Face frame dimensions

[Bob Johnson2]

For half overlay kitchen cabinets what have you found to be the most pleasing face frame rail and style width?
Do you go half width for adjoining cabinets of the same height? How about for the union of differing heights?
And lastly, what width for the upper rail when planning on a 3 1/2"-4" crown?


Thanks for the help...

[Steve Clardy]

Lowers.
Mostly I use 2" stiles with 1-1/2" rails.

Uppers. My standard there is 2" stiles and rails all around.



Sometimes I use a wider top rail on uppers for crown, say if there is a lower than standard 96" wall height. Then I will have to use a 3" or wider top rail so the crown will fit to the ceiling. [Cabinets mounted down from ceiling an inch or so]
A lot of times I will use only 2-1/4" crown on those jobs will low ceiling height.

[Bob Johnson2]

Thanks Steve, I do have a low ceiling at 90".

[Steve Clardy]

Ok.

My height figures.


36 lower
18 between
36 uppers


Those figures put your uppers to the ceiling.

If you want 3-1/4 crown, with 1/2 overlay doors, you will need around a 3-1/2 top rail.

3-1/4 crown height when applied is 2-5/8 tall.

And you want the crown a 1/2" or so above your doors.

Or you can drop the between cabinet height to 17" or so.

Different ways to skin the same cat.

Or you can make non standard 34" uppers and drop them away from the ceiling a couple of inches.

[Karl Brogger]

I use some wierd numbers. I hold upper cabinets down from the ceiling one inch, and typically run a 3" top rail.

Top rail upper- 3"
bottom rail upper- 2-1/4"
Top rail base- 1-3/4"
bottom rail base- 1-1/4"/ w/ a 3-3/4 toe kick the top of the bottom rail is 5" off the floor


I almost always stick with those numbers for those parts. Then all my stiles and mid rails are usually the same size, either 2" or 1-1/2". Once in a while I'll do a job where all the stiles are 3", with the mid rails & mid stiles are 2", that can look really cool, but it takes a big kitchen to make it work or the doors end up small looking.


If you have a 90" ceiling, I don't think I'd run crown much over 2-1/4", but thats just an opinion. The upper cabinets will look a little squat.