Framed Kitchen Cabinets or Unframed?

billinghamn

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on my quandary:

• We are looking for a new kitchen and we are assessing all the normal kitchen suppliers (Wickes, B&Q, Benchmarx, Wren's and Magnet)
• We have chosen a shaker, solid wood style, so all good to go: Wickes Heritage Bone; Benchmarx equivalent is Dovedale; B&Q is Carrisbrook White; Magnet was dumped since it couldn't do curved base units in a framed style; Wren's don't do framed cabinets so we are looking at Alasbaster Timber
• We have got some very competitive quotes, and all of them are price matching against each other

We have two issues still to resolve: the main one is whether we go for framed cabinets or frameless cabinets (obviously depending on the answer will lead us to one kitchen range or another).

My view on this is that framed cabinets look the business; they look far higher quality and just finishes the kitchen off really nicely. When you open the doors you get the feeling that the cabinets have been specially made and it's not a mass produced item. My wife's view is a far more practicle one: she is concerned about having to lift stuff over a lip in the cabinet. For goodness sake I say!

I just hate the idea that we are compromising on quality, and it will do my head in if I have to accept anything less than the best. I know I won't use the kitchen as much as my missus, but can anyone else relate to this? Am I being completely irrational about this?

mogwai

Hi - I am the same as you, I just love the look of inframe kitchens and have just ordered Heritage bone and grey and melbourne ranges from wickes (mix of ivory, green and oak). If she is so concerned why don't you visit a showroom and they usually have bits like vases, pots and pans lying around that you can put inside and see how difficult it is to lift out.

I didnt try this, I just hope it doesnt bother me in the future!

Having said that wickes does do the same range in a frameless style, cant remember the name, tiverton or similar, and I think Benchmarx do this too.

Whatever you get remember to haggle LOADS - we got around 70% off unit prices at wickes.

billinghamn

Hi - thanks for your advice - cant agree more about haggling.

We have managed to get a quote of 8k for cabinets and accessories only (no granite or appliances) which was supposedly after all of the discounts etc down to 4.8k, and all the suppliers have price matched to it, so happy days...

leveller2911

billinghamn wrote: »

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on my quandary:
My view on this is that framed cabinets look the business; they look far higher quality and just finishes the kitchen off really nicely. When you open the doors you get the feeling that the cabinets have been specially made and it's not a mass produced item. My wife's view is a far more practicle one: she is concerned about having to lift stuff over a lip in the cabinet. For goodness sake I say!

I just hate the idea that we are compromising on quality, and it will do my head in if I have to accept anything less than the best. I know I won't use the kitchen as much as my missus, but can anyone else relate to this? Am I being completely irrational about this?

If there is a lip at the base of the cupboard and you have to lift objects over it then its poor design.There is no reason why the top of the face frame can't be set flush to the base of the unit.

Re:"Accepting anything less than the best" I'm afraid you won't get top quality from the likes of Magnet,Benchmarks,Wickes and B&Q , they are budget kitchens compared to top end,top spec bespoke manufacturers so I really woudn't worry. FWIW I prefer a framed kitchen on traditional styles but on modern contempory styles I think they look better with overlay doors so horses for coarses.

phill99

leveller2911 wrote: »

If there is a lip at the base of the cupboard and you have to lift objects over it then its poor design.There is no reason why the top of the face frame can't be set flush to the base of the unit.
.

The carcasses are 18mm and the frames are about 50mm. By default the frames can't sit flush with the cabinets.

Lifting stuff over the frame will be a pain.

Steve_the_fitter

If you use the right supplier they do sit flush with the bottom of the cabinet. The frame then sits below the unit. Much better way of fitting the inframe

leveller2911

phill99 wrote: »

The carcasses are 18mm and the frames are about 50mm. By default the frames can't sit flush with the cabinets.

Lifting stuff over the frame will be a pain.

When we make a framed kitchen we simply set the face frame out so the top finishes flush with the floor of the base unit.You can simply slide objects out. If it has a lip its poor design, it doesn't take any longer to make.

Another example with face-frames is if you make the face frame posts(uprights) 38 mm wide and set them out so the inside face of the face-frame finishes flush with the inside of the carcase side, that allows you to fit an 18mm decor end on the outside of the unit.That way there are no lips to hit with objects when your pulling them out.