KITCHEN DESIGN TIPS
KITCHEN DESIGN TIPS
When choosing kitchen cupboard door styles, it’s important to consider both aesthetics and functionality, but when you take a deep dive into door types most people realise they just don’t know their in-frame from their lay-on doors, so we’ve devised this easy-to-follow guide charting our favourite kitchen cupboard door styles.
![Farmhouse country kitchen Kent with blue Aga](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/211125_Rencraft-LALF_0029-Edit_HG_Screen.jpg")
The Shaker style is timeless, effortlessly elegant and helpfully versatile and can be identified by a five-piece door, framed on 4 sides with a recessed flat centre panel. The clean lines and simplicity work well with both traditional and modern kitchens, particularly when hand-painted and finished with stylish knobs and handles. If you prefer the look of natural timber however, we also make our Shaker doors from the finest oak or stained oak which create a soft and timeless look.
Choose this style if you prefer a classic, simple look that can fit into any design style and won’t go out of fashion.
Flat-panel, or slab doors, are a hallmark of contemporary kitchen design so, if you’re looking for a minimalist look, then this style may be what you’re searching for. Slab doors are completely flat without any contours, offering a sleek, modern look and are ideal for achieving a contemporary aesthetic with the bonus of having the option of adding handles, incorporating a recess to open, or nothing at all if you opt for a touch-to-open door with push catches.
Choose this style if you love modern, industrial or minimalist kitchens.
![Slab fronted wooden doors](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Rencraft-Feb-24-19-scaled.jpg")
![In frame shaker door handmade furniture Kent](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Dale-Cottage-48-scaled.jpg")
As the name suggests, in-frame doors are set inside the cabinet frame, rather than overlaying it, creating a flush, clean look which allows our precise craftsmanship to shine through. In-frame doors often have visible butt hinges, adding a decorative touch to the cabinetry, so allowing an extra opportunity for personalisation with choices such as living brass and chrome being firm favourites with our clients.
Our designer’s top tip: why not combine an in-frame style with either our slab or flat door for a luxury modern feel. Alternatively, for a more traditional and classic look, you could pair an in-frame look with our Shaker doors.
Choose this style if you like clean lines and effortless elegance.
Glass-fronted doors are a great choice if you’re looking to make your kitchen feel more open and airy, and we also love how they’re ideal for displaying decorative items, coloured glassware or stylish kitchen essentials. If you’re worried at the thought of having to keep your cups & crockery perfectly stacked at all times, why not choose fluted or reeded glass which allow colourful silhouettes to peep through without revealing a wonky stack of plates!
Our designer’s top tip: reeded glass can be used either horizontally or vertically to provide a feature look, both of which can be combined with hand-painting the interior of the cupboards for an extra splash of colour and a rarely thought of money-saving trick. Horizontal glass can also be used to hide the presence of shelves and so, with the use of subtle LED lighting within the cupboard, you can make it appear that your carefully chosen ceramics and showpieces are floating on air!
Choose this style if you love decorative interior cabinet lighting, colourful ceramics and bold, hand-painted cupboard interiors.
![Farrow & Ball Studio Green handpainted cabinetry with glazed fronts](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Rencraft-March-2024-29-scaled.jpg")
![Cockbeading handmade cabinetry Kent Sevenoaks](https://www.rencraft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cockbeading.png")
If you’re looking for a heritage look to suit a period property then our Georgian door may be just the thing for your very own modern slice of Bridgerton magic with our refined, traditional take on in-frame cupboard doors.
Designed in collaboration with Ashton Taylor-Smith, these handcrafted doors give a nod to the 5-piece Shaker door with the addition of a raised and fielded centre panel and a beaded moulding. Alternatively, to create an intricate, period feel we can add a thin, cock-bead on the inside edges of the frame.
Choose this style if you want a truly bespoke look for a historically important or listed property steeped in history.
If you would like to talk one of our designers about your new kitchen or living space project, please call us on 01732 762682 or email info@rencraft.co.uk . Alternatively, you can contact us via the button below to make an appointment.
