The extra money is worth it if you love inset cabs. If you like a period look kit it is worth it. I do and have done 2 kitchens with inset. I would look around and try to find a custom builder of cabs. Both kitchens I found it less expensive to have them custom built.

You should absolutely get what you want. The fact that all of the magazine photos you saved have inset cabinets pretty much says that you prefer the look of inset cabinets. I would not go back to that cabinet guy if he told you to "forget it". Keep on looking--there are some quality/affordable custom cabinet makers out there!

laaaaaaaazeeeeeeeeeee

He's talking hoo-ha. They're not that much money more, and I agree with notlazysusan. If you've unconsciously cut out those pictures, it's what speaks to you. I had that happen in a huge AH HA moment.

How dare he, really, just send you something you didn't ask for, don't particularly care about and just assume because it's his "most popular" you 1) want it, 2) want to look like his everybody else, and 3) are just gonna meekly say, ok.

This is another topic that has been discussed a million times. If you do a google search with "gardenweb" and "inset cabinets" you'll get a million threads where people have been ecstatically happy with their cabinet makers who CAN make inset cabinets. You've probably got a few wherever you live and just don't know it yet because you hadn't had occasion to look yet.

I gotta tell you. I'm putting cabinets together with inset doors today, as I take a break to browse here. Measuring the doors takes accuracy and patience. If these cabinet makers don't have it? Find someone else because they're going to cut corners elsewhere.

And for me, every time I pet one of my cabinets, or appreciate the beaded edge I absolutely love? I smile.

Thank you. Yes, I did actually search "inset cabinets" on Gardenweb before I posted, and granted I didn't read every single post (haven't had time yet), but it seemed as if most of the manufacturers were in the Northeast. I didn't see anyone doing it in Florida. Please feel free to correct me on this! :) I just wondered if maybe that's why I got the response I did, because no one is building them down here.

Let me correct myself. It seemed like people either used a custom cabinet maker or bought from a manufacturer in the Northeast. I just assumed that custom would be out of my budget. I guess I need to start looking for custom cabinet makers in Central Florida.

There's someone here from down there. The name escapes me.
See what I mean by a million, though!! So much to read.
Same thing as the pros and cons of what cabinets, how they clean, etc.

I was surprised to learn custom is not as outrageous as I had believed. The prices on stock things can be ridiculous!

I buy -- when I have a few dollars -- from Conestoga. Rich at the Cabinet Joint .com. I have to assemble, but so what!? :) I try to make my own look as good as those. But anyway, good luck because there has got to be someone for you!

Hi Maggie,

Tinker 2006 has a lovely southern kitchen with inset cabinets. You can see it on GW Kitchen forum.

See link below on custom cabinet makers in Florida.

Best wishes for your inset cabinets.

Here is a link that might be useful: Custom cabinets in Florida

Here is a picture of Tinker 2006's southern kitchen:

{{gwi:1920023}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Tinker's southern kitchen

Thanks Francoise! Perfect, it is just what I am going for. I have now searched a LOT of Tinker 2006 threads (all great by the way!) but none that say where she got the cabinets. Anyone know where that thread is?

I suspect Tinker's magnificent, drool-worthy cabinets are high end custom, because of the continuous face frames (not individual boxes).
Casey

Tinker's cabinets are from Miller's Dutch Haus in Sarasota. They are very reasonable and easy to work with. I don't have my cabinets yet, but I can't wait to get them! I can tell you that for me they were comparable to Schuler's from Lowe's - maybe a bit less because they don't charge more for every little thing. I love hearing - "no problem" when I ask for things like 15" uppers in my mail area instead of 12" so I can fit my binders in them!

I know they are doing a kitchen in Jacksonville for someone who learned about them on GW - so they must be willing to travel.
Good luck!

by the way - I meant 15" deep not tall. Something I never would have gotten had I not learned about how reasonable custom can be from GW :)

Hi Maggie, I'm glad you like Tinker's kitchen. It is so lovely!

A standard upper cabinet depth may be 12", but I would generally recommend a 13" depth if you have inset doors. In fact, the cabinet company I went with does 13" depth as standard.

It's true the drawers will be smaller than frameless (basically the same as traditional partial overlay cabinets), but how much a loss that is depends on your design. It's not just the size of the kitchen, but the width of the drawer banks that matters.

Finally, OP is in florida, so not exactly extreme variations in climate throughout the year. I would also say go for it if inset is the look you want. Some people do inset uppers and frameless lowers to avoid loosing the drawer space.

I had the same initial experience as you did. The first couple of kitchen designers told me I didn't want inset. The thing is, I really did. The third cabinet guy I talked to was at a home show. I asked about inset, he said "No problem, I've got a cabinet company (Medallion) that's running a special on inset." Guess who got the work?

I'm considering a mix of uppers and lowers as in Gregincals suggestion because my kitchen is not large (11 x 12). Inset is such a beautiful look but yes, loss of space factors in for a small kitchen. What size is your kitchen?

Also, there is a manufacturer, Shiloh, that offers free upgrades to inset cabinets. Not sure if you can get them down by you but it might be work it to check.

Get your heart's desire. If you have those clipped consistently, that tells you something.

Before we started looking into kitchens seriously, I had always just assumed that custom cabinets would be way too costly. But, it's not really more than a good quality stock cabinet. AND you can get your kitchen the way you want it.

Inset cabinets being too shallow because of the inset? Custom that and go 13 or 14 inches for your uppers. Generally, it's only a couple hundred dollars more to do that than to have the standard.

Good luck!

Well, while it might not actually cost the cabinet maker that much more to produce inset if he's experienced enough to tackle it in the first place, it does take extra time and precision to produce inset, and that is generally reflected in the price. If you are going with a high end enough maker already, they may amortize that additional cost out a bit over all of their doorstyles so that they have a bit more margin in them and less in the inset, but that just means that you still end up paying more for that brand, despite the promos for "free" inset. Some will just charge the upcharge for the inset alone.

Industry "average" upcharges for inset range from 20%-30% over full or partial overlay. On a 30K cabinet order, an extra 6-9K probably won't break the budget, as you're already resigned to doing a 75K-100K kitchen. But if you are on a low budget and only allot 10K for cabinets, sometimes that extra 3K just may not be possible without cutting out some other things that you really can't afford to cut.

I have always wanted inset cabinets but many people said it would be too expensive. I had almost given up the idea when I found garden web. With some searching and asking a few question i found the name of a custom cabinet maker about an hour away who is making me inset cabinets with lots of nice features ( custom paper towel holder below counter, glass front cabinets, wood hood, furniture valances etc....and a cubbie system inour new mudroom all for a price that is less than what I was being quoted by big name manufacturers where I would have had to go with full overlay to get into the price range we have set. Try to explore the custom route ( be careful though to get a good one though) to get what you want. Good luck!

The biggest reason is that inset cabinets and drawers have significantly smaller interiors than frameless cabinets. A standard upper cabinet depth is 12", but the frame cuts into that depth, reducing it by about 1-1/2". Similarly, a drawer's width will be reduced by the frame.

AK, that's really only true for inset drawers. Uppers are only 5/8" less deep (cab doors are seldom as thick as 1-1/2") and most folks compensate for this by getting slightly deeper uppers, which is always nice to have anyways for platters & things, even with overlay styles.

One thing I like about insets that's rarely mentioned is that there's no slam of the doors and drawers when they hit the frame, because they don't hit the frame! They just click shut.

The space consideration is an important point, though. It's all about compromise. To me, the loss of the 1.5" in the inset drawers is well worth my adored inset cabs -- I figure that if it really comes down to 1.5" too little space, I must have too much stuff. ;-)

I find inset upcharges all over the map, as high as LWO mentions. Over the last few years many mid price (semi custom) brands have added inset cabinets. As mentioned- Shiloh, Medallion, (I handle) Showplace, there is also Dura Supreme, Embassy House/New River, Brookhaven. Some have been more successful than others and pricing varies a lot-
Some of the semi custom brands charge extra for beaded, one only does beaded, some charge for concealed hinges, others only do concealed hinges- there is not consistancy. Door style offerings also vary from a almost the full line to a few doors (rarely are mitered doors done inset).

Showplace is my middle price brand and they charge about 7.3% on the base cabinet- beaded or flush, standard 13 or 14" walls. In my upper middle and my hi end brand there is no charge for inset- but the upper middle does charge me to increase the depth of the wall cabinets.

You do not lose any storage space using inset cabinets when compared to any other framed cabinet so long as the wall cabinets are at least 13" deep. Drawers and rollouts are identical between the two if using undermount glides. The only exception: rollouts when using concealed hinges will be a little narrower.
Also, we are more likely to spend a little extra money combining cabinets (when a brand allows)with insets since it becomes an aesthetic issue. That actually gains drawer width on those cabinets. There is more clearance in blind corners as well.
Installation with insets is a bit more critical. Flush inset painted and better brands (which have narrower reveals) are fussier; beaded inset in woods and wider reveals less so. Get a good installer. Often there is a final fit of the door to the frame so mixing up doors if removed causes problem.

Oh my, head is spinning! Thank you for all of your input, even the dissenter. I love dissent!

I feel like I should give you more information about my kitchen. I wish I knew how to post floorplans, it would probably help.

Anyway, because we designed this kitchen based on our experience with our last kitchen, let's start there. It was my dream kitchen. I think it was 18 x 20, cabinets EVERYWHERE, lots of uppers, virtually all doors, no BIG drawers if you know what I'm referring to, two corners, and a very small reach-in pantry. I don't know if I am an exceptionally poorly organized person or if this happens to everyone, but after a few months of living there, I realized I was back to the same issues I had in my much smaller kitchen. I never used my food processor because it just wasn't worth digging to the back of the cabinet for it. My pantry was overflowing with the stuff I wanted to find easily. My husband and I really enjoy cooking together, but even in our huge kitchen, our island was eaten up with a cooktop and there was no other prep area convenient to the cooking space. My upper cabinets were just a wasteland of never used stuff.

We spent a week at a vacation home with some family members and to make a long story short, ended up basically stealing their kitchen design for our new kitchen. We've eliminated almost all of our uppers, have two islands, no corners, and made a large walk-in pantry. The kitchen is 18'4" x 17'4" and the pantry is 5 x 8. Also, we have a five foot butler's pantry with some uppers.

Hopefully this helps.

Right after writing this description, I remembered that my husband had posted our floorplan in the Lighting forum. I attempted to post a link but for some reason, it didn't work.

If you would like to see my floorplan, it is in Lighting under Double Island Lighting Help by glloyd77.

Here you go, but it's too small to read, much less see the dimensions. From what I can see, there appear to be some clearance issues and traffic path issues. Can you load it into Photobucket and post a link to it here instead? This forum software limits the size.

I also have to say, from just your description, it sounds like a modern style home plan with a very modern kitchen floor plan, whereas inset are are much more traditional look for cabinetry. With very few uppers, you won't really get the effect of inset quite as much as you would with more wall cabinetry. You have some focus issues here with your design style(s).

I'm confused.
My inset cabs are 12" cabs. I lose 3/4" of the face frame depth only. No way do I lose 1.5"!
Drawers? I haven't lost a thing. As a matter of fact, where I've used the Blum undermount, I've been able to use deeper drawers than when they use those cabinet back attachment things.

Casey, I love that continous face frame, too. I was trying to figure out how to do that on a bank I have of uppers, 18" + 24" + 18".

And, OP? When I can buy a cabinet, I always get my beloved beaded inset. Love it.

Hi Live Oak Wire, I've written out three grateful responses to you thus far that have failed to post. I don't know if I am saying a trigger word that blocks me, but for the life of me I can't imagine what it is. I'll try one more time. Then I guess I'll have to try sentence by sentence until I figure it out!

Thank you Live Wire Oak. You may be right on both counts.

As far as clearance and traffic pattern issues, I thought I was covered for traffic by having a clear path from dining room, garage entry, family room, and eating nook. What am I overlooking? I have wondered if I had enough clearance to open my range door, but had assumed that the architect knew better than me.

Regarding style, I'm not sure that I know the meaning of the word modern when it refers to cabinets. To me, glossy Ikea zebrawood is modern. What I liked about the inset cabinet look was that they were very clean lines and had the "flat look", which to me went along with my "open" look. Maybe I'm really looking for frameless?

In any case, thank you for your critique. I know that I know nothing, and greatly appreciate advice from people who do know. :)

Your aisles look much too narrow, and there appears to be a major traffic route right behind the second island where the seating will be without enough room behind it. That will route people into the great room, but only if there's enough room for them there. Overall, double island kitchens usually waste a lot of space for normal family use. It's only people who entertain a LOT that ever recoup the square footage investment in oversizing their kitchens for a double island. And then, only if the layout is specifically triple checked for function. Double island kitchens are really hard to get right. A larger kitchen can actually be a worse functioning kitchen than a small one. And, architects generally don't cook, or know anything about proper kitchen design. Most architect designed kitchens are pretty spaces that people bump into each other or the cabinets when trying to work in them.

I agree with posting your layout, but I'd create a separate post with a readable layout embeded (from a separate photo hosting site) and ask for a critique based on functionality. You will need to know the dimensions of things, including those tight looking aisles.

You'll get a lot more response to that issue, which is separate from the aesthetic issue of inset and the modern home. Typically, yes, slab cabinetry, perhaps in a gloss white, or a simple shaker style in a wood or white, is what is used in most modern style homes. If you are aiming for "transitional", then perhaps inset can work for you, but you would need to have some more modern elements in the kitchen to pull that all together.

Thanks GreenDesigns. I am off to a flooring appt right now but will take your suggestion and work on a different thread when I get back.

Maggie - don't make the mistake of believing that your architect (or general contractor, or even unfortunately some kitchen "designers") knows anything at all about working in a functional kitchen. He or she may know a ton about what looks nice aesthetically, but likely doesn't know much of anything about how to make the kitchen FUNCTIONAL for a cook. That being said, if you don't cook and you are getting a kitchen for "pretty", then not as much worry about what the architect comes up with.

Your aisles need to be a minimum of 36" wide - this is measured from countertop to countertop, and countertops normally extend 1 1/2" deeper than your cabinet, so a 24" deep cabinet would wind up being 25 1/2"). 36" wide aisles are tight and definitely considered a "one-cook kitchen". 42" to 48" is better if you can swing it. I took a trip to the local IKEA one day to hang out and measure aisles in their kitchens. It really was eye-opening when I started to open and shut drawers and ovens, etc.

In my (not-so-expert) opinion, inset cabinets have a more casual and/or cottage feel to them, they can get to a more transitional/contemporary look depending on the elements you pair it with.

With your double island, what are you hoping to gain with that (a seating area, more storage, a prep place, etc.) that you wouldn't have if you have one island?

When you post your larger layout, if you can, why don't you scan in a few pictures of the kitchen clippings you have seen that you really like - maybe we can help you better define what you are looking for with your kitchen.

Also, be certain to check out the post that tells you about how to help us help you (it's usually on the first two to three pages here in the kitchen forum) - tell us a bit about who cooks, who is in the house, etc.

Hi Andrea, I will try to get the floorplan up tonight. In answer to two of your questions, my aisles are 3'4", so probably 36" from countertop to countertop. The purpose of having the two islands is for my husband and I to have separate workstations. I want to be able to reach my prep stuff (middle island) and pivot left to the rangetop. He wants to be on his side of middle island to prep and pivot right to the sink to clean up.

I have read through several threads now and see there is a lot of dislike of double islands. I don't mean this in a negative way, but I don't understand the criticism. I am trying to! :) To me, it just seems like an easy way for us to both be in the kitchen and have ample room to do our things. Also, we took the design from a floorplan where the second island was attached by a corner to a perpendicular cabinet wall. All we did is lop off that corner so that it would be freestanding instead. That opened it up for people coming up from the basement or in from the family room could get to the fridge easier.

I am wondering if the basement staircase is what is making this plan misleading. That is not a main traffic pattern. The two entries to the house are through the front door, which leads you into the family room well out of the range of bar seating, and the garage.

Anyway, it will hopefully look better once I can post larger plans, and if not, I am in trouble!

Thank you for your advice. I think I have learned at a minimum that inset is not what I'm going for.

So, your aisles would be 37" once you factor in the overhand on the counter (40 - 1.5 - 1.5 = 37") In our house, we have to go with 36" aisles because an island is essential to making my kitchen work for me. I am the only cook and practically the only person in the kitchen (my DH will come in to grab a snack our something to drink from the fridge, but the kitchen is mostly my domain.) If I could go wider on the aisles, I absolutely would, but to do that, we would have to take down a load-bearing wall. In regard to my findings when I headed to IKEA, 42" was comfortable for me. If working with a two-cook kitchen, I would possibly go wider still.

One of the reasons that double islands receive criticism is that they create additional barriers for getting from one area to another. You'll find most people on GW are very oriented toward *flow* of a kitchen, workspaces, and how it works for what you are doing. What you mentioned as a scenario with your DH doing prep may help others offer suggestions as to how to get that situation to work, maybe with or maybe without a double island.

But, you are at a wonderful point of planning where you CAN make changes without the challenges/limitations that those of us who are remodeling face. You are so fortunate to land here at this stage of the process. :)

I'm rather new here, but without fail, I have seen advice on this forum that has been helpful in making decisions. For me, I'm not following everything that has been suggested (for example, I will have a barrier [i.e. island] between my cooktop and my oven and someone suggested that I do a range rather than separate...I wish to have the oven situated a little higher than it sits when part of a range, so I am opting to keep them separate), BUT with the help of people here, it has made me look at everything I assumed that I knew about cooking in a kitchen and what I need to make it function well for me.

I strongly encourage you to begin to think about where your items will have homes once to start to get your layout together. There are some excellent posts on here that will help you with that. I wound up getting my layout mostly how I thought I wanted it, and then I found that I needed to change a few drawers to have items where they would make the most sense. I narrowed a drawer bank and added a narrow, tall cabinet where I didn't have one before for items to have a home. You'll be happy that you thought of where things are going to live in the kitchen before you have the cabinets because then you have the opportunity to have exactly what you need.

In regard to traffic pattern concerns, people aren't just talking about where other people may be walking, but also where you are walking while you are using your kitchen.

I can't say that you'll wind up with a kitchen without ANY regrets/wish-I-would-have-done-differently, but with the help you receive here, you will find that your kitchen is likely to be better for working in it than what you originally planned.

So, your aisles would be 37" once you factor in the overhand on the counter (40 - 1.5 - 1.5 = 37") In our house, we have to go with 36" aisles because an island is essential to making my kitchen work for me. I am the only cook and practically the only person in the kitchen (my DH will come in to grab a snack our something to drink from the fridge, but the kitchen is mostly my domain.) If I could go wider on the aisles, I absolutely would, but to do that, we would have to take down a load-bearing wall. In regard to my findings when I headed to IKEA, 42" was comfortable for me. If working with a two-cook kitchen, I would possibly go wider still.

One of the reasons that double islands receive criticism is that they create additional barriers for getting from one area to another. You'll find most people on GW are very oriented toward *flow* of a kitchen, workspaces, and how it works for what you are doing. What you mentioned as a scenario with your DH doing prep may help others offer suggestions as to how to get that situation to work, maybe with or maybe without a double island.

But, you are at a wonderful point of planning where you CAN make changes without the challenges/limitations that those of us who are remodeling face. You are so fortunate to land here at this stage of the process. :)

I'm rather new here, but without fail, I have seen advice on this forum that has been helpful in making decisions. For me, I'm not following everything that has been suggested (for example, I will have a barrier [i.e. island] between my cooktop and my oven and someone suggested that I do a range rather than separate...I wish to have the oven situated a little higher than it sits when part of a range, so I am opting to keep them separate), BUT with the help of people here, it has made me look at everything I assumed that I knew about cooking in a kitchen and what I need to make it function well for me.

I strongly encourage you to begin to think about where your items will have homes once to start to get your layout together. There are some excellent posts on here that will help you with that. I wound up getting my layout mostly how I thought I wanted it, and then I found that I needed to change a few drawers to have items where they would make the most sense. I narrowed a drawer bank and added a narrow, tall cabinet where I didn't have one before for items to have a home. You'll be happy that you thought of where things are going to live in the kitchen before you have the cabinets because then you have the opportunity to have exactly what you need.

In regard to traffic pattern concerns, people aren't just talking about where other people may be walking, but also where you are walking while you are using your kitchen.

I can't say that you'll wind up with a kitchen without ANY regrets/wish-I-would-have-done-differently, but with the help you receive here, you will find that your kitchen is likely to be better for working in it than what you originally planned.