Every Kiama vanity shares the same fluted front and the same eight finishes, but there are two different cabinets underneath. One is a moisture-resistant multi-layer plywood carcass that we assemble to order in our Sydney workshop. The other is a high-density MDF carcass with a seamless PVC wrap that arrives as a factory-built flatpack. This guide explains what each one is, why we build both, and how to pick the right one for your bathroom.
What is inside a plywood Kiama
Plywood is made from thin layers of timber glued with the grain running in alternating directions. That cross-grain structure is why it holds screws and hinges firmly, resists sagging under a heavy stone top, and copes with the humidity swings of a bathroom better than a single-density board. The Kiama plywood cabinets use a multi-layer board with a moisture-resistant glue line, wrapped in the same fluted finish as the rest of the range.
These cabinets are built from our Kiama modular system in Sydney. A 1200mm curved cabinet, for example, is two carcass modules joined with curved end pieces and finished with fluted drawer fronts. Because we assemble them here, we can also make them to a width that is not in the standard list. If your alcove is 1130mm, ask us before you order a 1200.
Look for the Made in Sydney badge on the product card and the Build row in the specifications table. Both tell you the cabinet is a plywood build assembled here.
What is inside an MDF Kiama
MDF, medium-density fibreboard, is engineered from fine wood fibres pressed into a flat, dense panel. It is dimensionally stable, has no grain to telegraph through the finish, and takes a vacuum-formed PVC wrap very evenly, which is why most premium flatpack vanities in Australia are built from it. The Kiama MDF cabinets use a high-density board and a seamless wrap with no exposed edge joins, so there is no raw edge for water to find.
These cabinets are built in the factory and shipped as flatpacks, which keeps the price lower and usually means a shorter wait. The slim-depth versions in this group are the ones to look at for a narrow bathroom or an ensuite where every centimetre of floor matters.
How to choose
- Exposure to water. Both cabinets are built for a bathroom, and neither should sit in standing water. If the vanity is next to a shower without a screen, or in a kids' bathroom where the floor is often wet, plywood gives you more margin.
- Custom size. Only the plywood cabinets can be made to a non-standard width, because they are assembled here.
- Heavy tops. A 1500mm stone top is a serious load. Plywood carries it with less long-term deflection.
- Budget and timing. The MDF cabinets cost less and are flatpacked, so they are the quicker, lower-cost way to get the Kiama look.
- Narrow rooms. The slim-depth MDF cabinets are the shallowest in the range.
Use the Material filter on the Kiama fluted vanities page to see one group or the other. Each product page lists the carcass, the front and where it was built in the specifications table.
Caring for either cabinet
Wipe splashes off the top and the fronts rather than letting them pool, especially around the basin cut-out and the join between the top and the cabinet. Clean with a soft, damp cloth and avoid abrasive or solvent cleaners on the wrapped finish. Make sure the plumber seals the top to the wall and the basin to the top, and check the waste connections for drips in the first week. Our warranty page explains what water exposure is covered for cabinetry.
See them side by side
Both builds are on display at our Yennora showroom, Monday to Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with Sunday by appointment. Open a drawer on each and look at the carcass edge; the difference is easy to see in person.
