An introduction to cabinetry terms

If you're in the market for a kitchen renovation, or even if it's just a passing curiosity, you've no doubt run into the jargon of the cabinetry industry.

The world of cabinetry uses a very specific vocabulary and it can be difficult for people not involved int he industry to find out what all of these terms mean.

In this ideabook, I'm going to illustrate the three basic types of modular cabinetry available in most of the world. Those three types are called framed, frameless and inset and those terms refer to the manner in which the cabinet boxes are put together.

by Paul Anater

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Here's an illustration of a framed base cabinet. All cabinets consist of a bottom, a back and two sides. In a framed cabinet, there's a face frame that functions as a fourth side. The doors attach to the frame on a framed cabinet and these types of cabinets tend to have more strength and stability. That strength and stability come at the expense of a bit of room inside the cabinet.

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by Paul Anater

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This is an example of a kitchen that uses framed cabinetry. It takes a bit of a practiced eye to see that it's a framed kitchen.

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by Paul Anater

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Whether framed or not, they cabinet type doesn't dictate the style of the room. This transitional kitchen used framed cabinetry and it's still pretty beautiful. If you zoom in on the photo though, you can see that there's a slight gap around the doors and drawers.

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by Paul Anater

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This illustration is showing a frameless cabinet. A frameless cabinet has no "fourth side" like a framed cabinet does. A frameless cabinets doors are attached to the cabinet sides directly. This allows for a sleeker, more seamless look in the finished room.

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by Paul Anater

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The buffet in this photograph has been put together with frameless cabinetry. If you zoom in on it, you can see that there's a smaller gap between the doors than there is on a framed cabinet set.

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by Paul Anater

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Although frameless cabinetry lends itself to more modern designs, it doesn't mean that a frameless type cabinet is automatically modern as this photo shows.

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by Paul Anater

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This illustration is showing an inset cabinet. Inset cabinetry is a framed cabinet and what makes it unique and gives it its name is that the doors and drawers fit inside of the frame.

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by Paul Anater

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This is a traditional form of cabinet making, it's currently enjoying a resurgence and it's always sold at a premium.

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by Paul Anater

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The inset nature of these cabinets is more obvious in this photo. There's a classic look to inset cabinets and it's difficult to make them be modern. But if you're looking to give yourself a kitchen that looks like it's always been there, inset may be the option for you.

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