Fillers can have filler overlays which will make them appear to be the same depth as the door and which looks much better with full overlay cabinets. Your previous designer should have discussed this with you.

I'd also say that 95% of customers want full overlay. It's become the new modern standard. The only people who really ask for PO are older folks to whom that looks "right" and to whom FO just is "wrong" looking. Or, the other customers for PO are the budget conscious rehabber or builder going for the cheapest possible cabinets they can get away with. So, for a lot of folks cabinet shopping, PO either looks "old fashioned", which may appeal to you, or "inexpensive" which may or may not appeal to you. It's your kitchen, get what you like.

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

I found you more examples, you can see different styles there too.

Here is a link that might be useful: PO gallery

Thanks for the gallery, petra_il. That helps a lot. I like the look of both. I don't want my kitchen to look "cheap," as live_wire_oak suggested it might look to others. I had not thought of that aspect. I am glad it was mentioned. I do sort of like the homey look of the PO. I lived and worked in Colonial Williamsburg for many years, and I the PO looks more colonial to me. My current house, although not in Williamsburg, is very traditional colonial in nature, so the PO may look better. OTH, now that the bathrooms have FO...maybe not.

Live wire if you are still out there maybe you can help me,also. I am looking at Brookhaven Frameles FO and it has what looks like to me a filler by the wall. I don't like that look and wonder if I have another option. I tried to ask the KD what happens if I have the filler next to the wall and then a run of cabinets that end in an open area. Will that end also have a filler? If not, than won't it look odd? Hope you understand what I am asking because my KD didn't. Thanks, Zoey

Mine are partial - link to pics on my page.