Not sure what edge you are talking about. The face frame is exposed with inset cabinets but the door edges are not when the doors are closed. The only issue wear wise is just that a face frame is more likely to get damaged without the doors covering the front and you can't easily replace a cabinet front. In full overlay doors the doors are much more likely to get damaged but they would be easier to replace. For a busy family the inset cabinetry will be a well made framed cabinet which is more durable than a frameless cabinet. Full overlay doors can be framed or frameless. Inset cabinetry is more expensive and harder to install but durability isn't an issue.

Thanks! We are definitely going for a framed cabinet. I like the look for inset a little better, but I am worried I am worried about damaging this edge if it gets bumped.

(sorry about the typos....computer is being weird)

Yes! Haha, I wasn't try to fool you but I'm glad you could "translate" it to the edge I was worried about since I don't have any real examples in my house. I appreciate the feedback very much!

Thank you, that would be very helpful!

By choice, all the cabinets I build for my own home are full inset. I have painted and natural wood both. I assume that there will be wear and tear on any product I use or build...life happens. Painting and refinishing are the answer to the problem.

Do you think it is less likely with factory finish paint? (we are considering Omega cabinets)

Thing is...wood moves, it moves with moisture, it moves when you dent it...and paint doesn't move (neither does clear finish...but it's clear so you don't notice it chipping and scratching). Factory finishes can be a lot tougher, true....they have all the EPA stuff worked out. But disparate materials are disparate materials...they can't bond permanently.

@River Valley I assume you made your own inset cabinets. When you made them did you make the cabinet bottoms flush with the top edge of the bottom rail? That would be the way to make them the most convenient to use. But I wondered if it would increase the amount of wear on the top front edge of the bottom rail?

@River Valley- The reason I asked is that It makes it convenient having the surfaces flush but it gives you the ability to slide things in and out which makes the problem much worse I'm sure. I figured since you were building them you would take the high road, but sometimes the high road can have unexpected pot holes in it. The good part is that you have the ability to touch up and repair and damage. My bathroom vanity is inset cherry with a flush bottom and I touch it up every couple of years and you can't even see the touch ups.

@Justine Great question. You made me really examine the pluses and minuses of this issue, and I think I learned something from it. Never too old to learn.

LOL River Valley Cabinet Works!

Justine, what you might want to do is consider a mix of cabinet styles. You could use inset doors/drawers where they would be less likely to get heavy use, and use full overlay elsewhere. For pure function, I like a frameless cabinet because it offers the full expanse of the cabinet without having to pull stuff out around a face frame. Of course, mixing styles and possibly finishes would depend upon your particular layout, but it might be a good compromise between appearance and durability.

I love my inset cabinets.
Life happens with ALL cabinets and they will all show wear with use.

The best of hardened finishes cannot prevent the dings that will happen when your kids (and clumsy adults ... we have a few in our household) empty the dishwasher or grab a glass from the wall cabinet. Another area that gets abuse is the drawer &/or shelves with pots, pans and lids. Also, if you have a built-in refrigerator, the surround cabinet takes a fair amount of abuse on the refrig opening side.

As Judy M says, life happens. If the cabs are painted, be sure to keep some extra paint to fill in any chips.

Thanks all! Yep, I am prepared to let "life happen" to my cabinets. But, I am a bit of a freak when it comes to visible damage. I might get overlay to disguise the everyday damage. I do love the look of insets though. Ah, decisions.

I have inset cabinets, flush edge, I've had them for over eight years. Painted finish. I don't have any problems with scratching or wear. If you're reasonably careful, it's not a real issue. And I'm not some overzealous neat freak either. Well used kitchen with husband and two teens, it's withstood the test of time as far as I'm concerned. Plus, it's a perfectly classic look for an older home.

Off topic, but if you're considering Omega, I'd be very wary. I ordered Omega inset cabinetry and they forgot to make the crown mouldings, had multiple unfinished edges on panels and a cabinet side, doors that were not square, and cabinets that were made just plain wrong (though this last issue could have been the kitchen designer putting in the order wrong). Even when we were placed on the "hot list" to get the replacements or the parts that were never made, it still took about 4 weeks.

Our kitchen came with inset cabinets, which we’ve been happy with but they are starting to show a lot of wear and the finish is outdated. One contractor told us that you can’t paint inset cabinets because the edges will stick since the margins are so narrow. Has anyone here tried painting their inset cabinets? How did it go?