Full Overlay Cabinets

On a standard overlay cabinet the door covers about half the frame, leaving a wide band of wood showing between the doors. Full overlay narrows that band to a quarter of an inch.

Kitchens that want a clean modern look without going fully frameless. It is the practical middle choice: you get an elevation that reads as mostly door, and the frame behind it gives the cabinet a strong front edge on wide openings, tall pantries and anywhere the run takes daily knocks.

The frame is solid hardwood fixed across the front of the cabinet. It stiffens the opening, gives the hinges something solid to screw into, and gives the installer something to trim against when a wall is not straight. The trade-off is a slightly narrower opening than frameless, which most people never notice, and it is why full overlay is still the construction we build most often.

The doors nearly touch, so the hinges have to swing each one clear of its neighbour. We use hidden soft-close hinges rated for the weight of the door and keep the gaps even across the run. Handles need enough depth to grip without your knuckles catching the next door, and we check that against your chosen hardware at the design stage.