The One Thing That's Making Your Cabinets Look Cheap

Eager to give your outdated kitchen a fresh new look? The cabinetry isn't old, but it's lacking something and you can't quite put your finger on it. The answer could be as simple as how your doors and drawers fit together. Cabinet overlays, or the space you see between the doors and drawers, can make a big difference in how your kitchen looks (and can be the one thing that's making your cabinets look cheap). 

According to Tara Lenney Design, a Dallas-based interior design studio, there are three main cabinet types: standard overlay, full overlay, and inset. Standard overlay cabinets have doors and drawers that sit on top of the cabinet openings, leaving noticeable gaps between them. Tara Lenny Design says this style is the cheapest option because it hides mistakes. "If a door is a little bit large or small, or the cabinets [are] installed slightly unlevel, you won't really notice," they explain in an Instagram reel. "The cabinet makers and installers can be less precise." If you want your cabinets to look more high-end, the other two types seal the deal.

Unlike standard overlay cabinets, Tara Lenny Design says the full overlay style requires doors and drawer fronts to be more precise. The same goes for inset cabinets, where the drawers and door fronts are inside the cabinet box. The design studio explains this style is a step up from full overlay since the cut openings have to be just as precise as the doors and drawers. While these two styles are more expensive than the standard overlay, the trade-off is a sleek, luxurious look.

So, how do you get the gorgeous cabinetry you crave without burning a hole in your wallet? The key is knowing where to spend and where to save. Danny Steinkoler, a general contractor specializing in high-end remodeling, tells HGTV to save on the actual cabinet material. "To the naked eye, you can have a veneer cabinet next to one that is solid wood," Steinkoler explains, "and most people cannot tell the difference." Another option is to completely remove the upper cabinets. This "no uppers" kitchen cabinet trend creates an open and clean aesthetic (not to mention helping shave off a few thousand dollars in renovation costs).