Partial Overlay Cabinets in new kitchen to match rest of house?

13 years ago

We have custom partial overlay builts in in our study and living room in the same traditional style (raised panel painted white) and made by the same cabinet maker. We have also it in our current kitchen which we are remodelign and moving to a back room of the house. We could reuse some of the current kitchen cabinets where they are as it is partially becoming a butlers pantry so a small cost savings. Otherwise we could have the rest made by the same cabinet maker.

The question i have is if partial overlay cabinets are hopelessly out of style. I hardly ever see them in new kitchens. We like the current cabinets and they held up really well over 20 years of use but i wonder if i will look at them in 5 years and say what a short sighted decision.

Our architect recommended inlay cabinets for our kitchen. Which are more expensive and we don't absolutely love. the other option is full overlay which i find to be heavy looking for our smallish kitchen.

Just looking for advice and counsel for others who had different cabinetry in the rest of the house and thoughts on whether partial overlay traditional cabinets will looked dated. Thanks!

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Comments (7)

sabjimata
13 years ago
I actually just learned that partial overlay is an American thing. Apparently it is unseen in Europe.

That being said, i have had partial in all 3 of my kitchens--2 of which we put the cabinets in ourselves. It definitely is not a popular style, but I actually prefer the look to full overlay and have convinced myself that it has a retro-American cottagey feel.

In the end, I don't think it's that huge an issue. If your kitchen is done nicely, it's done nicely.

Are you thinking about this for resale? Because 10 or 20 years from now, most kitchens will look dated. But whatevs, right?
rnest44
13 years ago
I was in a similar situation. I chose to go with full overlay because I did not care for the function of the partial overlay with thick stiles down the center of the cabinet between the doors. Do the doors on your partial overlays meet or do you have stiles? That would influence my decision. I've mixed old and new. I painted some of the old too.
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I have been following this thread for several days. I think some posters are coming down too hard on the cabinet maker. It is easy to say well "all he has to do is" when you are not knowledgeable about the process of building or manufacture. Every change order requires a new setup. When he quoted the job he took into consideration his time, his labor,things he would have to supply to finish the job and his overhead. Yes he built the cabinets more to form over function but he's a cabinet maker. He's not a kitchen designer or a chef! When I saw the pictures it was obvious he was going for symmetry and scale. According to the OP he wasn't given a plan or told what the functions of the cabinets should be. He was merely given a picture to show an "idea" of what was wanted. He's probably lost money on this job. The op hasn't said anything about change order charges so he's eating the difference. He was merely being honest by his comment that tradesmen don't like to rebuild. It COSTS them money. This is his livelihood. I credit the op with her honesty. She knows she didn't have her ducks in a row. She is lucky he is willing to work with her to make things somewhat better. Mistydatn - It is very easy to get caught up in all the things that are brought up on this forum. People end up wanting things they would never want or need but get sucked in by all the "dream kitchens". In reality a lot of people who come here buy things they don't need or want. I am always amused when I see questions here and on the appliance forum like which is the best, what do I do with it now that I have it, I didn't think it would be that big, that small and on and on. There are a lot of folks that put in expensive ranges and end up doing all their cooking in their micro and wall oven. Some buy infrared broilers but never use them. The add grills instead. Prep sinks are never used. Work islands become cluttered with mail and homework. People think that buying high end will make them good cooks. A good cook can cook over a campfire. The most expensive kitchen and all the bells and whistles will not make a bad cook into a good one. This doesn't apply to everyone but there are enough to make one shake one's head. Look at Julia Child's kitchen. It was ALL about function. Recently there was a post about pot racks. pretty easy to see who the real cooks are on that thread. LOL My brother was a cook by trade for years. he now cooks for himself in a little manufactured home kitchen. My son is a bit of a gourmand. He regularly cooks for 30 or more friends in a kitchen the size of closet. The only counter space he has is the spot over the dishwasher. He built his own sous vidi. He makes most everything from scratch, cooks most of the meals and his GF does all the baking. You are going to end up loving your new kitchen because it is better than what you had. Don't let kitchen envy get in the way of how you want your life to be. Make your kitchen about the meals you prepare for that family of your. Make family memories in that kitchen. Good parents have t done that in postage stamp kitchens for generations. You sound like a good parent. The kitchen is just things. It's the people in it and the food that comes out of it that makes it real. yes there will be things you wish you had but that is human nature. Enjoy your home, your family and your new kitchen. Perspective.
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I'm getting partial overlay for several reasons (I like the looks of both so looks is not one of them): my cabinets go all the way to the ceiling which is most likely crooked so I would be scraping it with the upper doors, I can also use the extra space on top to install the crown molding (i.e., attach it from the front rather than top of the cabinet). The crown will be tine but it will fit without sacrificing the space. The special corner arrangement I have would require additional fillers for FO, thus, more loss of space. Last but not least, the door style I picked comes as PO (it seems like the doorstyle is either FO or PO but you can't pick a door and a style separately; my experience at least and I had quotes from 3 different places, all said the same). I enclosed a picture of my old kitchen which is not pretty but PO. You can see it's tiny so every inch counts. Here is a link that might be useful: old PO kitchen
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All of the design and decorating kudos go to the GF! My son just went along and paid the bills..lol..she bought some stuff too.. and my DH and I just helped with the free labor!!! She really has decorated the house beautifully and on a budget.. in all areas except the floor they stayed in the budget we worked out prior to the purchase! Here are a few more b/4 and after.. dining room before.. I still have to get a new pic from that angle.. but next two you can get the idea after living room beforeonce again.. different angle.. but LR after - no more french doors, and wider opening master bath before.. REALLY UGLY!!! This is after.. but before the vanity and mirror were put in.. one wall of all subway tile, my husband did!! And crummy acrylic shower was replaced with tiled with frameless door.
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cant see the details of the existing island. can you show it? soon you will have a 10 yr old kitchen. Its not done...lighting needs improvement...get your backsplash in....coffee bar is an extra. If island is willingly removed then what do you want to do? it is an opportunity for drawers which you lack....but I wouldnt dismantle island unless you favour a change for the sake of the island usage...not to pay for the work just to move it into coffee bar slot. You can certainly get a new better island w drawers/better lighting over the island/ better overhang/ if you need these things.....coffee bar is being used it appears . something on the wall there / an area rug for table/ a light fixture over table would be things I'd be willing to do along w finishing up the kitchen w island options as mentionned.
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jalsy6
12 years ago
I discovered this forum after I had ordered my p.o. Cabs through hd, as my budget just couldn't swing anything else and I really wanted soapstone...now I see all those beautiful inset cabs and like you, see that no one does partial anymore. But i'm hoping that when all is finished, the partial part won't stand out as the most noticeable detail of the kitchen! We had a very small (felt like a lot of $$ to us) budget, and were going for the biggest transformation we could accomplish of our 1935 kitchen.
cotehele
12 years ago
We choose partial overlay in the kitchen because it was less expensive. At the time I thought I was settling, but I am very happy with the way the kitchen turned out. The double doors have no stile between them. The bakery has inset doors and drawers. I do not like them any better than the partial overlay. In fact, it is irritating that the doors must be fully open to slide the pullout.
John Liu
12 years ago
Partial overlay has been in kitchen cabinets since, well, forever. It has always existed alongside of inset. In some vintage cabinetry, you'll see both styles used in the same piece. There is no reason for one to be right and the other to be wrong. As your house already has partial overlay, I'd go that way.
sophie123
Original Author
12 years ago
I did end up choosing the partial overlay. They are custom and were not any cheaper than full overlay (but cheaper than inset). No stiles in the center. We are opening up the kitchen somewhat to the two rooms that have the same cabinets (den and living room) so the transition seems better as its not a very big house (older 1940 house). The other reason is that i like the pull out cutting boards and you can't get that in full overlay. I'm getting 3! The cabinet maker really didn't like the inset cabinets even though they charge more for them. Pointed out some problems with them which i took with a grain of salt but made me think he probably makes a better cabinet that isn't inset. I'm painting them different colors so i'm hoping to add some pizzazz that way.
lascatx
12 years ago
I agree with those who said partial overlay is a classic style. You like the current cabinets and they are in the rest of your house. Why fix what ain't broken?

You are seeing inset because it's a trend and the trend has been encouraged, at least in part, because folks have to rip out everything to get them -- so it sells more cabinets (not just new doors or rollouts, etc.). That makes cabinet makers happy. But if you are happy with what you have, enjoy it and know that is why you have it. You will be happier still when the trend fades and you didn't spend more on something you might have bought only because you felt it was more stylish at the time.

Partial Overlay Cabinets in new kitchen to match rest of house?

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sabjimata

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Partial Overlay Cabinets in new kitchen to match rest of house?

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