Types of Cabinet Drawers

Different cabinet drawer types provide different looks.

Cabinets are a significant part of any home improvement or decorating project. Several types of cabinet door options are available depending on your decor, practical needs, price point and personal preference. The main types of cabinet drawers are flush inset, beaded inset, regular overlay and full overlay. Each of these types comes with different detail options. Does this Spark an idea?

Flush/Inset

A flush/inset cabinet drawer is one in which the frame of the drawer is square and surrounds the door of the cabinet. Often simply called inset, the door is set into the square opening and is flush against the frame. Many cabinet drawer styles may be inset with a variety of different options such as concealed or exposed barrel hinges.

Beaded Inset

A beaded inset is very similar to a traditional inset in that the cabinet door is set into the frame's opening. The main difference is that the cabinet's frame has a bead cut into its edge. Beaded insets are the most time-consuming and expensive cabinet treatment because they require the most time and labor for their more intricate design. Almost any door type can be beaded inset.

Regular Overlay

Regular or traditional overlay refers to the cabinet door style in which the drawer lies on top of the frame. This style is the most common. It is also the least costly due to the simplicity of its design. Hinge styles may vary with regular overlay; hinges may be exposed or concealed.

Full Overlay

Full overlay is similar to traditional overlay in that the cabinet drawer lies on top of the frame. However, with full overlay, the doors and drawers are much bigger than the cabinet frame and are designed to nearly cover the frame. The edges of the door and drawer very nearly touch each other. This design element causes full overlay cabinets to be more labor-intensive and therefore more expensive. Hinges on full overlay cabinets are concealed.

References

• Litchfield Cabinetry: Door and Drawer Styles
• Solo Woodworker: Building wooden furniture drawers and the options for various slides
• Kitchen Place: Types of Cabinet Door Overlays