn with a screwdriver keeps the door hanging square.

Common mistakes in combined kitchens

1. Putting the acrylic in the wrong place. We have seen kitchens with acrylic on the base units that take knocks from feet, and formica on the visible wall units. The distribution reversed exactly: the look was lost and the durability was lost.
2. Acrylic on the sink cabinet. The worst possible choice. That unit deserves moisture-resistant board and a hard-wearing skin, not a glossy sheet.
3. Edge banding that does not match the acrylic colour. A small detail you look at every day. The band must match the door exactly.
4. Skipping the lighting. Acrylic without under-cabinet light is money paid and not seen.
5. A worktop made from the same laminate. The worktop is a separate item deserving quartz, granite or steel.
6. Three colours or more. The kitchen becomes visually busy and looks accidental rather than intended.

Accessories: what we insist on

• Soft-close hinges. Non-negotiable — and more important with acrylic, because impact damages a glossy edge.
• Full-extension telescopic runners. You see the back of the drawer and actually use it.
• Rotating corner baskets. They turn the worst space in the kitchen into real storage.
• LED lighting under the wall units. Not a luxury here — a condition for showing the value of the acrylic.
• An integrated waste bin and in-drawer organisers. Inexpensive details that change the daily feel.
• Handleless push-to-open if you want a completely clean look for the acrylic — priced as a clear line item.

Where this combination sits among our materials

Material	Look	Durability	Price	Value for money
Formica	Practical, neat	Good	Lowest	Excellent on a tight budget
Acrylic + formica	Partly glossy	Very good	Low–medium	The best available
Saj steel	Metallic, modern	High	Medium	Excellent for durability
Aluminium & alumetal	Modern, versatile	Very high	Medium–high	Very good
Full acrylic	Uniform deep gloss	Very good	High	Good if looks come first
Tempered glass	The most refined	High	High	Good for small spaces
Natural wood	Warm, classical	High with care	Highest	Good for villas and classical taste

And we repeat what we say on every one of our pages: there is no best material in the abstract — there is a material best suited to your space, your usage and your budget. But if you ask us which is the smartest use of a riyal, the answer is this page.

Layouts and spaces

• Single run. For narrow rooms. Here we recommend acrylic for the entire upper run, because there is only one visible face.
• L-shape. The most common layout in Riyadh apartments. Acrylic on the wing facing the entrance, formica on the side wing.
• U-shape. Highest storage, and needs a width of at least 240 cm. Acrylic on the central wing facing inward.
• Parallel runs. Two facing runs with 110–120 cm between them. One run acrylic and the other formica — a large saving with the full visual effect.
• Island. The island is always acrylic in this combination. It is the star of an open-plan kitchen and it deserves the gloss.

In every case, the free 3D design settles the discussion. We show you two or three distributions and you choose while looking rather than while imagining.

How the price is calculated — the linear metre, unpacked

The most common question we receive on WhatsApp is “what is the price per metre?”. The honest answer is that kitchens are priced by the linear metre, not the square metre — and in a combined kitchen the linear metre is genuinely not a single number, because the material changes from metre to metre.

A linear metre normally covers the base unit, the wall unit above and the worktop. An L-shape with three metres on one wall and two on the other is five linear metres. What those metres cost moves with:

• The proportion of acrylic in each metre. A metre with all fronts in acrylic costs more than a metre half acrylic and half formica. This is exactly why we price from a plan rather than from a flat rate.
• Drawers versus doors. A drawer needs a runner and a box. All drawers can run thirty per cent above all doors at the same length.
• Corners and columns. Each needs special pieces and ideally a rotating basket.
• A third upper row. More storage, more cost — and ask yourself first whether you will reach it without a chair.
• Built-in appliances. Each needs a precise housing and ventilation.
• The worktop. A separate line, and the spread between options can be a third of the kitchen’s cost.

Which is why we refuse to give a final figure by phone before measuring. An indicative range on the phone; a precise itemised figure after the visit. Anyone who quotes firmly before seeing your space has either priced the weakest specification or intends to raise it later.

What our quotation includes — and what it does not

Included: the measuring visit, 3D design, a materials plan by unit, carcasses and fronts in both materials, colour-matched edge banding, soft-close hinges and telescopic runners, handles, delivery, installation, post-installation door adjustment, polishing compound for the acrylic, and a ten-year written warranty certificate.

Not included — quoted separately, only on request: the worktop, sink and tap, extractor, hob and oven, LED lighting, plumbing and electrical work inside the wall, the wall splashback, and removal or relocation of an old kitchen.

Ask for the same breakdown from every other quotation. You will often find a “cheaper” offer excludes delivery or installation — which makes it the more expensive one once you add them back.

Lead time and warranty

• Measuring and design: two to four days until you approve.
• Manufacturing: ten to fifteen working days depending on size and the proportion of acrylic.
• Installation: one to two days for an average kitchen.

The warranty is ten years in writing across both materials — we do not distinguish between the acrylic and the formica in the warranty. It covers manufacturing and installation defects, edge-bond adhesion, hinges and runners. It does not cover misuse such as flooding, direct flame, abrasive or solvent cleaning, or units dismantled and reinstalled by anyone other than us.

The combination in the cities we serve

• Riyadh. Dry, hot and dusty. We recommend light acrylic above (it wipes easily) and mid-tone formica below, where dust accumulates with use.
• Al-Ahsa. High humidity. Here we insist on moisture-resistant board in every wet unit, 2 mm edge banding without exception on both materials, and raised plinths. For clients who want maximum safety in Al-Ahsa we recommend aluminium for the base units instead of formica.
• Buraydah. Wide seasonal temperature swings. Both materials are more stable across them than natural wood, which expands and contracts.
• Hail. Colder winters and warmer local taste. We recommend cream or navy acrylic with warm wood-effect formica.

Across all four: the same crew, the same specification, the same warranty. We do not price Al-Ahsa or Buraydah higher for distance, and we do not thin the specification to absorb transport.

Replace or refurbish?

This combination is the best option available for anyone renovating an existing kitchen, for a practical reason: the visible fronts can be renewed in acrylic while the rest stays formica, so you get an entirely new appearance for a fraction of a full kitchen. But the decision depends on the state of the carcasses:

• Sound carcasses, damaged fronts — renew the fronts only. The smartest use of your budget.
• Swollen plinths or units that move — full replacement. Any refurbishment over a failed carcass will fail again and waste your money twice.
• A layout that does not work for you — replace it. There is no point refreshing the appearance of an arrangement that irritates you daily.
• More than fifteen years old — replacement is usually better value, because the old hardware is no longer available in the market.

We inspect your kitchen during the measuring visit and tell you what we actually think — including that you should keep what you have. That has happened more than once, and we lost the order and gained a client who came back later.

For contractors and property projects

This combination is the first choice for many of our project clients, for a logical reason: it gives an apartment an appearance that sells, at a cost that bears repetition.

• Standardise the specification and the distribution across units — a spare part fits any apartment and maintenance is cheaper.
• Put the acrylic on the run visible from the apartment door — that is what a tenant or buyer sees in the first three seconds.
• Keep two spare fronts in storage of each material.
• Choose light acrylic for tenanted units. Tenants will not polish a black gloss kitchen, and it photographs badly at every future viewing.
• Ask for project pricing. We price from five units upward with a phased delivery schedule matched to your handover programme.

Questions our clients ask

Will the kitchen look “patched” with two materials?

No, if the coordination is considered. The thousands of combined kitchens we have built look intentional rather than compromised — because the contrast between gloss and matte is a recognised design device used deliberately in European kitchens. What makes a kitchen look patched is choosing two colours that do not sit together, not choosing two materials. The 3D design resolves this before manufacturing.

How much do I actually save against full acrylic?

Between 25% and 40% depending on the distribution and the area. And that is a difference that can buy you a quartz worktop or better hardware — meaning the saving returns to the kitchen rather than to our pocket.

Can I upgrade part of it to acrylic later?

Yes. The carcasses are identical, so replacing a formica front with an acrylic one later is entirely possible. We keep your kitchen’s specification and acrylic colour reference on file, so a new front years later matches instead of looking like a foreign object.

Which of the two shows fingerprints more?

Glossy acrylic. Which is exactly why we recommend it above, where hands touch less, and formica below, where hands touch often. The combination itself solves this problem.

Does the price include the worktop and appliances?

No — both are separate, clearly stated lines in the quotation. We never fold an item silently into a single total.

Do you build a single kitchen?

Yes. One kitchen for one apartment gets the same measuring visit, the same 3D design and the same warranty.

Is payment in stages possible?

Yes, on a schedule tied to the stages of work, set out in the quotation.

The worktop: the item that decides how a combined kitchen reads

In a combined kitchen the worktop is the line that separates the acrylic from the formica — which makes its selection more consequential here than in any other kitchen. These are the options in the order we recommend them:

• Engineered quartz. Our first recommendation. Non-porous so it does not absorb stains, scratch-resistant, and available in uniform colours that coordinate with acrylic. Medium-to-high price, and worth it.
• Natural granite. Very durable and elegant, but porous and needing periodic sealing, and heavy natural veining can clash visually with acrylic gloss.
• Solid surface (Corian type). Allows an integrated sink with no seams — cleaner to look at and easier to clean. More expensive, and the most beautiful match for acrylic.
• Stainless steel. Very practical and hygienic, but it scratches and gives a professional rather than domestic look. We recommend it for service kitchens.
• Post-formed laminate. The cheapest, and acceptable in rental kitchens and service kitchens. We do not recommend it for a main kitchen used daily.

A visual tip: make the worktop a colour close to the acrylic rather than the formica. That makes the upper section read as one continuous mass, which magnifies the effect of the gloss.

The splashback — the wall between upper and lower

The gap between the worktop and the wall units is the area most exposed to steam and oil in the whole kitchen, and visually the most important area in a combined kitchen, because it separates the two materials. Your options:

• Coloured tempered glass. Our first recommendation here: one surface with no joints, wiped clean in a single pass, and it adds a depth that complements the acrylic gloss. See glass kitchens for more.
• An extension of the worktop itself. Quartz or solid surface running up the wall — the most refined look available and the most expensive option.
• Ceramic or porcelain tile. Economical and varied, but the grout lines absorb grease and need regular cleaning.
• Stainless steel behind the hob only. A clever practical solution: metal where the heat is, and a better-looking material across the rest of the wall.

And we advise something many people overlook: decide the splashback before manufacturing, not after. Its thickness affects the size of the wall units, and changing it after installation means dismantling and refitting.

Planning for the future: small decisions that save a lot

• Ask for one spare acrylic front in storage. Acrylic colour can vary slightly between production batches years apart. One front kept aside resolves any future accident.
• Run a cable route for lighting from the start. Even if you do not fit LED now, having the route makes adding it later a simple job rather than cutting into the wall.
• Leave a flexible size for a future appliance. A dishwasher or microwave you might buy in two years — leave its standard size ready in the design.
• Record your specification numbers. We give you a sheet with the board type, the acrylic colour, the formica reference and the hinge model. Keep it — it will serve you even if you deal with someone else in future.
• Do not fill every centimetre. Leave at least 90 cm of clear working surface between the sink and the hob. That space is what makes cooking comfortable, and extra storage does not compensate for its absence.

Why Modern Palace

• A factory, not a showroom — no middleman margin on your price.
• We supply our own materials — we know the origin of every sheet and board and choose its specification.
• More than 5,000 kitchens delivered since 2015, and more than 15,000 clients.
• One installation crew across four cities — Riyadh, Al-Ahsa, Buraydah and Hail.
• A ten-year written warranty and free 3D design before any commitment.
• A written materials plan with every quotation — you know exactly which unit is which material.

Other materials that might suit you

• Acrylic kitchens — if you want completely uniform gloss.
• Formica kitchens — if budget is the decisive factor.
• Saj steel kitchens · Aluminium & alumetal kitchens · Glass kitchens · Natural wood kitchens

In summary

Combining acrylic and formica is not a reluctant middle ground — it is an intelligent engineering decision: put the expensive material where it is seen and the durable material where it is used. The result is a kitchen that looks more expensive than it cost and lasts longer than it looks. Its only condition is that the distribution is written down and the specification is itemised — which is exactly what we provide in every quotation.