Cabinet Construction

Quality plywood cabinets with Blum guides for smooth, lasting function.

Understanding Face Frames

Cabients fall into 3 main categories: Frameless, Framed Overlay, and Inset

Frameless cabinets offer the most available access space. It's a minimal addition, but in some cases is meaningful. Because it doesn't have the real wood frame surrounding the box, it can be vulnerable to sagging over time, especially on wall cabinets. High-end cabinet companies will often use extra premium box material to help strengthen the unsuported boxes.

Pros and Cons

Framed-Inset cabinets are often the preferred designer-grade cabinets. They are more expensive and require expert craftsmanship to create the perfect custom look. The best place to implement inset cabinets is in bathrooms, office spaces, and furniture-type cabinet replacements. Kitchen installs come with barriers for inset cabinets that need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

Framed cabinets are the most common construction type. Balancing strength and economy, these cabinets fit most design needs, durability, and budgets well. A good designer can use the full overlay doors to create a custom "inset" look without the premium cost commonly associated with inset cabinets.

Box Materials

The shell of the cabinet is called the "Box" it is usually made out of some variation of plywood or particle board

Particle Board

Made from wood chips glued together, less water-resistant and can swell under stress. Particle board also has more VOC offgassing due to its high epoxy quantity ratio.

Plywood

Plywood is made of layered wood sheets offering stronger support and better resistance to moisture. There are different grades of plywood, and the higher-end companies will use premium plywoods.