walnut island in a large kitchen

Consumer Information

Cabinet Basics 101: Our Building Options

When clients first come to us at Walker Woodworking, they are often overwhelmed by the various cabinet options available from different sources. We always strive to educate our clientele about all the choices available during their custom cabinetry selection process. There are many options within the categories of build method, paints/stains, drawer/door fronts, moldings, and hardware. This article will focus on detailing our two building method options, highlighting their differences, and describing the common styles they each lend themselves to. Regardless of the building style or look you prefer for your cabinetry, all of Walker Woodworking’s custom cabinetry will be built to the highest quality standards. You can see more about our quality here: Product Education. Keep in mind, this article will only discuss our build methods, so let’s get to it!

Frameless

The only overlay build method that Walker Woodworking offers is a frameless cabinet style. When this build method is chosen, the stiles and rail around the cabinet openings are minimized so that none of the face frame is visible. All you see when you look at the cabinetry is the front of the doors and drawer fronts. In addition to creating a streamlined, clean look, this style also maximizes the storage capacity of the cabinets, especially the drawers. This style can be paired with either an ornate or a simple door style, depending on whether you want a more transitional look or a clean-lined look. Popular design styles for this build method include: Modern, Contemporary, Industrial, European, and Transitional. As you can see in the picture above, the overlay build method showcases the door and drawer styles as the cabinet detail while helping the client get the most utility from the cabinets.

Inset

Walker Wood also offers an inset building method as an option for our cabinetry. The term inset describes the placement of doors and drawer fronts, as in this style of building, they sit back into the face frames. This beautiful style has long been a staple in traditional high-end homes and is often used with a detailed door/ drawer design. When clients choose to use an outer bead on their door edges, they can achieve the look of having a beaded inset at a fraction of the cost. We can also add the bead to the face frames of the cabinets, but it is rarely needed, as it is an upgrade in price, and the same look can be achieved with beaded doors and drawers. This building method is often selected for the following design styles: Traditional, Victorian, Arts and Crafts, and Transitional. As shown in the images below, the entire face frame is visible when using the inset build method.

Some people view the inset method as visually too busy, while others see it as timeless and showcases superior craftsmanship. There is no right or wrong direction to go, but we want to ensure that all our clients understand the differences and “pros vs. cons” of each style. You should also note that there is a slight price difference between an inset job and a frameless job. Each job is custom priced, but the difference is usually about 8%–10%, since inset jobs are priced by the square foot of the face frames.

What’s Your Style?

Perhaps, you are still undecided about your style preference.  We suggest an in-home measurement consultation, followed by a design session and estimate. We are here to help you, and we would love to speak with you to set up an appointment time. Please call us today. 704.434.0823

/onNovember 21, 2015/updatedJanuary 28, 2026/inConsumer Information
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