Inset and overlay are the two main ways of building kitchen cabinets in the kitchen industry. Inset is generally more expensive and fancier but overlay is a lot more common and is priced lower as it’s easier to build and looks great!
The main differences between the two is the way the doors and drawer faces’ are positioned. Overlay doors/drawers are on top of the cabinet face hiding a lot of the cabinet, versus inset when they are set into the cabinet face for a flush clean look showing the clean lines between the face of the cabinet and the doors/drawer faces. When they are inset you can always see the entire cabinet face frame.
Overlay
Inset
Design
Design wise some people prefer the inset look and others prefer the overlay, but it depends on your budget and what you prefer overall. At Jacobean Kitchens we do a mix of both styles, most kitchens are overlay which blends pricing and style very well together.
Full versus partial overlay
When choosing overlay instead of inset there are two different overlay options: full overlay or partial overlay. Most of our kitchens are partial overlay at 5/8″ overlaying on to the face frame. Below is a chart showing full versus partial overlay.
Pros and Cons
Are there drawbacks to either options? One is inset can lose a little interior space as the drawers and doors get set into the cabinet. Overall the experience should be similar.
In Summary
The key takeaway is how the door and drawer faces are positioned in relation to the cabinet face frame. Inset doors/drawers are flush with the cabinet face, it can give you a more fancy traditional high end look at a higher cost. Overlay is when the doors as set in front of the cabinet, design wise full overlay can give you a more modern but also high end look at cheaper cost.
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