Demystifying Cabinet ‘Lingo’

Brooks Brothers Cabinetry Uncategorized

What is the difference between Inset, Partial Overlay and Full Overlay?

Inset: The face of an inset cabinet door or drawer is in the same plane as the leading edge of the cabinet box. The inset also reduces space inside the cabinet, which means smaller drawers and hardware that requires extra blocking in the box.

Partial Overlay: Partial overlay doors and drawers are mounted over the face of the box, covering the opening completely and partially covering the finished face frame.

Full Overlay: Full overlay or Euro-style cabinet doors. The most modern iteration is a full overlay, meaning that the door or drawer face completely overlays the box — it covers not just the opening but the entire face of the box.