The Outdated Trend Making Your Kitchen Cabinets Look Cheap (And How To Fix It)

A well-designed kitchen is more than just functional — it adds value to your home, reflects your personal style, and makes everyday cooking a more joyful experience. But even if you've invested in updated counters, fixtures, and lighting, there's one subtle detail that can quietly sabotage your whole kitchen aesthetic: standard overlay cabinet doors. "Standard overlay" refers to a kitchen cabinet look where the doors cover the cabinet frame only partially, leaving about an inch or more exposed. Also called partial overlay, it was once a go-to in kitchen design that can now make your cabinets look cheap and dated. Luckily, there's an easy fix for this outdated kitchen design trend — opting for full overlay or inset cabinet doors instead.

With full overlay, cabinet doors completely cover the frame. Meanwhile, inset cabinet doors sit inside the frame itself, flush with the cabinet front. The way these options hide the frame helps achieve a cleaner kitchen cabinet look, bringing you a step closer to the sleek, modern kitchen of your dreams.

If you don't want to be stuck with an outdated kitchen, steering clear from standard overlay cabinets might be a good idea. While they're a functional and cost-effective overlay option, the too-visible frame makes it look busy, taking away minimalist elegance and giving it an outdated feel. And because of the gaps between doors and potentially visible hinges, standard overlay cabinets tend to look less finished than their alternatives, cheapening the overall impression.

Choosing full overlay or inset cabinets are your best options if you're looking to cultivate a sleek, contemporary kitchen aesthetic. However, they need to be installed properly. With full overlay, any misalignment between cabinet doors will stand out more because there's no visible frame to pick up the slack — but on the bright side, this contributes to their high-end appeal since it requires better craftsmanship. Similarly, inset cabinets leave no room to hide poor alignment, but this is precisely what gives them a refined feel. Either type of cabinet will eliminate unnecessary visual breaks that come with standard overlay cabinet doors.

To take your kitchen's style even further, consider swapping dated hardware for streamlined pulls in matte black or brushed brass, and stick with a light, neutral color palette. These small design choices — along with a smarter cabinet overlay — can completely transform your kitchen from outdated to standout.