Are you remodeling your kitchen to keep pace with the latest kitchen design trends? Choosing the best kitchen cabinets requires attention to many details: color, style, finish, dimensions, layout, and more.
Our team at Holmes Cabinet Specialties has more than 15 years of experience designing, building, and installing custom cabinetry in Houston, TX.
Consider these benefits and drawbacks of inset vs. overlay cabinets so you can choose the right cabinet doors for your kitchen remodel, new master bathroom, or bedroom makeover.
The Anatomy of a Cabinet
Most cabinets include three parts: the cabinet box, face frame, and cabinet doors.
The box is usually a wooden box with shelves. The frame attaches to the front of the box and contains openings that allow you to reach into the cabinet.
The doors attach to the frame with hinges so they can open or shut.
During a design consultation for custom cabinetry, your contractor will ask you about the look you want for the cabinets and cabinet doors.
- Do you want to highlight the shape or arrangement of the doors and drawers?
- Does the cabinet frame have features that complement the kitchen decor?
- Do you want cabinets that sit flush with nearby wall panels?
During the consultation, ask the design specialist any questions you have about choosing inset vs. overlay cabinets.
Full Overlay Cabinet Doors
Of the three design options, full overlay doors feature the largest doors and minimize the visibility of the cabinet frame. With the doors closed, the cabinet doors cover the frame. The sleek, unbroken, flat surface accentuates the door’s features.
Full overlay cabinet pros include more storage space, maximum access to shelves, and relatively low costs.
Require Door Handles or Pulls
The lack of finger space between adjacent cabinet doors means your cannot slide fingers between the doors to open them. For full overlay cabinets, hardware required could include door handles, a door pull, or a magnetic push system.
Seamless, Uniform Look
Full overlay cabinets do not give you as much of an opportunity to highlight the arrangement of cabinets and drawers by using a contrasting frame color. However, if you want to integrate your cabinets seamlessly into a wall, use full overlay cabinets that match the adjacent wall panels.
Partial Overlay Cabinet Doors
Partial overlay doors don’t cover as much of the frame as full overlay doors, so you can see a vertical strip of the cabinet frame between each door and drawer.
Cost-Effective
Partial overlay cabinets tend to be more affordable than full overlay or inset cabinets because the designers have wiggle room in the door dimensions. However, for this reason, low-quality cabinets tend to have partial overlay doors.
No Hardware Required
Partial overlay cabinets are the best choice for cabinet door designs without handles on the cabinet surface. The gap between adjacent cabinet doors allows you to open the door using a handhold on the door’s edge without hardware.
One downside of partial overlay cabinet doors is that people might leave fingerprints and stains on the cabinet doors if they open them without using handles.
If you have children, inset cabinets might be better than partial overlay cabinets because children might injure themselves on the exposed corners of the doors.
Construction Quality Might Vary
Partial overlay cabinets are convenient for contractors and homeowners who want to finish remodeling projects quickly, and many carefully crafted cabinets still meet high industry standards.
Inset Cabinet Doors
When comparing inset vs. overlay cabinets, the inset door sits flush with the cabinet frame. Inset cabinets tend to be more expensive and require more sophisticated woodworking techniques to achieve a good fit between the doors and the frame.
The doors of inset cabinets are smaller than full overlay or partial overlay doors. Inset cabinet pros include generally high quality and a flat cabinet surface, albeit at a higher cost.
Smooth Design
Inset doors provide a flat surface. Inset cabinet doors are smaller than overlay doors for the same size frame, and the hinges attach to the innermost edge of the frame.
Mind the Gap
One drawback to inset cabinets is that space might be visible between the cabinet’s frame and the door itself. Precision design from an experienced custom cabinet maker can improve the fit.
The space between the door and the frame can cause problems if the wood absorbs moisture and swells shut. You don’t have a problem with an overlay slab door. Paint and coatings that keep moisture out can prevent swelling.
Highlights the Frame
One advantage of inset cabinets is that making the frames fully visible highlights any design elements or colors in the frame. Inset cabinets offer an opportunity to highlight the contrast between the frame and the inset doors.
For example, white cabinet doors inset within a black frame can create a stark, modernist look. Set sunny yellow inset doors within a sky-blue frame for a warm, whimsical effect.
Less Storage Space
When the doors open to a 90-degree angle, they partially block the frame, reducing the available space. The inset cabinet design reduces the cabinet volume by the volume of the inset cabinet doors.
Like full overlay doors, inset doors require hardware so you can open them.
Frameless Cabinets
If you want a flat look like overlay cabinets but the construction of inset cabinetry, consider frameless cabinets. Unlike framed cabinets, the door panel anchors directly to the face frame. The lack of a frame makes it easier to install shelves and offers maximum storage space.
Quality Inset and Overlay Cabinet Doors from Holmes Cabinet Specialties
Holmes Cabinet Specialties proudly designs custom overlay and inset cabinets and stands by them with a one-year warranty. Our team of experienced designers and installers offers dedicated, courteous customer service and professional installation. With our high-quality wood options, wide range of style choices, and quality craftsmanship, we deliver luxury custom cabinets for your remodeling project.
We hope our inset vs. overlay cabinets comparison helps you decide on the ideal cabinet styles for your kitchen. If you need more information about inset cabinets, doors, and drawers, check out our blog or call (409) 543-2706 to speak with a professional design consultant at Holmes Cabinet Specialties.
