Kitchen Cabinetry Terms:

Construction Terms

Plywood:

**Layers of wood veneer glued together, alternating the wood grain for added stability

Particle board: (also referred to as standard construction or furniture board)

**Wood fibers glued and pressed together

MDF:(medium density fiberboard)

**Engineered wood composite, made by pressing fine wood fibers mixed with binders. Denser and stronger than particleboard.

Finished end panels:

**Finished flat panels applied to the exposed ends of cabinetry so the sides of the cabinets match the color and wood species of the face frame, doors, and drawers of the cabinet.

Frameless: (Also referred to as full access)

**Cabinets without a face frame, relies on a thicker cabinet box for stability

Source: Masterbrand

Categories of Kitchen Cabinets

Stock: (sometimes referred to as builder grade)

**Ready made cabinets that are pre-manufactured in set sizes, styles, colors, and wood species. No customization available. Inexpensive and fast shipping

Semi Custom:

**Stock cabinets with extra customization options. Basic sizes still available but client has custom options such as changing certain dimensions, colors, styles, and wood species. Perfect way to get a kitchen designed to client’s tastes and preferences without the custom cost.

Custom:

**Cabinets are built to client’s specifications. Very few limitations on what can and can’t be done

Knock Down:

**Finished cabinets are shipped in flat boxes and assembled by the homeowner or contractor

Door and Drawer Terms

Veneer center panel:

**Center of door and drawers are mdf covered in a wood veneer. Great for painted cabinetry.

Solid center panel:

**Center of door and drawers are solid wood pieces glued together. Great for cabinets with rustic characteristics or woods like clear hickory and cherry to show off the natural variations of the wood

Soft close:

**Refers to hinges or drawer slides that eliminate “ slamming” of doors and drawers on cabinetry

Solid wood dovetail drawer box:

**Wood box is constructed with solid wood and held together by dovetail joinery. Dovetail is resistant to being pulled apart and resembles fingers intertwined.

Full depth shelving:

**24” depth shelves extend from back to front of the inside of the cabinet. Typically only half depth (12” ) are considered standard.

Standard overlay: (sometimes referred to as traditional overlay)

**Exposed face frame of at least 1.25” on all sides of the doors and drawers

Source: Masterbrand

Full overlay:

**Doors and drawers cover the face frame entirely. At first glance looks very similar to frameless cabinetry.

Inset:

**Doors and drawers fit inside the cabinet face frame

Photo by Camylla Battani on Unsplash

Thermofoil:

**A plastic material applied to an MDF core using heat

Decorative components

Decorative door ends:

**Decorative panels applied to the exposed ends of cabinets that match the the style and profile of the door style being used.

Source: Masterbrand

Mullions:

**Decorative bars in between panes of glass.Bars can be wood or metal and come in various designs

Source: Masterbrand

While there are quite a few more terms you may hear while cabinet shopping, these are the most common cabinetry terms you will come across. Study these cabinetry terms BEFORE you go cabinet shopping and I promise the side effects will be much much less painful.

Don’t forget to check out 7 Ways to Save on Your Kitchen Remodel !

Need help designing your dream kitchen or selecting the perfect cabinet? Book your design consult HERE!

Happy shopping,

Jessica