Top 5 Designer Cabinet Door Styles
Door styles can make or break the look of your cabinetry, and it's important to choose a style that complements the overall design aesthetic and enhances functionality. In this blog, we will explore the top five designer kitchen door styles currently dominating the industry.
Designer: Jennifer Robin Interiors | Woodside Main Bath
1) Slimline Shaker
A slimline shaker door style is a modern take on the classic shaker. It has a thinner frame than traditional shaker doors, giving it a sleeker and more contemporary look. The rail is usually 1/2” to 3/4” wide.
The slimline shaker door style is perfect for those who want a modern kitchen design but still appreciate the timeless look of a shaker door. The slimline frame allows for larger centre panels, which should be considered before selecting cabinet hardware. Due to the thinner rail size, hardware needs to be fastened to centre panel rather than the rail (unlike a traditional shaker).
In this inspiration photo a two-tone panel has been created with what appears to be an inset linen wallpaper with a slimline shaker door.
Designer: Studio McGee | PC Contemporary
2) Slab
Slab doors are a popular modern kitchen door style that features a single, flat panel without any frames or raised panels. They are often made from MDF, plywood, wood veneer, or high-pressure laminate and can be painted or stained. Our personal favourite is a slab door fabricated from wood veneer.
When fabricated in wood, the grain (flat cut or rift cut), creates texture, drama and beauty. This offers a sleek and minimalist look that works well in contemporary kitchens and wipes clean easily. This style is often favoured by architects and designers due to its compatibility with integrated or edge cabinet pulls.
This inspiration photos appears to feature a rift cut white oak door style with chunky, layered brass hardware.
Designer: Ali Budd Interiors | Rosedale Renovation
3) Applied Moulding
An applied moulding cabinet door style is a decorative and customizable option for kitchen cabinets. It features decorative moulding that is applied to the face of the door, and can be designed in terms of size, shape and quantity to create a dimensional look. The moulding is usually made of wood or MDF and is attached to the face of the door, creating a three-dimensional effect that draws the eye and creates visual interest.
The use of applied mouldings (on cabinets, furniture or walls) continues to be a hallmark of French-inspired design today, and is a popular choice for those who want to create an elegant and sophisticated look in their homes.
Designer: Ali Budd Interiors | Rosedale Heritage
4) Raised Bevel
A raised beveled cabinet door style features a door panel that is cut at an angle, creating a sloped edge around the perimeter of the door. The edge of the door panel is typically thinner at the top and bottom, with a wider, thicker section in the middle, which gives the door a distinctive, angled look.
This style is more commonly used as a feature and deliberated selected for certain spaces. It’s design can protrude deeper than a traditional door style and therefore needs to be accommodated for differently. To maximize the look of the raised bevel it’s rarely features standard surfaced mounted pulls - an invisible is better suited in this application.
The photograph showcases dramatic raised bevel drawer fronts that appear to be fabricated from a rift cut oak stained black.
Designer: Warm Welcome Design | Project Maple
5) Fluting or Reeding
A fluted or reeded cabinet door style is a type of cabinet door that features vertical grooves running the length of the panel. These grooves can be deep or shallow and are typically evenly spaced across the door panel. The main difference between fluting and reeding is the shape - fluting is characterized with a square shape and reeding is characterized with a round shape. Both rail types are very customizable and are dominating the cabinetry industry.
The grooves in this door style adds visual and physical texture which can creates interest and depth. There is no denying the personality this repetitive pattern brings to a space.
The image showcases a reeded detail inset in a traditional 2 1/2” shaker rail. Instead of using glass, the detail adds dimension to this otherwise simple bar.
