RTA cabinets are easier to choose from once the different styles are understood. By examining the different doors, the design will be much easier. Cabinet doors are the introduction to your cabinets and help create a first impression of your kitchen. Doors not only add functionality to your cabinets, they also add beauty and come in many different styles. The hard part is knowing which style is which and how each affects the overall design. Let’s take a look at the different doors.
A Shaker style door – This style expresses simplicity and tradition. The doors have a raised outer panel. Edges are sharp and defined with no wavy curves or details. Rectangular doors sit flat against cabinets for a simple, clean look.
One Raised Panel Shaker Style Door – The raised vibrating door has the same frame and a raised panel in the center. This style is very common and is a popular choice for many cabinets.
A full overlay door- Overlapping cabinet doors are designed so that the door and drawer fronts completely cover the front frames. When closed, almost no part of the frame is exposed, including the hinges. Knobs and pulls are essential with this style because there is little to no space between doors and drawers. These doors are a great option if you are trying to update your kitchen without the cost of a full rehab. As long as your old cabinets are structurally sound, new doors will make them look like new cabinets.
A half overlay door- Also known as a regular, traditional, standard, or partial overlay door. A semi-overlay door exposes a good amount of the cabinet base. This option is usually less expensive, since it leaves the hardware exposed and requires fewer materials. There is also no need to press knobs and pulls.
A framed door This style has the door with a frame attached to the outside of the cabinet and provides support and structure to the door panel. Frameless doors are considered European-style and have the door panel resting almost completely against the cabinet.
A mullion door- Mullion cabinet door panels feature glass panels with wood-patterned overlays. It looks a lot like a window. Having glass panels allows you to see the content and add a specific design element.
A raised panel door- With this, the center of the door panel is raised. Often the perimeter also has a matching raised look. With this, there are many creative options as they can be quite elaborate in design and require a high level of craftsmanship.
A slab door Slab doors are a single piece of material with no trim. It can be made of wood, laminate, metal or MDF. Simplicity offers a taste of clean, contemporary design.
Many companies will sell just one cabinet door, so buying a sample door and seeing it in the actual space will make the final decision easier. This provides a great perspective of the quality and allows the consumer to visualize the product in the space. RTA cabinets are easy to install and cost effective.