I have two questions. Is the cabinet paintable (or is the 'laquer' really a laminate)? And did the cabinet emit a strong odor when first assembled?
1283525
It was already white to match my other cabinets in the bathroom, but I would assume that it is paintable as it is made of the same material as the other cabinets. No, there was absolutely no odor, and while assembly was a little difficult, taking into consideration that I am not "handy", I love the cabinet and am very happy with it.
1283526
See no reason why you couldn't paint it...depends on what type of paint but I would probably fine sand it first. I didn't really notice an odor beside new furniture smell.
1283527
It looks like a laminate, I wouldn't paint mine. It smelled like new furniture but wasn't too bad. I really like mine. It is great in my small bathroom and looks great for how cheap it was.
729441
Laminate wood? I would say so. I'm no expert by the majority of our cabinets are particle cheap stuff. The only thing I would suggest is that to at least sand your area down just a tad as I did the same to lift the gloss that is applied to top layer. I used two coats for the color I wanted then applied the clear coat to protect.
1763916
The cabinet is wood but it is a soft wood. The trim is NOT wood and is very delicate. I added pictures of my cabinets which I am not very happy with the finish. Hopefully they get published soon.
2175641
I bought two of them in the past two years. I didn't remember the strong smell like you sensed. I am not sure if the smell is from new paint.
1266881
My cabinet does have a slight smell and I do store pasta in it. I've never had a problem with contamination. I don't know if it makes a difference but prior to assembly I allowed all the pieces to individually sit out in the living room overnight.
559932
I did not notice a strong odor with mine. Air it out before putting it together and return it if it still has an odor is my recommendation.
508977
Yes, there was a 'new finish' odor when it first arrived. We don't have sensitivity issues, but maybe you could take it out of the box and let it air outside for a day or so? The desk itself was a great purchase for my daughter, who is an artist. She uses it in bed to sketch her ideas before bed. Great little storage drawer, too.
669005
I think it is a wood laminate. The countertop is glued on so if you just want the cabinet I would ask the seller
496773
1. It can be painted. 2. It had the odor (not unpleasant) of brand new wood when it was assembled. It went away after a couple of days. It is a great addition to our bathroom.
2249854
This cabinet is wood veneer, so it probably cannot be repainted. It is however very beautiful--nice cherry wood appearance. It looks great in my living room, and is much more pleasing to the eye than a metal file cabinet.
927090
I'm not sure if it's stained wood or just a finish coating, you should ask the seller. I will tell you that the inside of the drawers and storage cabinet are the same color as the outside, not just plain wood. The drawers are not dovetail style. The unit is very solidly built and if is just stained wood, it is very even. No brush strokes, etc.
1979570
Mine did not have a stong paint smell, but I had to assemble it, and parts didn't fit as nicely as i wanted them too, and the table shows signs of wear pretty quickly.
1282815
Yes, but not easy. The cabinets are covered in a laminate. You will need special prep and special paint. It will be like painting a kitchen cabinet. Paint stores and big box stores sell paint kits for painting cabinets.
1915965
We had would and laminate. We sanded, primed and then painted as the directions stated. Waited the 14 days and to no avail- it is miserable! Don't use it! Metal, laminate, wood.... It is NOT Durable.
1543588
The cabinet is not made out of plastic, it's wood. There is no odor when unit is turned on. We bought it last Jan. 2013 & it helped us save on our heating costs. We just recently started to use it for this heating season. We highly reccomend the infrared heater.
729440
The bathroom cabinet that I used it on was solid wood, except the outside end of the cabinet, which was laminate. I sanded it up a bit more than I did the wood parts. After I gave it one coat, I let it try for 24 hours, and sanded it lightly again before giving it the second coat. That coat took great, but I did give it a third coat....after waiting another 24 hours. The finish is amazing, the laminate end does not look any different than the rest of the cabinet. I love this stuff!
797528
No odor at all. All components are heavy though. Corners are especially susceptible to shipping damage. Requesting a small amount of shipping insurance (like $500) would be a good move. The desk is quite handsome and worth a little extra expense.