Creating a bridge between buildings at The Sea Ranch is an unusual undertaking. Though several residential, elevated walkways and a couple of residential bridges do exist, in general, the design elements of The Sea Ranch favor smaller, separate buildings. However, to make all of these buildings work for the owners and their pets, they really needed a bridge. Early on David Moulton AIA consulted The Sea Ranch Design Review Committee on their receptiveness to this project. Many different ideas were discussed with the Design Committee but ultimately, given the strong need for the bridge, they asked that it be designed in a way that expressed the organic nature of the landscape. There was strong opposition to creating a straight, longitudinal structure. Soon it became apparent that a central tower sporting a small viewing deck and screened window seat provided the owners with key wildlife viewing spots and gave the bridge a central structural point from which the adjacent, angled arms could reach west between the trees to the main house and east between the trees to the new master suite. The result is a precise and carefully designed expression of the landscape: an enclosed bridge elevated above wildlife paths and woven within inches of towering redwood trees.

When Maria Bilotta Distefano and her husband, George Distefano—each owners of their own home design/renovation businesses—purchased their home in North Salem, they knew they would have to make some pretty radical changes, starting with the kitchen. “It was horrific,” Bilotta says. “A bathroom opened up right into the eating area. The space was small, the cooking area crammed. Cabinets were an inexpensive stock—pickled oak—and were falling apart. And the appliances were completely out of date. It was a kitchen-company owner’s worst nightmare.” She should know. Along with siblings Regina Bilotta and Jim Bilotta, Maria owns and runs Bilotta Kitchens, a full-service kitchen and bath company that specializes in cabinetry design. Maria Bilotta's 400-square-foot kitchen boasts a large hearth area with a stainless-steel dual-fuel range surrounded by crackled rectangular tiles, sconces, and an antique glass mirror. Over the range is a handy pot filler, an item frequently recommended by Bilotta for its ease of use. On the far wall next to the hearth stands a 48-inch side-by-side Sub-Zero refrigerator paneled in the same cherry as the cabinets. The generous island is equipped with an undermount Franke stainless-steel sink with a bronze oil-rubbed faucet by Rohl, a built-in ASKO dishwasher, and a double trash pull-out. The dining table’s unique copper top, along with the copper trim on the ledge leading into the family room and along the edge of the pizza oven, are all custom made and finished by George Distefano at his custom-metal shop, Ornametal, based in Newburgh, New York. Bilotta wanted a kitchen that would not only accommodate her family’s lifestyle but embrace the best of the products and designs out there. To achieve this, she asked Mel Elion, a top designer in Bilotta’s Mamaroneck showroom, to work with architect Terry Lennon of Somers and general contractor Fred Boehmer of Boehmer Homes of La Grangeville, New York, to bring her dream kitchen to life. Bilotta looked to her past to hone her vision, recalling boisterous family gatherings where everyone pitched in to make the meal. Thus, Elion included in her design a large banquette area for casual sit-down meals and a wide multi-purpose island with three stools, designed for both food preparation and light dining. In terms of style, Bilotta favors a rustic aesthetic, complete with state-of-the-art appliances and top-of-the-line amenities. And number-one on her wish list: a pizza oven. The Old World “appliance” brings back special memories of pizza-making with her siblings, cousins, and grandfather, an Italian immigrant who brought a love of cooking with him from Arpino. To accommodate Bilotta’s request for a sophisticated country look, Elion recommended cherry cabinets from Bilotta Kitchens’ private cabinet collection, with perimeter cabinets sporting custom inset doors of rustic cherry wood and an island of antique cherry. Green Verde Vecchio granite countertops and a soft moss shade for the walls complement the warm wood. Sixteen-by-sixteen-inch honed limestone tiles used for the floors have decorative metal inserts that match the copper tabletop in the banquette area (hand-made and finished by George Distefano) and other copper accents, such as the pizza oven’s ledge. A magnificent ivory-colored cherry hearth was designed to surround the 48-inch professional Wolf range. Behind the range, framed by the crackled tile backsplash from Waterworks, hangs an antique glass mirror with metal trim from Distefano’s shop, GlasSolutions, a New York-based architectural glass and metal company. Besides providing an interesting focal point, installing a mirror behind the range has a practical purpose, allowing the chef to keep an eye on the often boisterous and energetic activities while cooking.

Choosing between American framed cabinets and European frameless renditions often boils down to personal preference.

While the American framed counterpart emerges as an immensely popular choice, classic white European kitchen cabinets exhibit a timeless charm that one can't ignore.

It's pretty easy to distinguish a framed and a frameless cabinet as one pays close attention.

The American framed cabinets typically have wide gaps around the doors showing the face of the wood.

In comparison, the European frameless cabinets have much smaller gaps (less than a quarter-inch or more). Moreover, they also carry a matching edge band which is visible on the cabinet box, when its doors are left open.

Well, that's there with the basics and many more subtle differences that distinguish one kind from another.

In this post, we take a closer look at both frameless and framed cabinet styles, their merits and demerits, and help you make an informed decision to buy one.

The American Style Face Frames

As the name suggests, face frame cabinets dominate the structure of a cabinet and use comparatively thinner materials for the cabinet box.

One can find additional frame pieces (mullions) that rest right between the door and the face of the drawer.

One of the standout features of American framed cabinets is the doors that remain attached to the face frame and carry hinges concealed within. In such structures, the shelves are generally of half depth and can be hung side up or down according to one’s need.

Face frame cabinets are known to sport doors that are not classic or pure square in shape. Also, they use a trim mold for their finish which measures just about an inch, but wide enough to press on the wall contours. Thus, they are nailed right on the face of the cabinet as well as to the sides to even out the gaps following the installation.

In essence, this particular style of cabinetry is geared towards keeping things under budget and allows the makers to work persistently and create a specific line of products.

The European Frameless Style

Taking a different stance from American face frame cabinets, we have the European Frameless style that views the cabinet box as the main structure.

It goes to work with a thin edge connected to the cabinet box matching the exteriors. The material used for the cabinet box is also thicker and carries quite a bit of weight.

Also, instead of the face frame, the glides for the door and the drawers stay attached to the cabinet box itself. The white European kitchen cabinets also use concealed hinges, which is again chunkier compared to its American counterpart.

While such frameless cabinets can be easily ordered by referring to a catalog, most buyers opt for a custom made product.

Another glaring difference between the two cabinetry styles is how the European frameless renditions work with cabinet doors that are perfect squares, and all lines between the drawers and doors are straight, imparting consistency throughout.

Furthermore, the finishing detail instead of using trim molds are scribed and further cut to fit within the walls.

Delightful enough, one can have a European frameless cabinets customized to their liking, mood, and style. White European kitchen cabinets, unlike framed ones, can be made to look rustic, transitional, modern, or traditional, and could be even a blend of any two styles.

How Do You Know Which Is The Right Style For You?

As mentioned earlier, choosing a particular style of cabinetry is all dependent on your personal preference. However, there are a few merits and demerits to each style.

For instance, the white European kitchen cabinets are extremely high in demand and can offer a rich look and elegant feel to any space.

Even if you go for any other color other than the classic ones, it is the flexibility, the visually stunning appearance, and precise carpentry that goes in its favor.

Come-of-age cabinet makers have a wide range of white kitchen cabinets for sale to choose from. Cabinet DIY is one such professional and passionate cabinet maker that has helped many homeowners pick the right piece for their place. One can order from their website and get it shipped to their doorstep.

It's only evident why this carefully cut and sculpted cabinetry finds its place across leading home decor magazines and websites around the world.

The American face frame cabinets can seldom claim to match the elegance and timeless beauty of white European kitchen cabinets. Also, given the choice, European frameless cabinets have multiple doors and wide drawer banks offering adequate room for storage.

Most importantly, the hardware that goes into the making of a frameless cabinet has everything attached to the cabinet box which promises more longevity, compared to face frame renditions. While the former is more likely to stay the same over several years, the latter is prone to cracks appearing in places now and then, with slides and hinges fitted with screws.

Nevertheless, one of the standout reasons that might give American face frame cabinets an upper hand over European frameless cabinetry is budget.

American framed cabinets using much thinner finish material attributes to lower pricing. Also, given the fact that there isn't much room for exquisite designs, the budget is often an overpowering factor for many buyers.

Wrap up

For anyone who would like to order a cabinet that is aesthetically pleasing and promises endless customization and longevity will side with European frameless cabinets.

In doing so, it is quite probable that pricing won't be a hindrance as one wages the investment for the value the furniture adds to a living space. Something that American face framed cabinets can't seem to match up.

Summit Park now has a unique play area featuring Playground Grass by ForeverLawn. This distinct attraction was created using 3300 square feet of Playground Grass Ultra to create mounds that the kids could run, roll, and play on. The city installed cameras and counted roughly 10,000 kids on the Playground Grass mounds in the first two weeks. The kids favored the mounds 10:1 over new equipment!

When Maria Bilotta Distefano and her husband, George Distefano—each owners of their own home design/renovation businesses—purchased their home in North Salem, they knew they would have to make some pretty radical changes, starting with the kitchen. “It was horrific,” Bilotta says. “A bathroom opened up right into the eating area. The space was small, the cooking area crammed. Cabinets were an inexpensive stock—pickled oak—and were falling apart. And the appliances were completely out of date. It was a kitchen-company owner’s worst nightmare.” She should know. Along with siblings Regina Bilotta and Jim Bilotta, Maria owns and runs Bilotta Kitchens, a full-service kitchen and bath company that specializes in cabinetry design. Maria Bilotta's 400-square-foot kitchen boasts a large hearth area with a stainless-steel dual-fuel range surrounded by crackled rectangular tiles, sconces, and an antique glass mirror. Over the range is a handy pot filler, an item frequently recommended by Bilotta for its ease of use. On the far wall next to the hearth stands a 48-inch side-by-side Sub-Zero refrigerator paneled in the same cherry as the cabinets. The generous island is equipped with an undermount Franke stainless-steel sink with a bronze oil-rubbed faucet by Rohl, a built-in ASKO dishwasher, and a double trash pull-out. The dining table’s unique copper top, along with the copper trim on the ledge leading into the family room and along the edge of the pizza oven, are all custom made and finished by George Distefano at his custom-metal shop, Ornametal, based in Newburgh, New York. Bilotta wanted a kitchen that would not only accommodate her family’s lifestyle but embrace the best of the products and designs out there. To achieve this, she asked Mel Elion, a top designer in Bilotta’s Mamaroneck showroom, to work with architect Terry Lennon of Somers and general contractor Fred Boehmer of Boehmer Homes of La Grangeville, New York, to bring her dream kitchen to life. Bilotta looked to her past to hone her vision, recalling boisterous family gatherings where everyone pitched in to make the meal. Thus, Elion included in her design a large banquette area for casual sit-down meals and a wide multi-purpose island with three stools, designed for both food preparation and light dining. In terms of style, Bilotta favors a rustic aesthetic, complete with state-of-the-art appliances and top-of-the-line amenities. And number-one on her wish list: a pizza oven. The Old World “appliance” brings back special memories of pizza-making with her siblings, cousins, and grandfather, an Italian immigrant who brought a love of cooking with him from Arpino. To accommodate Bilotta’s request for a sophisticated country look, Elion recommended cherry cabinets from Bilotta Kitchens’ private cabinet collection, with perimeter cabinets sporting custom inset doors of rustic cherry wood and an island of antique cherry. Green Verde Vecchio granite countertops and a soft moss shade for the walls complement the warm wood. Sixteen-by-sixteen-inch honed limestone tiles used for the floors have decorative metal inserts that match the copper tabletop in the banquette area (hand-made and finished by George Distefano) and other copper accents, such as the pizza oven’s ledge. A magnificent ivory-colored cherry hearth was designed to surround the 48-inch professional Wolf range. Behind the range, framed by the crackled tile backsplash from Waterworks, hangs an antique glass mirror with metal trim from Distefano’s shop, GlasSolutions, a New York-based architectural glass and metal company. Besides providing an interesting focal point, installing a mirror behind the range has a practical purpose, allowing the chef to keep an eye on the often boisterous and energetic activities while cooking.

Summit Park now has a unique play area featuring Playground Grass by ForeverLawn. This distinct attraction was created using 3300 square feet of Playground Grass Ultra to create mounds that the kids could run, roll, and play on. The city installed cameras and counted roughly 10,000 kids on the Playground Grass mounds in the first two weeks. The kids favored the mounds 10:1 over new equipment!

Creating a bridge between buildings at The Sea Ranch is an unusual undertaking. Though several residential, elevated walkways and a couple of residential bridges do exist, in general, the design elements of The Sea Ranch favor smaller, separate buildings. However, to make all of these buildings work for the owners and their pets, they really needed a bridge. Early on David Moulton AIA consulted The Sea Ranch Design Review Committee on their receptiveness to this project. Many different ideas were discussed with the Design Committee but ultimately, given the strong need for the bridge, they asked that it be designed in a way that expressed the organic nature of the landscape. There was strong opposition to creating a straight, longitudinal structure. Soon it became apparent that a central tower sporting a small viewing deck and screened window seat provided the owners with key wildlife viewing spots and gave the bridge a central structural point from which the adjacent, angled arms could reach west between the trees to the main house and east between the trees to the new master suite. The result is a precise and carefully designed expression of the landscape: an enclosed bridge elevated above wildlife paths and woven within inches of towering redwood trees.

Mid-sized country single-wall white floor utility room photo in Minneapolis with a drop-in sink and a side-by-side washer/dryer

This family room boasts 6 screens favorable for sports entertainment. (2 screens are out of view.)
Inspiration for a family room remodel in Seattle