Salt air is hardest on metal and relentless via sun. The finish strategy is chemistry plus glazing plus habit.
Metal before lacquer
Salt aerosols pit cheap plated hardware long before touching a lacquer film — spec marine-grade stainless, solid brass or PVD finishes oceanfront. The doors will outlast bargain handles several times over.
The glazing dose
Floor-to-ceiling ocean glass delivers UV loads that fade saturated colours and amber old-chemistry whites; low-E/UV films plus waterborne non-yellowing lacquer is the standing answer, with palette placement keeping deep colours off the sun wall.
The wipe cadence
Open-slider households lay a faint salt film on everything; a monthly plain-water wipe of cabinet faces keeps it from dulling sheen. Sealed lacquer makes this trivial — the same film ruins open-pore finishes.