There are two main styles of kitchen and bath cabinetry: framed, which may also be called face framed or traditional, and frameless or European.
Framed – In a framed cabinet, a separate piece called a “face” is attached to the front of the cabinet box and is visible between the cabinet doors and drawer fronts. The face frame is composed of rails (pieces running horizontally) and stiles (pieces that run vertically). The cabinet doors are attached directly to the face frame. The doors and drawer fronts may be fully inset (flush with the face frame), or partially or fully overlaid. Even when a full overlay is used, some of the face frame will be visible between the doors and drawer fronts and the space between cabinets may be visible as a wider gap if stock cabinetry is used in a stock or semi-custom installation. This is because stock cabinets with face frames are joined together in these types of installations and each individual cabinet has a width of stile along its outer edge. Joining two such cabinets together results in a double width stile between individual cabinets. This double width may restrict access to interior space. Fully custom face frame cabinets do not have this problem with double width stiles.
It may seem counterintuitive since another piece must be fabricated for framed cabinets, but this type of cabinetry tends to be less expensive as filler pieces can be used to fit stock cabinet sizes into the space available. While more economical in cost, the face frame can reduce the amount of space available in a kitchen or bath by up to 15%, which may be a consideration in a small space. When considering undermounted lighting in upper cabinetry, a framed construction will conceal the light, although a light rail may still be necessary.
Frameless – In a frameless style cabinet, the cabinet doors and drawers are attached directly to the box, which is not externally visible. There is no face frame. The spaces between the doors and drawer fronts are consistent across the cabinetry installation and there is no choice of inset or overlay style.
A frameless style installation may be more expensive because pieces often need to be custom fit or special ordered so that the boxes fit perfectly in the space. However, frameless style cabinets maximize the storage space available between boxes and within them, providing the full width and height of the cabinet for door openings and drawer fronts, increasing the storage space in your kitchen by up to 20%. If you are considering undermounted lighting on the upper cabinets of a kitchen, the lights will be fully visible unless a light rail is used or the upper doors are used to conceal the lights.