Whether you are refurbishing your home or designing a unique kitchen, you’ll need to understand the advantages and limitations of face frame cabinets. Read on to learn the purpose of face frame cabinets, the different types, and how they differ from frameless cabinets.
Face Frame Cabinets
A face frame cabinet is a frame located at the front of a cabinet. A custom face frame cabinet can be created to meet the unique interior design vision you have for your kitchen.
Primary purposes of face frame cabinets
There are many purposes for opting for a face frame for your kitchen cabinets. Below are some of the benefits of using a face frame for your kitchen cabinet:
- Strength – If you want your kitchen cabinets to be strong. Face frames serve an important structural role. It helps strengthen the front of your cabinet by adding an extra layer of protection.
- Style – Do you want your kitchen cabinets to have an appealing visual appearance? Without a face frame, the front of your case may look empty with no depth and character. If you add in a custom face frame, you can tailor it to meet the interior design goals you have for your home.
- Great functional benefits – Face frames have many great uses, that go beyond adding strength.
Face frames also:
- Provides a great place to mount hinges or catches for doors.
- Makes building cases with plywood easier and more practical.
- Has parts that can cover exposed edges of the plywood.
Adaptable
Framed face cabinets can be set up anywhere, even in places that have uneven wall surfaces. With a face frame cabinet, you won’t need to. Not even an uneven wall surface can stop you from achieving a sleek and unique kitchen.
Face frame vs frameless
The only difference between a face frame and frameless cabinets is their construction. Below are the main differences between the face frame and faceless cabinetry.
Aesthetics
Face frame cabinets have a more appealing look. We find that they are better suited for customers who are looking for a warm look and homely feel. The materials used for face frames are poplar or maple wood.
Frameless cabinets, on the other hand, offer a clean look. These are usually made with plywood that has a veneer front edge. If you want your home to look airy with a minimal design style, you can opt for frameless cabinetry.
Affordability
If you want to install a faceless cabinet in a 10:10 kitchen, you will spend at least $6,750 to $10k. It costs a lot less to set up a face frame cabinet. Most vendors report that a face frame cabinet costs roughly $1,000, depending on the vendor and location of course.
Installation
Face-framed cabinets are simple to set up in comparison to frameless cabinets. For example, setting up a face-framed cabinet will require no extra effort if you have an uneven wall. On the other hand, if you install a frameless cabinet with an uneven wall, it will be challenging to set up the frameless cabinet.
Frameless cabinets require a lot of time and effort to install because they rely on the cabinet box for stability.
Face-framed cabinets do not require extra European hardware, whilst frameless cabinets need high-end materials. Without the additional materials, a frameless cabinet can collapse.
Different Types of Face frame cabinets
Inset cabinet doors
Inset cabinet doors have an immaculately fresh finish. They are set inside the cabinet frame, and a door pulls or knob will be needed to open the cabinet. The hinges can either be concealed or revealed.
Inset doors usually cost more than other face frame cabinet parts. In addition, inset doors provide the least storage space compared to other options because the drawers are within the frame.
Customers looking for a sleek finish usually opt for the inset cabinet doors because it has a streamlined and classic design.
Full overlay cabinet doors
Full overlay cabinet doors cover the cabinet surface with hidden door hinges. The extra-large drawers aren’t set inside the cabinet frame, giving it more storage space.
Full overlay cabinet doors look more seamless and modern than face frame cabinets. However, the corners are exposed, making it easy for the cabinet door to stain and damage easily.
From our experience, we notice that customers who would have liked to choose the inset doors but couldn’t afford them often choose the full overlay cabinet doors.
Partial overlay cabinet doors
Partial overlay cabinet doors usually have a 2-inch strip that makes them stand out. Customers looking for a cabinet with space between the doors and the drawers opt for the partial overlay option.
Less wood is needed to construct the partial overlay cabinet door. However, the space between each cabinet might also look disproportionate. So, if you want a sleek finish, the partial overlay cabinet doors might not be the right option.
Designing your unique kitchen should be a fun and exciting project. But, it doesn’t have to be a daunting experience. We’ve been in the cabinetry business for many years, have an extensive portfolio, and can help you build the kitchen of your dreams. Contact us at info@ccmillwork.ca or give us a call at (416) 520-3839 to learn more!
So, what’s an incredibly functional and stylish solution? Installing floating shelves!
Floating shelves can help you reduce clutter and maximize your storage space in a clean and sophisticated way while creating a modern and warm finish. This technique is guaranteed to enhance any room in your home and take it to new heights.
As always, it’s all in the details, so let’s discuss:
- Qualities to look for in shelf materials
- Ideas to take your design game to the next level using a floating shelf unit
- How our team at Castle Craftsmen can help
Durability
We strongly recommend to all of our customers that they focus on shelf durability. First and foremost, ensure the shelf will have the capacity to handle a heavy load. Focus on long-lasting strength and weather resistance. After all, replacing a shelf after two years of installation is certainly not ideal.
Weight Capacity
It’s best to ensure the material you choose has all the support you’ll need. Whether you are storing large books or displaying a mirror or metal piece of art, it’s beneficial for a shelf to have a medium to strong weight capacity. Most high-quality shelf units can hold anywhere from 30 to 90 lbs.
Space
It is always best practice to measure your wall and room before moving forward with shelves. When you work with our team, we will always ensure that the shelving solution you choose will not only properly fit into the space in your home, but maximize it.
Cost
When balancing price with quality, consider the overall value of the shelf. A shelf built with longevity in mind will often cost less in the grand scheme of things, so evaluate what your budget will allow.
Style
We’re confident that regardless of whether you prefer traditional or contemporary décor, there is a floating shelf system out there for you. The minimalist design and unobtrusive style of a floating shelf can be mounted onto practically any wall.
With a wide variety of available materials, the possibilities are endless.
Shelf Materials
With so many different materials on the market, including various types of wood such as maple, cherry, teak, plywood or medium-density fibreboard (MDF), it can be a daunting task to decide which material makes the most sense for your custom style, storage needs, and budget. A popular choice among our customers, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of working with maple.
Features of a Maple Wood Floating Shelf
Maple wood is warm, natural, and solid. Maple wood is white with a spattering of red-brown hues and with its great resistance to splitting, can easily withstand a heavy load.
This wood is an excellent choice for live edge floating shelves. These shelves retain their natural shape on their edge, which makes for a unique finish and statement piece, guaranteed to enhance your wall space.
Pros of Maple for Your Floating Shelf System
Durability: Maple wood is one of the hardest types of wood available. With a higher density than oak, this wood has undeniable strength, making it a great choice when considering durability.
Affordability: Unlike many other types of wood, maple wood is affordable. A beautiful floating shelf does not need to break the bank.
Natural: Maple wood retains a natural finish and feels even after production. Maple shelves will enhance your home with a warm and rustic smoothness.
Scratch Resistant: This wood is also naturally scratch-resistant, making it great for longevity.
Cons of Maple Wood for Your Floating Shelf System
Low Weather Resistance: We do not recommend maple wood to any of our customers who want to leverage it as part of their outdoor furniture as it does not fare well.
Susceptibility to Staining: Although this is likely not a deal-breaker, we feel it’s important to mention if you are considering installing a floating shelf in a high-traffic area of your home.
For more information on the materials we work with get in touch with us today! Our dedicated experts would love to set up a call to create a custom recommendation for you.
Five Great Ideas for Decorating
Cross a window or connect between windows in your kitchen! Create more storage space for delicate items like glassware.
Fill a nook. Store your favorite book collection and bring coziness to your space.
Offset an arrangement of shelves. Customize your wall with an asymmetrical look.
Round a corner. Continue a shelf unit into a new room for a sleek and modern look.
Create slim storage. Leverage a small wall space with vertical shelves.
Our Expertise
We hope you’re as excited about the effortless beauty, style, and storage a floating shelf unit will add to your space. Our dedicated team is ready to take care of and customize your entire project. We work with you to select all materials, from the type of wood to the best sets of studs and brackets, to ultimately ensure the perfect custom placement of your new floating shelves.
Our professional design team is highly advanced in our approach and integration of intelligent, digital, and modern home concepts and we can’t wait to hear about your vision. Get in touch with us today, we look forward to working with you!