When you begin planning a kitchen renovation project, you’ll come across some terms that might not be familiar to you. It can be tough to figure out which kitchen cabinets you should choose unless you understand how they are constructed and what their components are. You can use the following reference guide to help you decode kitchen cabinet terminology.
Face Frame
The face frame is the front of the cabinet. It’s typically made from solid hardwood. Its purpose is to conceal the edges of the cabinet unit and provide points to affix the cabinet door and hardware. Only framed cabinets will have a face frame. Frameless cabinets instead use edge banding to conceal the edges of the main cabinet unit.
Stile
The stile is a piece of the frame. It’s a vertical section of wood. You’ll find stiles on both the left and right sides of the cabinet door.
Rail
The rail is similar to the stile, but it’s a horizontal section of wood. You’ll find rails on the bottom and top of the cabinet door.
Framing Bead
Kitchen cabinets are primarily functional. However, the framing bead of a kitchen cabinet is an aesthetic touch. It’s a decorative inside edge located on the door frame.
Overlay
The overlay isn’t exactly a specific component of a cabinet, but it’s still important to know this term. It refers to the way the cabinet door sits on the frame. There are three main types of kitchen cabinet overlays:
- Inset: In an inset cabinet, the door and drawer faces are just slightly smaller than the openings. This allows for a recessed construction in which the door and drawer faces align with the face frame.
- Standard: In a standard cabinet, the door and drawer faces are a little larger than the openings. The standard overlay conceals part of the face frame when the cabinet is closed.
- Full: A full overlay involves much larger door and drawer faces compared to the size of the openings, allowing for a significant overlap and leaving only negligible amounts of the face frame visible.
Your source for beautiful cabinets in Tucson is Southwest Kitchen & Bath. We are a leading kitchen renovation contractor, providing cost-saving services like cabinet refacing, as well as complete kitchen remodels. You can get in touch with our design team by calling (520) 531-9187.