Here's the link to my inspiration.

Here is a link that might be useful: Off white inspration kitchen

I don't think those are inset cabinets. See how the doors and drawers have no frame around them in some places above and below? You can definitely achieve that look with full overlay doors and trim applied in the right places. Do a search for rmkitchen's gorgeous kitchen.

Hi Peg! Glad to see you back! I LOVE your inspiration kitchen. I remember looking at some of the threads of you and Rhome working out a floor plan opening into another room. Are you still thinking that way? Either way I absolutley love your new inspiration photo's!

Nice choice! I agree with Erika...Just the right feet, etc., and no one will really notice the difference. It partly depends on which elements and details speak to you in particular, or if you can be happy with the general impression. If you want the vertical pieces between cabs, though, I think you'll lose a lot of space.

Hi Marybeth1 and rhome410!,

It's nice to be back. We've had some setbacks. You are right the layout rhome410 did is the one with the wall partially removed.

Marybeth1, I've been waiting to see you're finished kitchen. What I have seen so far I absolutely love! It's even better with the custom cabs and beautiful granite. I'm sure you are thrilled. If you have new photos I would love to see!

Rhome410, glad to see you chime in with erikanh on the cabinets. You guys must have better eyes than I do. I've been struggling to figure out the details so I can talk to the custom cabinet maker about these cabs. I think we are ready to move forward and think like you said rhome410 I would be happy with the finishes, textures, etc that I could adapt this to my smaller space and be happy. The kitchen is way over the top large and beautiful in the inspration photo. But I do love the finishes combination and cabinet style.

The only concern I have is my trim is white and these cabinets are painted lambswool, a warm very off white. Probably even darker than off white. I need to pick up a paint chip but we don't have this paint in town so I'll have to check it out when we make a trip to the city.

Any ideas on exactly what makes these cabinets have the look the do would be appreciated. For those of you with a trained eye.

Thanks for the input I would have swore they were inset, but I see what you mean.

Hey mpeg!

I bet they are frameless. Someone was recently asking about doing faux inset with frameless and this is a primo example. If you look closely you can see that all the wide vertical fillers between the boxes have horizontal seams where they meet the crown at the top or the bottom cover panels (typical of frameless the vertical seams where the boxes meet the filler are hidden by the doors making it all look like one piece). I also like that the glass cabinets don't have colour matched interiors. Just guessing but I bet rhome410's DH might have a particular appreciation for the great work this guy did.

This kitchen has nice elements that would look terrific transferred to a smaller space.

It's my guess you're resonating with the color and mass more than any particular detail.

I think the toe kicks, the light rail and crown are important. They placed a small molding at the bottom of the wall cabinets before or on top of the light rail and on the custom made toes kicks. Possibly the range hood and having at least one full height glass door cabinet is important. I think balancing the lightness of the cabinets with a coffee color (counter, backsplash and hardware) works well.

I do not think the "fake insetness" is important at all. I also don't think the small glass front cabinets are important to the look. Those tiny cabinets are pretty pricey for their storage capacity. If its more within your budget to get taller uppers instead of stacked uppers, I think it will work out fine.

You aren't going to find paint like that. It's a combination of a slightly dark off-white linen color and a whole lotta incandescent bulbs shining on it. They may have added an artistic effect to the shots or it may be wavy glass shades creating the little patterns.

Hi Caryscott!

I think you may be right. But I fail to understand how the would work, making frameless appear inset. Wouldn't that be like adding a frame to the frameless????? You really have an eye for detail. I think the glass is seeded, did you say they don't have color matched interiors? I didn't even notice. That's why I need your help!

Thanks for chiming in. Very valuable input. I've got to go back and try to see the interiors now.

I agree with everything Bmore said. I especially want to say that I think you should always get color chips and view them with the lighting in your space, rather than choose by how a color looks on a kitchen in a photo. I have no problem with different white on the cabinets than on your house's trim, but you have to be a little careful. Close to the same color can look the same and blend nicely, look like shades of the same color, or look like a mistake. One white may look dirty or pink next to another. Something like mixing the right white and the right cream with an obvious difference, even if it's not drastically different, can be nice and give each their own personality. This is getting wordy, because it's kind of hard to explain...Mostly, I'm saying put samples, as large as possible, in your house with the white you already have in order to choose the color for your own kitchen.

bmorepanice,

Thanks for the insight. You are so right about the little details on the toe kick and light rails. That adds a nice finishing touch.

I'm also glad you think the fake frameless is not important, with a small space it's not so practical.

I do like the seeded glass and that would be nice incorporated else where.

I think I've finally landed on a style I like that I think I could live with for a long time. That feels really good and I can't thank you all enough for helping with these suggestions.

This site is really better that any kitchen designer I've met! You guys are good at this!

Any thing else that you think of that could make this work would be greatly appreciated.

rhome410,

You are so right and that is the million dollar question for me right now. Will that color work with my trim. It all works together in that home but the trim is painted the same color in that house. So it could look off or it could look intentional in my home. I probably should buy a little of the paint and do a nice swatch or even paint a cabinet door with it. I am just sure that it will be quite different from my trim as it is just plain white. But to see the tone like you said is important. I wouldn't want it to look pink, I think it is going to be a very off white even linen as bmorepanic said. I just can't even imagine what that would look like with the white trim. If anyone has mixed trim and painted cabinets in different tones please chime in or if you have picture that would be great.

Thanks!

Did you see this old thread linked below? It might help you feel a little more confident about mixing whites.

Here is a link that might be useful: Previous thread about matching or not matching cabinets to trim

Rhome410,

Thanks that does help. Now I'll just have to get the paint chip and go from there. Glad to know mixing is ok. Oh the things we stress about!

Couldn't agree more that the type of cabinet construction isn't important. Your exactly right you sort of build a box around the actual cabinet box. Because Ikea only has 2 box colours they do this but on a much less elaborate scale - most of their wood finishes require finish panels that conceal the birch\white melamine boxes on the bottoms and side. Crown Point also often does this with there frameless for different reasons. I'm looking forward to seeing how you interpret this kitchen in your space.

caryscott,

I can't wait to see either but don't always have confidence in my interpretation. You are so right the insides are stained and boxes made of alder to match the alder island. I read that some where. Yes it seems like building a frame around frameless defeats the purpose but if you have the ooom and they do it sure looks nice. I've just never seen that done before.

What do you guys think about doing a slate subway in a brick pattern instead of the smaller 4" slate backsplash. Maybe it wouldn't look so busy in a smaller space. I don't know if this would really make a huge difference. It would be a different look but still the same color tones and texture.

I think it's personal preference...I happen to like brick-shaped better, but I'm not sure about it if you plan to do the square on diagonal behind the stove as they show.

I think the kitchen you used for an inspiration is wonderful, and if I were in your shoes, I would look to duplicate it as much as I could. You may have eight-foot ceilings not ten, so you would have to make some adjustments that way. And if your kitchen is very small, you would have to make other changes. But, as a cabinetmaker, I feel very strongly that a lot of the look you so admire is because those are faceframe cabinets with inset doors and doors. It would cost a bit more to have that done, but, on the other hand, if you're going to paint them, you would only need paint-grade cabinets, so you could save money that way.

In terms of how much space you "give up," it's really not that much. For the upper cabinets, you simply have a lip around the cabinets. The interior space is the same. You do lose a little storage space for your drawers when they're set into faceframe cabinets, but again, it's not an outrageous amount. Assuming you use very generous two inch faceframes, you would lose a total of two inches-and-a-half in width.

I have an absolute postage stamp kitchen that will, for a lot of reasons, be the same size after I've remodeled it, but I will use the same style of cabinetsÂfaceframe with inset doors and drawers because I like the richness of the look.

A kitchen is more than a place to store things. It is the heart of almost any home, and you should design it to look the way you want it to look. You will be in that room every day of your life after it's finished. Why not design something that gives you a boost every time you enter it?

Here is a link that might be useful: Cabinet & Furniture Trends & Information

Peg, I love the brick pattern. I am working on my back-splash. I am thinking of a tumbled travertine 3x7 or 8 (I can't remember) but I am stuck on an accent tile. That's why I haven't posted in a while. I don't want to rush it so I might just paint. That said I don't think there is anything wrong with putting your own twist on your inspiration picture, It will kind of put your signature on it. I would wait and see how the kitchen progresses once your cabinets and granite are in you will get a whole new insight into how it looks in YOUR SPACE. Does that make sense? Anyway by the time I got to the back-splash my brain was so fried on making decisions I took a break I did not want to rush just to get it done and for it to just look like an afterthought.

joseph7505,

I'm so glad you put a name with the style of cabinets. Faceframe with inset doors. What kind of an issue would the bu with corners? Would you love lots of space in a U shape with two corners?

I too love the richness of that look. I'll have to do some research to see if I can find more cabinets in this style. I have frames in my cabinets as is partial over lay.

Are they very difficult to make?

Thank you so much for your input that really helps!

marybeth1,

I just saw the link to your kitchen photos on another thread. Very classic and timeless, I think it sounds like you are on the right track with your backsplash, don't rush it. You are right about waiting to see how things progress. For me I just have to have a paln going in if that makes sense or it drives me crazy.

rhome410 Not sure about the tile pattern above the stove but I do like that. I thought the brick subway would be a bit simpler and a little less busy. I need to find a kitchen with the brick slate backsplash and see what it looks like.

Peg,
Great Inspiration. I agree this is Stunning.
Definitely get paint chips and bring them home to
look at in your own lighting.
The kitchen can easily be copied, the key is what
is your favorite aspect. And then from there pull
together the other features.

It might not be the Lambs wool color so much
as the cabinet style and details.
And the lighting combined with the tile backsplash,
the warmth of the cabinets... So much to consider.
Copying the cabinets can be done and I agree with
Joseph7505, you will need to make some adjustments
to fit your space. It will look great. You can do it!
~Boxerpups

hmmm, I could be totally wrong but I don't think those cabinets are faceframe with inset doors. I'm pretty sure they're frameless, like Caryscott said. Here are my faceframe cabinets with inset doors/drawers:

See how there is space all around and between the doors and drawers -- top, bottom, left, right? My drawers don't "touch" -- there's frame between one drawer and the one below it. The drawers in your inspiration kitchen "touch" -- there's no space or frame between one drawer and the one below it.

Here's a frameless kitchen by Crown Point. They've added some trim to the cabinets to mimic a recessed look without sacrificing space:

{{!gwi}}

Boxerpups,

Thanks for the encouragement!
I think a lot off the appeal
has to do with the style of
the cabinets. Also the mix
of finishes and how they work
together.

That's one reason I posted
trying to figure out the cabinets.
Also I thought others might enjoy
the photos and get ideas from it.
I appreciate the help! Lots of
kitchen remodeling experience
on this site.

erikanh,

I think you are absolutely right!

I've looked those photos over and
yours. There is a definite difference.
That has been part of my challenge trying
to figure out how they are made. Now to
find an experienced cabinet maker that
wants to make cabinets like this. That may
be a challenge also. Or at least try to
achieve the look without wasting space.

So then is the frame on frameless cabinets
just wasted empty space?

The frame does take up space, which is why many people with smaller kitchens who may like the framed look opt for frameless anyway so that they don't lose that precious extra space. For example, my cabinet door sits inside the box instead of outside of it, so I lose 3/4" (the thickness of my door) of space inside the cabinet. My drawer fronts are even thicker -- 1 1/2" -- so every drawer has 1 1/2" less space inside than a comparable frameless drawer. Hope that makes sense.

I knew I was going to lose some space, but I loved the look of the faceframe inset cabinets so much, and my kitchen is pretty big.

Here is rmkitchen's kitchen. She has frameless cabinets but her kitchen reminds me of your inspiration kitchen because her cabinetmaker used trim to make her doors/drawers appear inset. She wanted to get maximum usage of space.

Maybe you can make another post asking people for more pictures of frameless cabinets made to look inset?

Good luck!

E

Inset means the doors and drawers are flush with the cabinet face. A face frame is a frame attached to the face of the cabinet box. The cabinets in the picture are frameless boxes with vertical dividers to mimic an inset fraceframe look. To me the proportions are off. Especially the thin 3/4 bottom of the upper cabinets adjacent the cooktop where you can see the seam. The overall look of the kitchen isn't bad. Although it seems to be shot through some sort of filter. I've done cabinets with trim pieces between and below the boxes so you don't lose space inside the box itself. Wm Ohs does this look well.

erikanh,

I love the love of faceframe inset cabinets too. I really can't afford to lose the space. So I'm in a quandry about how to get this look and have all the details and at the sane time be practical and save space.

Love rmkitchen that you posted.

It's always a dilemma just when I think I get if figured out what I am going to do then I'm back to square one. Still like the style and colors together.

Peg, Here is a pic a a backsplash I had saved a while back. Thought it might help you visualize a slate brick like pattern. Hope you get this I am up way too late.

Hey Marybeth1.......thanks I've been meaning to do a search for that and got sidetracked.

I can see from this photo that it would give it a completely different look all together.

I finished my kitchen redesign recently and now I wish I had taken before and after photos. I also have the white cabinets.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Photo Gallery