Choosing cabinets for your kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room can be a daunting task, as there are numerous types and styles to consider. If you’re considering different cabinet door overlays, a beautiful option is inset cabinets. Here is everything to know about inset cabinets before buying 1951 cabinets.
What Are Inset Cabinets?
Inset cabinets refer to a door overlay style of framed cabinets where the doors sit flush with the frame, resembling frameless cabinets but with their own charm and uniqueness.
Usually, in framed or overlay cabinets, the doors and drawers are on top of the face frame (fully or partially) but in inset cabinets, the doors and drawers are inside the cabinet box. Plus, the hinges are also not visible in most of these cabinets, however, they do have handles and knobs outside. They are best for traditional, classic, farmhouse, and high-end kitchens.
Pro Of Inset Cabinets
Appearance
The appearance of inset cabinets is considered premium and classic. They add a perception of luxury and beauty, as many inset cabinets are custom-made. Due to their high-end appearance, inset cabinets are favored in farmhouse, custom, and vintage-inspired kitchens. Moreover, they blend well in traditional and transitional kitchens too.
If you want your kitchen and bathroom to look classic and expensive, then inset cabinets would be excellent for you.
The Option Of Exposed Or Concealed Hinges
Inset cabinets offer variety in that you can choose the hinges to be either exposed and visible or concealed and seamless. You can choose any option depending on the style you’re going for.
Exposed hinges are suitable for a traditional and classic look. They appear intentionally visible, adding detail to the cabinets. You can choose from various finishes like brass, nickel, or bronze for the look you want. However, you may have to match them with the knobs and handles of the cabinets.
On the other hand, concealed hinges are excellent for modern and minimalist kitchens and bathrooms. You have simple-looking cabinets with only the handles visible, adding to the sleek look.
Long Lasting
Inset cabinets can be more durable than overlay cabinets because the door is aligned with the frame. It’s a tight fit and there is lower movement that adds to the strength and durability of the cabinets.
Even though misalignment and wear can occur in any type of cabinets, inset cabinets are less prone to it due to the same fact that the door is inside and sits flush with the frame, so there is additional support for the door, whereas in the case of overlay cabinets, the only support is usually the hinges.
In addition to that, there is also a lower risk of chipped corners, scratches, and dings because the cabinet doors, especially the corners, are not exposed unless the door is opened. Whereas, in overlay cabinets, the corners are exposed all the time.
Moreover, inset cabinets are usually high-end and the materials used are also durable like plywood or solid wood, so they last longer due to this reason as well. For durable inset cabinets, browse Timberlake cabinets MD.
They Boost Your Home’s Resale Value
Inset cabinets are perceived to be luxurious and premium, and valued by most home buyers. These cabinets offer a polished and upscale look and are also considered more durable, so buyers will prefer the house as they won’t have to deal with cabinet installation for years. Therefore, this can make selling a house easier and you may fetch a better price as well.
Can Make The Space Appear Bigger
A minor detail about inset cabinets is that they are slightly slimmer than overlay cabinets. The width of the cabinet door is managed inside the cabinet frame, which gives off a slimmer and sleeker appearance, and the kitchen also looks slightly spacious. So, they can be great for smaller kitchens, but they do cost more. More on it in the cons section.
Cons Of Inset Cabinets
Higher Cost
The high-end perception of inset cabinets is rooted in the fact that they always cost more than overlay cabinets. Generally, they can be 30% costlier, which is a significant amount considering that cabinet installation, especially for kitchens, takes up a good amount of the kitchen remodeling budget.
Moreover, inset cabinets are made with high-quality materials and the installation requires skilled labor, adding to the cost of the cabinetry.
If you want budget-friendly cabinets, it’s better to choose overlay cabinets as they offer a wide variety and a lower cost. However, if you don’t want anything other than inset cabinets and want them at a lower budget, look for stock inset cabinetry. They are not as favored because there are fewer size and finish options and could be less durable, but they do offer the inset cabinet appearance you desire on a budget.
Professional Installation Required
A reason why the cost of inset cabinets is higher is that they are not DIY-friendly and require professional installation. The crafting and installation process of inset cabinets requires precision and skill to ensure the cabinet door sits flush with the frame without sticking or gaps between the doors and frame larger than required.
So, there is little to no room for error and any mistake can ruin the appearance and functionality of the cabinets. Moreover, improper installation or not considering the wood movement during installation can lead to misalignment issues, so the door will begin sticking in some time, which will make fetching something from the cabinets a frustrating experience instead of a convenience.
Difficult To Repair
Inset cabinets require professional installation and this also means that they are difficult to repair. The doors need to be precisely in their positions. If they are damaged and you want to repair them, it will require a skilled craftsman because if not repaired properly, any slight misalignment will be visible and throw off the entire look of the cabinets.
Plus, if you go for concealed hinges, they are usually more difficult to repair or replace. Also, sanding the doors needs to be precise as well because the door has to sit flush with the face frame. Over-sanding the door will give off a strangely bad appearance.
As the repair needs a skilled worker, the repair cost of inset cabinets is also higher compared to overlay cabinets.
Reduced Storage
This is not a huge concern, but it’s still worth mentioning that inset cabinets offer slightly less storage capacity than traditional cabinets of the same size. The reason is that the door is aligned with the frame in the cabinet box, so the door’s width takes up a bit of space inside the cabinet, leading to lower storage.
If you want kitchen or bathroom cabinets with maximum storage, frameless cabinets are better, but they are also expensive. So, a good, balanced option would be overlay cabinets.
Conclusion
Inset cabinets offer a premium and classic appearance, but they can be more expensive than traditional overlay cabinets and are not DIY-friendly. Consult a 1951 cabinetry dealer MD to take a look at various cabinet options and pick the right one.
