Face Frame and Frameless Kitchen Cabinets
by Francine L. Huff

There are two basic methods for constructing kitchen cabinets. About 2/3 of American kitchen cabinets are constructed using the face-frame method, which is often called traditional cabinetry. Frameless kitchen cabinetry is more common in Europe. The type you choose to install in your kitchen will depend on your personal tastes and regional trends.

Face-Frame Cabinets
Face-frame kitchen cabinets are made by assembling two pieces, the box and the cabinet frame. The cabinet box may be made of plywood or particle board, but the face frame is usually made of hard wood. Face-frame cabinets generally use thinner materials than frameless kitchen cabinetry.

If the doors of face-frame cabinets are flush with the frame, they are called inset cabinet style. Full overlay kitchen cabinetry has doors that completely cover the face-frames, giving it the appearance of continuous doors. The regular overlay style has cabinet doors that cover the opening of the face-frame by a small margin, allowing the face-frame to be seen.

Frameless Kitchen Cabinetry
If you're looking for more space inside kitchen cabinets and drawers, then you may want to consider frameless cabinets. Frameless kitchen cabinetry can have as much as 20% more interior drawer space compared with face-frame cabinets of the same size, and may be taller on the inside, according to Wood Digest.

Frameless cabinet boxes are usually made of particleboard or plywood that is 5/8" to 3/4" thick. The doors can be made of laminate or wood and are attached directly to the boxes. When assembled, frameless kitchen cabinetry has a continuous run of doors with a very clean appearance.

Sources
Home Tips.com
Wood Digest

About the Author
Francine L. Huff is a freelance journalist and the author ofThe 25-Day Money Makeover for Women.She has appeared on a variety of TV and radio shows.