Selecting Cabinets and Hardware

Framed cabinets

This type of construction exposes the edges of the frame -- a reveal -- around drawer fronts and doors, great for country and traditional looks.

Framed cabinets come in several styles. Doors and drawers can fit flush inside the frame, be partially inset, or completely overlay the frame.

Pros: Stability. The solid-wood frame is rigid, so cabinet tops, bottoms, sides, and backs can utilize thinner material.

Cons: Smaller openings. The width of frame members reduces the size of drawer and door openings as well as any roll-out accessory options.

Frameless cabinets

This style of cabinet shows a continuous expanse of drawer fronts and doors -- an uncluttered, contemporary look.

Pros: Accessibility and style. Besides their clean, virtually unbroken design, frameless cabinets open up to their full potential so everything's easy to access.

Cons: Tricky to lay out. Because the doors and drawers butt right up against each other, frameless units require door clearances that aren't needed with framed cabinets.