North American or Face-frame |
This type of construction, considered as the traditional style in North America, has a frame on the face of the cabinet box.
The doors are set apart from one another and are smaller than their frame in order for the frame to remain visible.
People who choose this type of cabinetry do so because they like the style. From a practical point of view, frames tend to reduce available storage space!
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European or Frameless |
In this type of construction, considered as the traditional style in Europe, the doors are the same size as the cabinet box and are installed one next to the other.
This configuration allows for a maximum of storage space, as there is no frame on the face of the cabinet box.
Although building frameless cabinets requires more sophisticated equipment, their production cost of is generally lower that that of frame‑face cabinets.
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Inset Doors |
This type of construction is based on the face-frame or North American style. However, the doors are inside the frame (inset) instead of over it. This variation gives the cabinet box a bit more depth, thus increasing available storage space.
The model shown on the photograph on the right is the basic design. A decorative element can be added around the central opening of the frame to give the cabinet more style. See the photographs of regular hinges below for a beaded inset door exampe.
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| Inset doors hinge types |
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| Regular hinges |
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Hidden hinges |
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