Update - We got stain grade wood panels at Lowes finally for the new cabinet's doors, and I got some backsplash panels in a tin design.
The tin style panels I painstakingly put dozens of holes into for air flow, rather like an old style pie safe, so the laundry basket in there won't get moldy.
We do have one problem - my son heard a loud CRACK in the night, and it turned out one of the wood panels split. Not sure how to fix that.