Raised Panel Cabinet Doors

You’re probably already familiar with the classic Shaker style cabinet doors, and of course we’ve all seen flat (slab) doors, but what if you want a bit “more” – a more traditional look, more dimension, interesting details? A door with a raised center panel may be just what you’re after!

What is a Raised Panel Cabinet Door?

A raised panel cabinet door has a center panel that sits higher than the surrounding frame, creating dimension and shadow lines that set it apart from doors with a flat surface. It’s one of the three core cabinet door categories — alongside Shaker/recessed panel doors and flat slab doors— and it’s the classic choice for kitchens with a traditional or transitional feel.

Add the look of fine furniture

Raised panel doors are typically associated with the classic, traditional kitchen that celebrates the beauty of stained wood. These spaces can feel more formal and may include layers of molding or wainscot, ornate corbels and other furniture-style accents. While these kitchens have a stately beauty and fit well in older houses, today’s lifestyle is much less formal, and homes are designed with fewer built-ins and less trim.

In newer homes or condos that lack architectural character, a raised panel door can bring a sense of that classic kitchen to the space by adding details reminiscent of an antique china hutch or a farmhouse table. We categorize our Inspiration Gallery by three broad design categories: Contemporary (clean, sleek lines), Traditional (described above) and Transitional (blending aspects of both), and these doors fit perfectly in the transitional category.

You’ll also find raised panels in “midimalist” interior design, where they can warm up the clean lines and streamlined storage of minimalism while nodding to the layers of detail and décor found in maximalism.

Exploring style options

For your cabinets, many raised panel doors have a recessed panel complement, where both have the same frame profile, but a different center panel (Brentwood and Shalimar, shown above, is an example). You will often see the raised panel version on the island or base cabinets, while the recessed panel version is used throughout the rest of the kitchen. One of these doors may then be used in the laundry, while the other is used in the home office–a great way to keep the look consistent throughout the home while bringing in visual interest.

We talked about the technical aspects of Mortise & Tenon (M&T) and Mitered construction in our Cabinet Door Construction 101 article, so here we’ll take a look at the various styles available within these categories.

Mortise & Tenon (M&T) Raised Panel

These doors have the same type of outer frame as a Shaker door, but the center of the inner panel will be elevated, with different “profiles.”  As you can see from Canterbury and Windsor above, this profile may be a simple convex curve, or have additional routered details. The inner section of the door frame also has different levels of embellishment, so the combination of the two will influence the final look of the door.

Because of the flat outer frame, M&T raised panel doors fit transitional kitchen designs that blend elements of traditional style (cabinets that resemble furniture, ornate moldings, etc.) and contemporary cues (sleek, clean lines, open shelves, and more).

An exception to this simplicity is the “applied molding” door, which features a molding attached to the inner part of the frame. The depth and detail of these applied molding cabinet doors (Mount Vernon and Springwood shown above) make it more similar in use to a mitered raised panel, up next.

Mitered Raised Panel

Surprisingly, many of these styles have the exact same center panel as M&T styles! Here, the corners are joined at a 45 degree angle, like a picture frame, which allows for more decorative stiles and rails, since the pattern will continue around the door. In fact, much of the detail in mitered raised panel styles is found in the outer frame (notice the center panel is the same in Hampton and Charleston, above).

With solid wood panels and components, it helps to understand that all woods will expand and contract a small amount with changes to temperature and humidity within the home. At times, you may notice hairline cracks on painted product wherever there’s a 90 degree joint, or at mitered joints. This is entirely natural and is not cause for replacement.

Visit the Door Styles page of CanyonCreek.com to see all the construction types, panels, and more. Hopefully, this article has helped make your selection easier!

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