Some time back, before the "Contemporary" cabinets were listed on the
ETI website personalization page or sample order form, I requested samples of a selection of the lighter-color materials samples for eyes-on inspection.
Today I received the package of requested samples,
including a piece of plywood with the "Contemporary" finish and a sample of the "Shadow Grey" flooring material that had not been listed when I requested the samples. Unfortunately there's nothing indicating the source manufacturer / product number on either plywood sample.
The Contemporary-finish plywood has a subtle 'woven / cloth-like texture' in contrast to the perfectly smooth satin Maple-finish plywood. Both are of course a synthetic (vinyl?) finish-surface bonded to luan (or similar) plywood.
Upon 'attacking' a corner of each of the plywood samples with the sharp edge of a screwdriver blade, both seem equally (
very) resistant to actual 'breakthrough' of the vinyl finish layer; both seem similarly subject to suffering a 'scratch impression' short of actual breakthrough of the vinyl layer.
A 'non-breakthrough scratch impression' on the satin Maple is a slight bit more 'obvious' (IMO) than the same 'scratch impression' left on the textured Contemporary material, though both can be highlighted if the light is right (or should I say "the light is
wrong"?).
The Contemporary isn't going to 'be for everyone' (what is?
) but IMO the new finish is certainly nice and worthy of serious consideration by folks inclined to the lightest possible interior color palette.
Kudos to ETI for expanding the choices