You may have heard the phrase “Inset” in reference to cabinets, but what exactly does that mean, and what can you expect with inset cabinets and their unique door overlays? Let’s take a closer look at this topic and explore why it has remained a popular choice over time.
Dura Supreme Cabinetry provides an extensive range of door styles, finishes, and construction options, including our Framed and Frameless cabinet construction options. Within our Framed product line, Crestwood Cabinetry, we offer three types of cabinet door overlays to meet the diverse needs of homeowners: Full Overlay, Standard Overlay, and Inset. In today’s blog we are going to take a closer look inset style of overlay doors.
Kitchen island design by Modern Mountain Cabinetry & Co of Loomis, California featuring inset cabinets by Dura Supreme.
The History of Inset Cabinetry Doors
Inset style cabinetry can be traced back to early construction methods of the Victorian and Georgian eras, created by artisans that hand-built framed cabinetry. The cabinet door and drawer front would be sized to fit inside the face frame of the cabinet, creating a flush appearance between the frame and doors/drawer fronts. It took precision joinery and sizing to create such pieces. When you look at some older, antique furniture, you may notice that many were built with the classic inset method of construction and often showcase high-quality and fine craftsmanship.
During this era it was also common to use furniture pieces for additional storage in the kitchen. This type of furniture was often referred to as ‘cupboards,’ and cabinet doors opened using simple barrel hinges and stayed closed using latches.
Replica of an original Hoosier style cupboard with inset cabinet doors.
An example of traditional barrel hinges and a latch on inset cabinet doors.
As kitchen designs evolved over the years, so did storage needs, which lead to creating permenant pieces in kitchens. Cupboards, or cabinets, were made to go wall to wall which created more storage as well as worksurfaces, while still incorporating the inset overlay style of the doors.
A throw-back to a 1940s kitchen with inset cabinet doors with exposed hinges and latched doors.
A throw-back to a 1950s suburban kitchen. Photo by Nancy Nolan.
Progress Without Compromise
Of course, kitchen trends have evolved over the years, and the art of cabinetmaking has changed along with it. With advancements in cabinetmaking, framed cabinets with doors that overlay the cabinet box—both Standard and Full Overlay—and frameless European design cabinets featuring full overlay doors have become common construction choices. However, cabinets with inset doors have remained tried and true in various regions of the US and are often seen as a premium choice in cabinetry design.
While traditional style doors remain a classic option for inset, you can also select transitional or contemporary style doors if desired.
Traditional Inset
Kendall Inset door shown in Hickory with a “Morel” stain.
Transitional Inset
Avery Inset door shown in “Canvas” paint
Contemporary Inset
Moda Inset door shown in Cherry with a “Sesame” stain.
How to Identify Inset Cabinetry
Dura Supreme Cabinetry’s inset cabinet doors are installed flush (integrated) within the face frame opening, leaving the entire 1½” face frame exposed. Typically, the inside edge of a standard face frame is either squared or has a slightly eased edge. With Dura Supreme, you have two options for the face frame: Flush or Beaded.
The Flush face frame features a square profile, offering a simple, clean, and modern look for the inset cabinet style. In contrast, the Beaded option includes a bead detail around the face frame openings, adding an extra design element that gives a more traditional appearance to the cabinetry.
Traditional Styled Inset Cabinets
Traditional inset cabinets reflect the craftsmanship of earlier cabinetry, typically associated with those who could afford such fine details. These doors feature raised center panels, elaborate molding, and decorative profiles that enhance their appearance, contributing to the overall richness of a room.
Today, inset cabinet doors are often used in older, historic homes undergoing restoration or in spaces where homeowners desire a more formal look, such as offices or libraries. They remain a popular choice in design, creating a sophisticated atmosphere. Additional elements like decorative corbels, brackets, stacked crown moldings, and turned posts further enhance their elegance.
The beautiful crown molding details and traditional mullion doors add to this inset cabinet design in this wet bar space. This design features Dura Supreme’s Chapel Hill Panel Inset door in the “Cyberspace” paint.
Kitchen design by Rebekah Moore Murphey of St. Louis, Missouri.
The traditional turned posts and decorative toe details add the finishing touches to this inset kitchen design. The Dura Supreme Cabinets feature the elegant Silverton Inset door in “White” paint.
Kitchen design by Lindsey Markel at Dillman & Upton of Rochester, Michigan.
The project below uses several design elements to create a warm and cozy kitchen with raised panel inset doors; decorative corbels, a wood hood, molding details, and mullion doors blend all the elements beautifully together in this two-tone kitchen. The designer used our Hawthorne Inset door featuring the beaded face frame option in the “Dove” paint with a “Platinum” glaze finish on the perimeter cabinets and Hickory with “Cappuccino” stain on the kitchen island and hood frieze.
Kitchen design by Aaron Mauk at Mauk Cabinets by Design of Tipp City, Ohio. Photo by Dawn Smith Photography.
Kitchen design by Aaron Mauk at Mauk Cabinets by Design of Tipp City, Ohio. Photo by Dawn Smith Photography.
A stunning design using Dura Supreme’s Kendall Panel Inset door style with “Silver Mist” paint on the perimeter cabinets, and Maple with a “Smoke” stain on the kitchen island.
Kitchen design by Rebekah Moore Murphy of Murphy & Moore of St. Louis, Missouri. Photo by Alise O’Brian Photography.
The project shown below is a beautiful example of a traditional style Inset kitchen design. The designer selected our Chapel Hill Panel Inset door style, featuring a beaded inset frame. The customized Personal Paint Match finish on the kitchen island cabinets, using Benjamin Moore’s “Wedgewood Gray” HC-146 paint color, complements the “White” painted cabinets, and decorative details such as paneled columns and cove moldings complete the design. All the design elements come tastefully together, creating a kitchen with a traditional, high-end look and feel, with all the modern conveniences.
Kitchen design by NVS Kitchen & Bath of Manassas, Virginia.
Kitchen design by NVS Kitchen & Bath of Manassas, Virginia.
Kitchen design by NVS Kitchen & Bath of Manassas, Virginia.
Transitional Styled Inset Cabinetry
Transitional inset styled doors are a perfect blend of old world charm with more modern trends. Doors are more simplified in look, with recessed center panels (typically) and little or no decorative accents. Often, there’s no beaded face frame to keep the lines simple and clean, which is why they can lean into both traditional and contemporary styles. Best of all, transitional door styles, even in an inset style, are timeless and will withstand many design trends! Just look at a shaker style, like our Carson or Hudson Inset doors, for cabinets that complement a wide range of designs and can withstand long-term changes as design trends evolve.
Transitional Inset styles blend so well with all of today’s design trends as well. Farmhouse sink or undermount? Pick either one. Pendant lighting with glass shades or metal? They both work! Gold or black hardware or fixtures? Why not do both and not stress!? Transitional styles are so easy breezy, and you can bring in so many different design elements to make the room your own.
The timeless style of our Hudson Inset shaker door in “Dove” paint and Quarter-Sawn White Oak with a “Coriander” stain. The mixed metals of all the fixtures, as well as the two-tone cabinetry, blend beautifully with everything!
Kitchen design by Pave & Co Design Gallery of Jacksonville, Florida. Photo by Polina Pigulevsky Photography
Modern aesthetics like floating shelves and metal shades on the island pendants create an on-trend living space in this kitchen that showcases our Hudson Inset door in “Linen White” paint and Red Oak with a “Pebble” stain.
Kitchen design by Amanda Barnhart of Modern Mountain Cabinet Co. of Loomis, California. Photo by Eleakis & Elder Photography.
Our Marley Inset door with a small decorative applied molding on the inside profile dresses up the door ever so slightly on this floating vanity featuring Knotty Alder inset cabinets with a “Harbor” stain.
Bathroom design by Ispiri Design Build + Remodel of Edina, Minnesota.
Another floating vanity design for those transitional vibes featuring our shallow shaker, Parker Inset door, in Quarter-Sawn White Oak with an “Alabaster” stain.
Bathroom design by Backdrop Interior Design of Laconia, New Hampshire. Photo by Fly Listed.
Modified shaker cabinet doors are great transitional door styles and this vanity features our Dempsey Inset door in “White” paint.
Bathroom design by Backdrop Interior Design of Laconia, New Hampshire. Photo by Fly Listed.
The design below features the timelessness of our Carson Inset shaker door in Quarter-Sawn White Oak with a “Coriander” stain. The warmth of the stain brings a coziness to the room without weighing it down, and blends with the other design elements like the arched doorway, sconces, black pendants, and floating shelves.
Kitchen design by McCormick Kitchens of Saugus, Massachusetts.
Kitchen design by McCormick Kitchens of Saugus, Massachusetts.
Kitchen design by McCormick Kitchens of Saugus, Massachusetts.
Contemporary Style Inset Cabinets
For contemporary doors that are offered with inset construction, we have our slab doors, Chroma and Moda. Chroma Inset is a solid HDF door that can be painted in any one of our standard or Curated Color Collection paints. Or you can choose to do a Personal Paint Match! Moda Inset is a veneered door available in Maple, Cherry, and Quarter-Sawn White Oak, and their respective stains. I’m also including our skinny shaker door, Reese Inset, because of it’s sleek, minimalistic design.
With our contemporary doors you still have a solid wood face frame that can be specified as plain or beaded. When you add the beading detail on a simple slab door, it just elevates the overall look and makes it so ‘extra!’ The project below did just that with Chroma Inset doors in Rock Bottom on the kitchen island cabinets that compliment the perimeter stained cabinets.
Kitchen design by Aaron Mauk at Mauk Cabinets by Design of Tipp City, Ohio.
Kitchen design by Aaron Mauk at Mauk Cabinets by Design of Tipp City, Ohio.
Adding Aluminum Frame Doors to Inset designs (which mixes the overlays) adds an extra dimension and texture to the contemporary look and feel of the kitchen, as seen in the photos below. Both feature the simple styling of our Reese door in inset.
This kitchen features the Reese Inset door style in “Dove” white paint and Quarter-Sawn White Oak with a “Sesame” stain paired with our Aluminum Framed Door Style #1 in “Onyx” matte black.
Kitchen design by Autograph Cabinetry & Design of Cornelius, North Carolina.
This kitchen design features Dura Supreme’s Reese Inset door in “White” paint paired with our Aluminum Frame Door Style #4 in “Onyx” matte black.
Kitchen design by KSI Kitchen & Bath of Birmingham, Michigan.
This kitchen design below has all the qualities of todays design trends that blend with the contemporary look of Reese Inset in a combination of Quarter-Sawn White Oak with a “Coriander” stain and “Evergreen Fog” paint from our Curated Color Collection. The design includes the popular yet timeless range alcove, open shelves, and decorative appliance panels on the fridge.
Kitchen design by Cedar Design + Build of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo by Chelsie Lopez.
As you can see Inset cabinets can work for any type of design look. If you love the look of inset doors and are looking to incorporate this type of cabinet overlay in your next project, contact your nearest Dura Supreme Designer who would love to help your dreams become reality!
Until next time, Be Well!
