Inset Cabinets

Every door is fitted individually, and the gap around it has to allow for the wood expanding and contracting through the year. That hand-fitting time is the whole premium.

Traditional and craftsman homes, and anywhere the cabinets should look like furniture rather than fitted units. It is also the right answer when the new work has to sit next to original trim in an older house.

Plain inset leaves a flat frame around the door, which looks slightly cleaner and more modern. Beaded inset adds a fine rounded molding around the opening, which casts a shadow line and looks more traditional. The molding has to be matched at every corner of every opening, so it costs more.

Wood expands and contracts through the year. A full overlay door can move a little without anyone noticing, because it sits over the frame. An inset door sits inside the opening, so the same movement shows in the gap. We allow for that when the door is fitted, and a properly fitted inset door stays even through the seasons.

Inset gives you a real choice of hinge: hidden ones for a cleaner look, or traditional exposed hinges that are part of the look and stay visible when the door is shut. Inset doors sit flush, so they always need a knob or a pull. There is no door edge to hook a finger behind.