Even though they were first invented as a means of mass-producing home cabinetry to rebuild homes across Europe in the aftermath of World War II, frameless cabinets have long been seen as having a timelessly modern appearance that is both sleek and stylish.
What was once mass-produced has gone on to become bespoke, with many of the most modern apartments and homes in America featuring frameless cabinetry as a centerpiece of kitchen design.
In the debate between framed versus frameless cabinets, a primary benefit of frameless is its smooth look, but fillers are still a necessity.
Nothing Is Ever Completely Frameless
There are a few key reasons that fillers will be needed, but they are both practical and aesthetically pleasing.
Opening Drawers and Doors
Fillers will be needed to provide proper spacing between your drawers and doors wherever they may come into contact with walls and floors. They are also there to prevent drawers and doors from bumping into each other in corners where they all intersect.
Covering Gaps Caused by Uneven Walls and Floors
Remodeling that mid-century wood-paneled nightmare of a home is a great idea to increase your property value, but unless you want to completely tear out uneven walls and floors, using some shims to level your cabinetry is a great way to remodel without breaking the bank. Those shims will leave gaps that need to be properly covered, and that's where our friends the filler pieces come in to keep everything looking uniform.
Countertops Need Space, Too
This also depends on the type of countertops used and whether or not there are beveled edges on your counters. Depending on the type of countertop used and its material, you’ll want to make sure there is proper spacing to allow drawers and doors to open with ease.
This is especially true in houses with small children. Without the proper spacing, little fingers can get caught in between doors and all sorts of places. Fillers help minimize the risk of scrapes and bruises when quickly reaching into cabinets.
Less Filler and Lower Costs
Some say that frameless cabinets are more expensive and often wonder if frameless cabinets are worth it. In reality, there is little price difference between the two. One reason for this is frameless cabinets use less cubic footage overall, even when accounting for the thicker walls required to support them. If you’re worried whether frameless cabinets look cheap, they don’t–the thicker walls seen on higher quality frameless cabinets go a long way towards ensuring that many frameless cabinets are stronger than traditional framed cabinets.
Because there are no fillers present between the doors as with framed cabinetry, the overall amount of wood used on frameless cabinets is less. This also results in increased interior space as there is no lip around the edge of the cabinet or in between doors on double cabinets.
All that extra space and missing filler means that grabbing and storing your items is a lot simpler. This makes frameless cabinets an excellent choice for homeowners looking to give their homes that modern appeal while keeping their storage space!
