Cabinet Styles 101: The Ultimate Guide

October 20, 2022

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When designing any space within the home, one of the most significant decisions to make is the style of cabinet you prefer. In this post, we will walk you through all the cabinet options for your space; so you can make an informed decision!

Before making your decision, you first need to decide on a type of cabinetry production – stock, semi-custom, or completely custom.

Stock cabinets or ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets are premade standard-sized cabinets that you can buy from most cabinet fabricators and some box stores. This type of cabinet is generally always in stock, so it’s quicker to receive, and the standard sizes are typically the most affordable option. They work well in more basic kitchens and budget renovations.

Let’s dive into all of the different cabinet styles below:

Raised Panel Cabinets

Raised panel cabinets are the most common cabinet style, with raised center panels and feature decorative grooves. This style is an affordable and safe choice for a traditional home style.

alma-homes-the-tonka-houses-raised-panel-kitchen-cabinets
Raised Panel Cabinets – #thetonkahouse

Shaker Style Cabinets

Shaker cabinets are arguably the most popular cabinet door style to use now! This cabinet style is affordable, simple, and neutral enough to work in various home styles.

alma-homes-the-baycliffe-reno-shaker-style-kitchen-cabinets
Shaker Style Cabinets – #BaycliffeReno

Flat Panel Cabinets

Flat panel cabinets are the most no-frills option for cabinets and lend themselves well to a sleek, modern kitchen (like at the #minnetonkamodern!)

alma-homes-minnetonka-modern-flat-panel-kitchen-cabinets
Flat Panel Cabinets – #MinnetonkaModern

Flush Inset Cabinets

Inset cabinets are some of the more expensive types of cabinetry because it’s a bit more precise to build. We love how seamless inset cabinets look (which is why we used them at #thelakeloft!)

alma-homes-the-lake-loft-flush-inset-kitchen-cabinets
Flush Inset Cabinets – #TheLakeLoft

Full Overlay Frameless Cabinets

Frameless cabinets only offer one overlay style – full overlay. This cabinet style covers the entire box, leaving only a 2mm reveal that creates a sleek, seamless appearance, making it a popular choice for modern and contemporary styled kitchens.

alma-homes-the-lake-loft-full-overlay-framless-cabinets
Full Overlay Frameless Cabinets – #TheLakeLoft

Standard Overlay Custom Cabinets

Standard overlay cabinets (also called traditional overlay) give cabinets a more custom look. They tend to have a more visible face frame, so you don’t need cabinet hardware with this style.

alma-homes-the-lake-loft-laundry-room-standard-overlay-cabinets
Standard Overlay Custom Cabinets – #TheLakeLoft

Prefabricated Box Cabinets

As we mentioned, stock cabinets or ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets are pre-made standard-sized cabinets that you can buy from most cabinet fabricators and box stores.

alma-homes-the-lake-loft-lower-level-bathroom-prefabricated-box-cabinets
Prefabricated Box Cabinets – #TheLakeLoft

1/4″ Overlay Custom Cabinets

This cabinet style gives a similar appearance to that of inset doors without the higher cost. With only 1/4″ of an inch between cabinet doors, this style requires cabinet pulls or knobs!

alma-homes-the-bloomington-build-partial-overlay-custom-cabinets
Partial Overlay Custom Cabinets – #BloomingtonBuild

With so many options out there, it’s possible to find the exact right cabinets for your kitchen, style and budget. We’d love to hear about how you chose your kitchen cabinets, or which style and type you’d choose if you had a do-over! Comment below, and chat with us over on Instagram too, @AlmaHomes!

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leave a comment 

  1. Olivia Smart says:

    Thank you for explaining how shaker cabinets can be a good option for almost every home. We’re starting renovations on our kitchen next month and have been wondering what kind of cabinets to get. I’ll be sure to look into this style more to see how it may work in our space and design.

  2. Elina Brooks says:

    I’m getting my kitchen renovated next month, so I was thinking that this was a good opportunity to replace our cabinets as well. I’m thankful you recommended shaker cabinets to us since they’re currently popular among homeowners for being affordable, simple, and neutral enough to work on any home style. I’ll take note of this while I look for cabinet makers to hire for our renovation project soon.

  3. Mia Evans says:

    It really helped when you said that the most popular cabinetry is shaker style, because it is affordable, simple, and neutral. It will probably be perfect for the simple kitchen I wanted when I get that room renovated next year. I will list this idea to have multiple options I can consider once I find contractors and designers to work with in spring next year.

  4. Chris Dewey says:

    Kitchen Cabinet Installation has been popular nowadays. And there are specific things to consider like an awesome cabinet styles, and some of these are cabinet doors, cabinet hardware, knobs, and pulls for the overall kitchen appearance we’re aiming for. I’m glad to have Cabinet Direct Club, which assisted me in a quality Kitchen Cabinet Installation. If you want a good quality installation, I’ll refer them to https://www.cabinetdirectclub.com/.

  5. Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!

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