Are you talking this slim? I would definitely want full overlay.

Full overlay, euro cabinets or inset cabinets. No in between stuff! I never see partial overlay in a true custom build.

Full overlay with side panels pushed forward to cover the drawer sides.

Intricate Kitchen in London (6489) · More Info

Is there a reason you prefer a standard overlay? The full is more high end, and I think it's worth the extra money, especially in a custom home. Cabinets are one of those more permanent things that I think are worth the investment. I really like the slim shaker style!

This cabinet maker can’t do what you want, and you also say he isn’t responsive. That will get worse. Find a new cabinet maker.

I would not get overlay for the look you say you want. Get frameless cabinetry, not overlay cabinetry. You will need to go to a cabinet manufacturer, because small cabinet makers usually do not have the equipment to make frameless cabinets.

What extra equipment is required for frameless cabinets? Asking for a friend...

Frameless are easier to do.

1 - Make cabinet boxes

2 - Order doors to cover cabinet boxes

That's about as basic as it gets. And I bet most guys don't actually make their own boxes. I know a lot don't make the drawers. They buy a kit and assemble it.

In general, cabinets are easy to make. Anyone who can properly align the fence on a table saw can produce shaker style cabinets. Certainly a way to break down sheet goods and a chop saw make life easier, but even those things can be done on a table saw if you have to.

Finishing cabinets is many times more difficult than making them. You just have to develop that skill.

While cabinets are easy to make, they are one of the most difficult woodworking items to produce efficiently. A cabinetmaker's best resource is organization. Organizing your space, organizing your work flow, managing your time effectively, etc. are really what cabinetmaking is about. Any competent woodworker can make cabinets but very few can be cabinetmakers.

IMO a poor choice they either need to be shaker or not and if MCM is your aim a slab door is the right choice . Who is designing this space ? A nice frameless cabinet ,slab door would be it for me. Frameless cabinets also add to your storage . I have a MCM ranch and slab frameless cabinets in high gloss white mixed with stainless IMO suits the house but brings it into the 21 st century

“is only something someone who hasn’t much experience building cabinets would say.”

@jdesign_gw - you’re right, I don’t have experience building cabinets. The majority of people on this forum do not have experience building cabinets. I bought my frameless cabinets for several kitchen renos from a manufacturer after fruitless searches for a local carpenter who could do it.. I wrote in my comment above that small cabinet makers usually do not have the equipment to make frameless cabinets because of the hundreds of posts over the years on this forum from people saying their small local cabinet maker only makes framed cabinets, not frameless, and that they don’t have the equipment for it. Also please note that I said ”usually” before you are so quick to snark at me. @jdesign_gw - do you have any advice for the OP?

M Miller, first the ”GW” after my name is not something i put there. It’s what was put after everones name when this site was owned by ”Garden Web” 10-15 years ago or whenever it was so you can imagine how much misinformation l’ve seen in that time. Just like how you said you got yours. Being in this trade for 30 plus years at a very high level gives me the atvantage of knowing what I’m talking about on most issues and those I don't know I don't comment on and just learn from. . 99.9 % of the time I don’t bother to comment and just let the urban legend contiue to grow like the one going around that out here in California we cant do top quality finishes because we would rather breath clean air. On that, to the uninformed, it’s just that - you’re uniformed. Re the original post, full overlay is the only way to go and the additional charge is ridiculous when full overlay is less work to do.

@jdesign_gw - your post is entirely about patting yourself on the back. Now that you’ve gotten self-aggrandizement off your chest, I ask you again, do you have any advice for the OP re his wish for slim shaker type edge on his kitchen cabinets?

M Miller, contrary to your belief I have no desire to”pat myself on the back” I am very confendent in what do even without your approval. I’ll let my clients decide that. I did comment on OP . First I don’t know what is meant by ”standard overlay” so I can’t speak to that. What I said is it should be full overlay and there shouldnt be any exta charge for that because it’s actually less work than some sort of face frame which is why i disagree with you about frameless cabinets which don’t require a faceframe. Without better details thats all I can say except the quality of the mock up isn’t that impressive.

Maybe these photos of some work we’ve done in the last few months will give you a better perspective of where i’m coming from.

@M Miller - I think it is time you let this one go. I realize why you misunderstood but it was a significant misunderstanding and I don't feel @jdesign_gw was particularly rude pointing it out. Honestly, you don't need any experience to understand this, a good stare at a diagram should make you question the statement.

Frankly, I wonder if cabinetmakers actually said "we don't have the equipment for frameless," or actually said, "we are not set up for frameless," and you inferred that meant they didn't have the equipment. The latter makes much more sense, but maybe shops lied to you.

Production woodworking, whether cabinets or violins, is about repeatability. They are setting up their equipment and building jigs. If a cabinetmaker is only doing face framed cabinets, they may want to avoid changing all their set-ups for a frameless run.

However, over the last ten years frameless has gotten popular enough that every shop should have developed a frameless set-up by now.

You do make a fair point about helping the OP though, so here goes.

@Rick C - A $9,000 upcharge for frameless is highway robbery.

The mock up you made is going to be a tough ask. Hinge placement is the problem. The doors need to be thicker and that means more reveal which can get annoying.

If you want a historical mid century look, skinny shaker isnt it. 3/8” inset plywood slab doors are what the majority of cabinets of the era used. Skinny shaker is so fad modern. Not a lot of dtaying power. Plain slab would have a lot more style longevity. Its been used for 70 years.

If a cabinet maker doesn’t have an edge bander, he can still do frameless. He just can’t do top quality frameless. You need a edge bander to get into that category rather than stealing the iron out of the laundry room. Like a Homag. $$$$

"If a cabinet maker doesn’t have an edge bander, he can still do frameless. He just can’t do top quality frameless. You need a edge bander to get into that category rather than stealing the iron out of the laundry room."

Speaking of comments from people with no experience...

@Verbo - Are you actually suggesting that a cabinetmaker who is doing overlay cabinets doesn't use plywood shelves? Or were you just so eager to show off your skills that you forgot every type of cabinetmaker edge bands?

Edge banders are much faster but produce slighy lower quality results. Many high end furniture makers will not use edge banders because they are lower quality. Next you are going to try and tell us that dovetail machines produce better results than handcut dovetails. Just try to resist the urge.

Agree we should stick to OP question. The problem is when the terminology used isn’t quite correct the response is not going to as correct as it could be. If OP means partical overlay as”standard overlay” then I still think that would look bad with that type of door. As far as a ”slim shaker” style door it not a shaker door at all. It is a slab door that is banded with a wood border (see photo below) so it’s hinged like a normal slab door. As far as 9k upcharge if that is from partical overlay to framless then that is excessive. If is from slab to slim shaker or bander slab then yes that is much more work espically to get perfect miters.

I guess an edgebander would qualify as ”special equipment” but that hadn’t crossed my mind because I don’t know of any cabinet shops that don’t have a bander even if it’s entry level. on that point I don’t want to disagree with bry911 because I always agree with what he has today but high end shops that ilm aware of always use edgebanders they just use high end edgebanders and results are a quality espically with newer technologies like PUR adhesives and hot air or laser tapes.

After I posted, I almost added a comment that the difference between any edge banding method using quality adhesives is going to be immaterial. Your mom's iron plus a good quality edge band is going to exceed the life of the cabinets by a good bit. Modern adhesives are just that good, most of the failures that you see in edge banding are really cheap materials or improper application.

The biggest problem with doing edge banding by hand, which would be a problem except it is still cheaper and faster than doing face frames.

Says the folks who don’t own a Homag. A pupose built high end edge bander will trump lesser quality any day. You can’t even tell there is a seam. It looks a single piece.