In the last installment of Choices, we looked at the characteristics of wood and how they can impact the look of your cabinet doors. In this installment we'll focus on the construction techniques used in making wood doors. While important for the structural integrity of the door, these techniques also impact the shape, and subsequently the style of your kitchen.
A typical wood door is made of two basic parts: the frame and the panel. A door frame is much like a picture frame in that it features 4 pieces fashioned into a rectangular shape. The panel fills the opening of the frame. What distinguishes one door from another is how these parts are shaped, and then put together.
There are two common methods of joining the corners of a frame. They can be mitred or coped. In the picture on the left you see two examples of a coped frame. A coped frame has the horizontal piece (rail) and the vertical piece (stile) meeting at a 90 degree angle. In the examples shown here, you also notice there is a sort of tongue and groove joint holding the pieces together. This is known as a coped joint. Not only does the coped joint allow for a very strong bond between the two frame pieces,it also allows for some shape (or profile) to be added to the inside corner of the frame.
In this picture we see two examples of a mitred frame. The joints in a mitred door are equally as strong as those in the coped door, so the primary reason for selecting this door is aesthetic; mitres are considered to be more "refined" than a coped corners. In fact, the frame style on the right is refered to as a "Victorian" mitre. However, because the mitred frame is fussier to make, and uses more material (the material cut away to make the mitre is "waste") it is typically more expensive than a coped door.
The second part of the door, the centre panel, will either be raised or flat ("recessed"). A raised panel is typically made from solid wood, and is shaped around it's edges to add detail. The flat panel is less detailed than the raised panel. Solid wood flat panel doors are available, but veneer is most often used.
Which door you select is going to depend on the style you are trying to achieve. While it is often true that a mitred door with a raised panel is used in "fancier" kitchens, don't think that a similar look can't be achieved using coped corners and flat panels. The kitchen on the left illustrates how adding a little detail to an otherwise simple door can achieve a very sophisticated look. Similarly, a mitred door can be used in a very unfussy, contemporary style.
To see the almost endless variations in wood cabinet doors, please
contact one of our designers for an appointment, or drop by the showroom.
