Installing kitchen cabinets smooth and solo

As part of the Euro-style invasion of America, cabinets with sleek, smooth fronts made from laminates, glass, or metal became popular—all of which require frameless construction. Frameless cabinets are usually, but not always, associated with slab cabinet doors.

It is increasingly possible to find frameless cabinets with traditional style doors, such as raised panel, arch panel, Shaker, or cathedral. Because there is no center stile interrupting the space covered by double cabinet doors, you can slide shelves straight into the open cabinets. This may sound like a minor advantage—until you have tried to navigate a large shelf into a framed cabinet with a face frame that limits access. For this reason, frameless cabinets are sometimes known as full-access cabinets.

Because there is no face frame to create a lip around the cabinet openings, it is much easier to store appliances such as restaurant-quality food processors, juicers, or bread machines in frameless cabinets. Frameless cabinets with the edges of doors and drawers butted nearly flush provide an elegant, sleek look in a kitchen—a look that is impossible to achieve with framed cabinets where frames are always visible. When slab doors are chosen for frameless cabinets, the seamless look is complete.

Because frameless shelves have no frames to form lips around the cabinet openings, the doors can be omitted entirely to provide open-shelf storage. Hinges are less reliable since they are mounted to sidewalls that are often made from MDF rather than hardwood frames. Hinges on frameless cabinets may need continual adjusting in order to keep the doors straight and the cabinet fronts looking symmetrical. Cabinets may be harder to install since exact precision is essential to the modern look.

There is a smaller tolerance for error with frameless cabinets, which means that DIYers may find them harder to install, especially in rooms where walls and floors are slightly out of square. Frameless cabinets are less sturdy than framed cabinets. The hardwood face frame on framed cabinets serves to greatly reinforce the sidewalls to which they are anchored—an advantage that is missing from frameless cabinets.

Frameless cabinets, especially economy types, may not last as long as framed cabinets. Frameless cabinets are popular and trendy and often will cost more. It can give new life to tired cabinets, and is far less costly. The hardest part? Choosing the right paint and paint brand for your cabinets.

Gloss or semi-gloss? Oil or latex? Scroll on for the best brands of kitchen cabinet paint. If you want to paint your cabinets white, one of the best paints you can use is Valspar Pro Contractor Coat, an alkyd enamel or oil-based paint.

This professional-grade paint is great for trim, cabinets, and other accents, especially because its high-gloss finish easily wipes clean and keeps its shine, even after being washed multiple times. Valspar Pro Contractor Coat has excellent flow and leveling, which results in an incredibly smooth, uniform finish, and it can be brushed or sprayed on.

Plus, this affordable paint is easy to apply and has a beautiful finish. Most importantly, it is easy to clean, which is a requirement when selecting paint for kitchen cabinets. Kokoskie , Interior Designer. This line of paints is designed for high-traffic surfaces such as doors and trim, and you can choose from dozens of Sherwin-Williams colors and custom tints, as well as satin, semi-gloss, and gloss finishes.

Semi-gloss is the best choice for durability, as it can withstand frequent cleaning, and reviewers say the Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel delivers smooth, consistent coverage with just two or three coats. In fact, most stains wipe clean with water or mild soap. It also has advanced stain-blocking technology to seal in stains already on your walls.

This line of paint is available in a variety of colors, including both neutral and bold shades. For example, Stiffkey Blue is perfect for making a statement in your kitchen or dining room. For a more traditional approach, opt for a color like Ammonite , which is a soft and understated gray.

This water-based product delivers a durable finish that resists dirt, grime, and mildew, and it dries quickly, allowing you to recoat in just two hours. It provides a sleek and radiant sheen that is perfect for both high-traffic areas and high-moisture areas. Reviewers like that this paint is low-odor and easy to apply, but several note that it takes quite a few coats of paint to completely cover dark materials.

Another popular paint finish is satin, which is a good middle ground between flat and glossy paint. This brand of paint has superior adhesion, allowing you to paint over a variety of difficult surfaces, such as polyurethane and varnish, without primer, and its excellent flow and leveling will give you a smooth, professional-looking finish.

Insl-x Cabinet Coat dries to a durable satin finish that resists chipping, scuffing, grease, and water, making it easy to clean and an ideal choice for kitchen cabinets. However, it does take several coats to fully cover darker surfaces.

This line of paint comes in a wide range of muted colors, and it delivers a smooth, velvety matte finish that creates a more rustic look on your cabinets. This water-based chalk paint can be applied to almost any surface without primer, and it provides great coverage so that you can use fewer coats.

If your cabinets are worn or dated, they might need more than just a coat of paint. The Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformations is a multi-step DIY cabinet transformation system that will help to totally redo your cabinets, making them look as good as new.

It includes all the supplies you need to cover up to square feet of cabinets, and you can choose from white, gray, or espresso finishes. The first step in the Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformations kit is a de-glosser that saves you from having to sand or prime previously finished surfaces. Next, you apply two layers of the tinted bond coat, which provides maximum adhesion. And finally, you top it off with a durable, protective topcoat, which makes the surface scratch-resistant and gives your cabinets a satin finish.

Reviewers love that this cabinet transformation kit is so affordable and includes everything you need to completely redo kitchen cabinets. This is why we offer a wide-range of cabinet door options and designs to fit every home and lifestyle.

We will bring your dreams to life so that you can enjoy your haven for years to come, and remember motherknowsbest. Your home and the rooms within it should perfectly reflect your personality. Our door profiles range in shape, detail, finish, and color. Mother really does know best.

We take the time and put in the effort to ensure every aspect of our products are well-made, top quality, and meant to last. Adam Hollohan. At home?