When it comes to shopping for new cabinets there seems to be so many different terms for different things.  It can be a little overwhelming as you are doing your research. It’s important to make sure you truly understand what you are getting. 

Many people tend to confuse door styles with overlays. The term “Overlay” refers to how much of the cabinet face frame the doors and drawers cover. You will mostly hear three different terms when it comes to overlays:  Inset, Partial Overlay, and Full Overlay doors. So what do they mean?

Inset - The doors and drawers are flush with the frame of the cabinet. They are actually framed by the cabinet frame.

Partial Overlay - The doors and drawers cover only part of the cabinet frame.  They are mounted on top of the frame of the cabinet. 

Full Overlay - The doors and drawers completely cover the frame of the cabinet box.

Door style refers to shape and design of the actual cabinet doors and drawers. Door styles come in many different flavors, but there are also many common ones that are offered by most manufacturers.

Click here to read the entire Guide to Selecting Door Styles and Overlays.