Most people have heard the terms Framed Cabinetry or Frameless (AKA “Full Access”) Cabinetry. Many wonder what the difference is between them. This article explains the basics so you can make an educated decision on what’s best for you and your project.

Framed Cabinetry

Framed cabinetry has been the tradition in the United States, and is still very popular today. Having a “picture frame” face on the cabinet identifies framed cabinetry. The sides and top and bottom attach to the front face-frame to complete the cabinet so it’s a true “box” when it’s complete.

Since it’s a full “box” cabinet, it’s considered sturdier than Frameless cabinetry, which has no face frame. A popular variation in Framed cabinetry is to vary the size of the face frame by specifying what type of “Overlay” you want. See article on Overlays here.

Finally, the doors and drawers attach to the face frame of the cabinet.

Frameless Cabinetry

Frameless cabinetry, AKA “European” style cabinetry, is a popular style of cabinetry where there is no traditional “Face Frame” on the face of the cabinet. Some reasons why Frameless cabinetry is so popular are:

• Full Access – with no face frame, you have full access to the entire inside of the cabinet when the doors are open. This allows for greater storage ability as well as wider rollout trays or shelves in each cabinet.
• Contemporary Style – With Frameless cabinets the doors and drawers cover the entire cabinet face when you look at it, giving it more of a contemporary feel.

Your choice of framed or frameless may depend on many things in your project. If you would like to talk to one of our remodeling experts at Brakur Custom Cabinetry about which type of cabinet is best for your Chicagoland kitchen remodel you can contact us here.

Click below to download a free guide to cabinetry.