Should you buy an in frame kitchen?
When people are looking for a new kitchen, a popular choice nowadays is the in frame kitchen style. You only have to look at the online images from suppliers such as Tom Howley and Harvey Jones to see why.
There is something very appealing about the look — but is an in frame kitchen really the way to go?
Why you should buy an in frame kitchen:
The big reason to go for one is, quite simply, that it looks fantastic. There’s something about those framed doors that oozes class, offering what could be taken for the ultimate bespoke look.
Why you shouldn’t buy an in frame kitchen:
That’s a compelling argument, but unfortunately it’s not the whole story. There are several good reasons why you shouldn’t buy one. These are as follows:
Cost
In frame kitchens are one of the most expensive kitchen styles you can buy. The reason they’re so expensive is because of the additional cost of all the framing that goes round the doors and drawers.
in frame kitchens usually cost almost twice the price of a frameless shaker kitchen. So, for example, if you’ve been quoted £15,000 for frameless shaker units, the same units in an in frame shaker will cost closer to £30,000.
Frameless Shaker kitchens are also often called lay-on shakers.
Practicalities
Besides this, in frame kitchens aren’t particularly practical. So, for example, with frameless shaker units, when you want to clean out the inside of the unit, you just open the door and and brush out the dirt and debris with a brush. Alternatively, you can use the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner instead.
In contrast, in frame kitchens are not as easy to clean out because the base of the unit sits below the frame. So, when you try to brush the unit out, the brush hits the frame. Therefore, you can only clean out the units with a vacuum cleaner and nozzle. Even then, when you reach the front of the unit, you still need to awkwardly tilt the nozzle backwards against the frame to remove the remaining dirt and debris.
The other problem with in frame kitchens is it can be awkward to get large items in and out of the units. So, you’ll be forever tilting large items diagonally to give you enough space to get them through the frame.
Loss of storage
The other problem with in frame kitchens is that you lose storage space in the units. This is because the space in the unit behind the frame becomes almost un-usable.
Mock in frame shaker kitchens – a better solution?
If you want the look of an in-frame kitchen, without the associated price tag, you could buy a mock in frame shaker kitchen instead. Mock in frame shaker kitchens usually only cost about 10% more than frameless shaker kitchens.
So, if you take the same example from before, if you’ve been quoted say £15,000 for a frameless shaker. The same units in a mock in frame shaker should cost about £17,000.
The other benefit of buying a mock in frame shaker kitchen is it’s just as user friendly as a frameless shaker kitchen.
Below are some examples of mock in frame shaker kitchens.
Frameless shaker kitchen with in frame style accessories – another better solution?
Another way of achieving the look of an in frame kitchen, for a much lower cost, is to pair a frameless shaker kitchen with in frame style accessories. Again, this should only cost about 10% more than a frameless shaker kitchen.
Examples of in frame style accessories are three panel larder units, two panel wall units, fluted glass wall units, skirting/moulded plinths and Buster & Punch style handles.
Below are some examples of frameless shaker kitchens with in frame style accessories.
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You may also be interested in the following article: The best in frame kitchen to buy on a budget
These are the links for the Tom Howley and Harvey Jones websites.
