Cabinet door style guide

1. Shaker

   A five-piece frame around a flat, recessed centre panel — the modern classic.

   Advantages

   • Timeless and versatile — reads at home in almost any kitchen, modern or traditional.
   • Clean straight lines are quick to wipe down.
   • Available across every budget and finish.

   Trade-offs

   • The inner frame edge catches a little dust.
   • Less ornate than traditional raised styles if you want detail.
2. Recessed Panel

   A framed door with the centre panel set below the frame face, often with a stepped profile.

   Advantages

   • Classic depth and shadow line — more character than a plain slab.
   • The recess hides minor scuffs and everyday wear.
   • Suits transitional and traditional kitchens.

   Trade-offs

   • The grooves need wiping out to stay clean.
   • More machining than a flat door, so it costs a little more.
3. Raised Panel

   A framed door with the centre panel raised proud of the frame and bevelled at its edges.

   Advantages

   • The most traditional, high-detail look, with strong shadow lines.
   • Feels substantial and premium.
   • A statement for a classic or heritage kitchen.

   Trade-offs

   • The busiest profile to keep clean.
   • Distinctly traditional — dates faster in a contemporary room.
   • Highest cost of the framed styles.
4. Flat Panel

   A single flat slab with no frame or profile — the minimalist door.

   Advantages

   • The most modern, minimal look.
   • The easiest surface of all to wipe clean.
   • Lowest cost, and takes any finish — melamine, PET matt/gloss or PVC.

   Trade-offs

   • Plain by design — the finish and handle carry all the character.
   • High-gloss slabs show fingerprints.
5. Arched

   A framed door with an arched (cathedral) top to the panel.

   Advantages

   • A soft, characterful top line — a decorative focal point.
   • Works well on a feature or display run.

   Trade-offs

   • The arch breaks the clean horizontal line of a cabinet run.
   • A traditional look that isn't for every kitchen.
   • Higher cost, and rarely used on every door.
6. Glass Panel

   A frame holding glass, often divided by mullions into lights.

   Advantages

   • Opens up a run visually and shows off display pieces.
   • Breaks up a solid wall of doors with light and depth.

   Trade-offs

   • Contents are on show — the shelves have to stay tidy.
   • Glass shows smudges and needs regular cleaning.
   • Not for everyday concealed storage; higher cost.
7. Beadboard

   A framed door with a vertical tongue-and-groove (beadboard) centre panel.

   Advantages

   • Cottage, coastal and farmhouse character.
   • Adds texture without heavy ornament.

   Trade-offs

   • The vertical grooves trap grease and dust in a working kitchen.
   • A strong style that not every room suits.
8. Open Panel

   A framed door with a single large, plain panel — a calm, transitional look.

   Advantages

   • Frame detail with an uncluttered centre — quieter than recessed or raised.
   • Versatile between modern and classic rooms.

   Trade-offs

   • Less detail than a profiled door.
   • The frame edge still needs wiping.
9. Louvered

   A framed door filled with horizontal angled slats (louvers).

   Advantages

   • Ventilation — the right call for laundry, appliance and utility cabinets where air must move.
   • A distinctive, characterful look.

   Trade-offs

   • The many slats are the hardest of all to dust and clean.
   • Not for concealing everyday clutter; higher cost.

Style is one decision; the material behind the front is another — the door style sets the look, while the board or aluminium behind it is chosen by moisture zone. ALUMAX supplies flat and PVC-wrapped shaped doors (Shaker, routed and 3D-profile) in the FLYHOME modular line, with glass, louvered and other styles specified made-to-spec.