Types of Cabinet Door Upgrade Ideas

These come by another name and can often be called a slab panel because it has no surface detail. Other than the color of wood that’s used, it may also be a smooth laminate on top. While this type of panel is rather plain looking on the surface, there are plenty of good reasons why it can be used to get a dynamic and sleek look in your kitchen.

If you’re a fan of the IKEA style of kitchen cabinetry, this is certainly a modern or contemporary level choice for remodeling. It helps to give the appearance of sleek minimalist lines that run along the kitchen wall or alongside the countertop. To create more smoothness, many of these doors will have spring-loaded hinges that allow you to open them with ease.

You might otherwise choose a handle that is thinner to give these smooth exterior finishes more of a streamlined appearance. These panel slabs are best when the surface is semi-gloss to mirror finish for a futuristic (WOW) effect.

Among the most popular choices for most kitchens include recessed panels. These are also called shaker frames because of the way they are built and designed. They are often made from a 4-piece frame shape with a decorative centerpiece inside that frame.

These are perfect for country kitchens and rustic designs, but also an excellent choice for traditional kitchens to boot. These cabinet doors offer a timeless look for your kitchen no matter what theme you’re going for. These panels also have plenty of elegance that lends perfectly to transitional, contemporary, and modern kitchen design.

There is no going wrong with raised panel doors since the versatile appeal blends in with nearly every kitchen type you choose. The only difference is with selecting the finishes that will best match your décor style.

There are three types of overlays which include the full, inset, or partial design. This is how a cabinet door is hung on the outside or inside of a cabinet frame. They are more about function than they are meant for visual aesthetics, however, this can be very deceiving if you aren’t careful.

Overlays are the cornerstone of getting a particular look created rather than how the cabinet door is attached. Modern kitchens rely heavily on overlays to create a seamless appearance between door fittings. A full overlay is better to reduce gaps between each door while a partial overlay gives you plenty of room for exterior hinges and more traditional appeal.

Inset doors are perhaps the easiest to spot since they’re the best fitting choice for country or colonial kitchens. Using the inset door style provides a professional old-fashioned charm that allows doors to sit flush within a frame rather than standing out.

These decorative touches are best achieved for door frames that are intended to stand out and get immediate attention. They do fall into specific categories and don’t apply to modern or transitional kitchen doors too well. When you want to put more effort into visual appeal, accent frames are the best way to go.

Accent panels

These will include beadboard, lattice, and louvered to name a handful of options that offer various accent patterns. All of these are great for traditional, country, rustic, and transitional kitchens. When you’re going for a particular appearance that is related to Mediterranean or colonial, these are an absolute must. You can achieve a tropical or deep southern look by using louvered or lattice panels that allow air to better circulate in cabinets.

Beadboard panels in particular are universal and will fit into any kind of kitchen setting. It can work well for Scandinavian design all the way through modern farmhouse up through contemporary. There is no limit to making beadboard work for your kitchen cabinets.

Glass frame

Installing glass framed doors isn’t a new idea and has been around since colonial kitchens. This is where you’ll typically see Mullion frames where smaller pieces of glass are inset into a wooden-frame lattice. These pieces of glass can be etched, frosted, and colored. More often the elegance comes from clear glass so you can see into the cabinet to show off décor wine glasses or objects of interest.

Many of the best ideas can work in any type of kitchen to create elegant features or streamlined beauty. Using glass doors is a great way to give your kitchen the appearance of looking larger than it really is. Other times, glass cabinets create the picture-perfect setting that will show off your kitchen in a transparent fashion.

Cabinet doors and cabinets in general will have an infinite number of finish options to bring out the beauty that you’re looking to create. Colors play such an important role in making your kitchen more inviting and can ultimately enhance your mood when certain colors are used. Another layer that makes these colors more attractive will be the glaze or finish that’s added to the final cabinet for additional effect.

Just by playing with certain finishes, you can create realistic rustic effects for a country kitchen or the upscale elegance of modern and transitional kitchens. Don’t forget that the right finish will protect cabinet doors from scratches and help wood surfaces to be properly sealed. The type of finish you choose will also increase the ability to clean these surfaces with ease using a soft cloth or kitchen sponge.

The very last addition to any cabinet is adding hinges, knobs, and handles. While there are many new options to install sliding door hinges, outside decorative hinges will add classic charm in addition to old-fashioned function. It’s much easier to select handles that are best suited to match the type of doors you’re installing too. You would never mistake ornate cast iron rustic handles for the ones that are used for modern polished aluminum rail handles.

The choice is always better when you can see many options, but don’t be afraid to mix and match to get a unique appearance that helps cabinet door frames look their best.