Door, drawer fronts are the face of your style

Homes are selling in Las Vegas despite a struggling economy. Clients tell me that there's actually a scarcity of houses currently on the market.

Upgrades and complete renovations are now practically de rigueur because so many homes have been neglected or even stripped to the bare bones by their previous owners during the Great Recession. True, there are now wonderful values to be had, but often not without a substantial investment of time and resources, and usually a need for new cabinetry, appliances, flooring, etc.

Cabinet doors and drawers are so fundamental in this process because they're the most visible part of cabinetry and are key factors in defining a home's style. There are numerous unique door and drawer designs to choose from, such as square, arched, slab, raised and recessed-panel options.

It's vital to understand just what these terms mean so that you can make the right decisions regarding your décor. Learning about doors and drawer fronts will help make you more confident in the choices you make. Since cabinetry is such a large portion of a project budget, understanding all the options is critical. And, of all the elements in a room, the construction, door style, color and material of your cabinets will make the strongest visual statement as well as have the most impact on your wallet.

With cabinetry, many factors affect the overall price: the manufacturer, quality of the construction, door material, door style and finish. There's little doubt that the style you select for your cabinet doors and drawer fronts is just as important as the wood, finish and overall design of your cabinet.

Following are some of the more popular options for door styles that may help you find out what works best for your own interior design:

Flat panels are not often totally flat, but many times will have a small design carved into the actual panel of the door. They are considered flat because the center panel is flat rather than raised or contoured. They can work well with traditional, transitional and contemporary design and will include crown, square and oval designs, referring to the shape at the top of the panel.

Raised panels refer to the center panel of the cabinet door that is raised with a profile or contour. They work well for traditional and transitional looks and again will include crown, square and oval raised panels. For example, a light colored raised panel will give your room a much different look and appeal than a darker flat slab door. Each cabinet door has its own personality and it must be looked at as the centerpiece of your room.

Slab doors are solid flat doors with no frame or panel. They're usually selected for transitional and contemporary designs and are a style that I've often used in custom-designed pieces.

Mullion door refers to divisions and is an accent door not usually used throughout an entire room, but mainly as a decorative accent. This category also includes glass, leaded glass, louver, aluminum frame and stainless steel as well as wood doors.

When choosing a door style it's equally important to consider the overlay of the door since overlays affect how much of the cabinet frame shows and can change the appearance of a space from traditional to contemporary. An overlay also is known as the "reveal" and refers to the amount of the frame you'll be able to see.

Full overlay cabinets are those that will show little of the frame, if any at all. They are often used on frameless European cabinets that are modern with a seamless appearance.

Modified or partial overlay cabinets refer to those where the amount of face frame that's visible is reduced by the size of the door or drawer while inset doors and drawers fit flush with a cabinet's frame creating a completely different look. An example of overlay would be cabinetry designed with a ½-inch overlay door (and drawer fronts) that leaves 2 inches of the cabinet frame exposed between the doors, thus creating a more traditional look.

Door construction itself is another important factor to think about as doors can have either a false or solid center panel. Naturally, it's best to have a solid center because false ones tend to loosen over time (some even right away), which might cause the panel to rattle as you open and close the cabinet doors.

Then, there is wood veneer versus solid wood for door construction. Veneer is much thinner than the normal solid wood and it's usually applied to particleboard to give it strength. This type of door will cost much less and will have a much more consistent grain since the wood was stripped from the tree in one piece. But whatever you do, make sure that you choose a veneer that is of the same species as the rest of your cabinet.

Finally, small details such as cabinet pulls and even hinges often can make a big difference in the overall look of your cabinets. Removing old overlay hinges, for example, and replacing them with hidden hinges will give your cabinets a sleeker and more modern look. Using hinges that are not only hidden, but self-closing as well, will improve the overall function of your doors as well as their style.

Remember that door and drawer designs don't only apply to kitchen and bathroom cabinetry. They are an integral part of all built-ins and free-standing furniture throughout the home. Making the right choices will enable you to visually tie rooms together with coordinating cabinetry styling and finishes, and each one will bring its own unique look and feel to your design. Framing and panel details that give doors and drawers just the right look will turn ordinary to extraordinary every time.

Stephen Leon is a licensed interior designer and president of Soleil Design; he has been designing and manufacturing custom furniture and cabinetry for more than 25 years. He has served on the board of directors of the Central California/Nevada Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers and is a certified professional in green residential design. Questions can be sent to soleildesign@cox.net.