You can buy frameless, European-style cabinets in the Bay Area from kitchen design showrooms, custom cabinet shops and online cabinet suppliers that deliver locally. Cabinet Doctor, the cabinet department of RemodelER, is one of the online options: it sells European frameless cabinetry and Boxy frameless lines and delivers to jobsites across the San Francisco Bay Area. Wherever you buy, verify five things before you order: the box material and thickness, the edge banding, the hinge and drawer hardware, how fillers and end panels are handled, and who checks the layout. Frameless cabinets are less forgiving than framed ones, so those details decide how the kitchen looks once it is installed.
What makes a cabinet frameless?
A traditional American cabinet has a face frame: a border of solid wood attached to the front of the box, which the doors hang on. A frameless cabinet has no face frame. The doors mount directly to the sides of the box on concealed cup hinges and cover almost the entire front, which is called full overlay. With no frame in the opening, the interior is fully accessible, which is why the style is also called full-access.
The construction method comes from Europe, where it is often called the 32 mm system because the hardware holes are drilled on a 32 mm grid. The look that results is the flat, continuous run of doors and drawer fronts with tight, even gaps that most people picture when they say "modern kitchen." Our comparison of framed and frameless cabinets covers the trade-offs in more depth.
Where can you buy frameless cabinets in the Bay Area?
- Kitchen design showrooms. You can see doors and finishes in person and work with a designer. Pricing is normally by quote after a consultation.
- Custom cabinet shops. Built to order for your room, which suits unusual spaces. Expect the longest timelines and a price that reflects one-off work.
- Big-box stores. Some carry a frameless range, often ready-to-assemble, that you can take home or order at a desk.
- Online suppliers with local delivery. A full catalog of finishes with the layout handled through a design tool or by sending measurements. This is how Cabinet Doctor works.
The right choice depends on how much design help you want and how unusual your room is. The checks below apply to all four.
What should you check before ordering frameless cabinets?
| What to check | Why it matters for frameless | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Box material and thickness | With no face frame to stiffen it, the box does all the structural work | Ask for the side-panel material and thickness in writing |
| Edge banding | The front edge of the box is visible in every door gap | Ask whether edges are banded to match the finish, and look at a sample corner |
| Hinges and drawer system | Tight, even gaps depend on adjustable hardware | Ask for the hardware brand and whether soft-close is standard |
| Door and front material | Flat fronts show every flaw; finishes vary from laminate to real-wood veneer to lacquer | Ask what the core and the surface are, and view the finish at full door size if you can |
| Fillers, scribes and end panels | Full-overlay doors need planned clearance at walls and appliances | Confirm these are on the drawing and available in your finish |
| Layout review | Walls are rarely plumb, and frameless runs have little tolerance | Ask who checks your measurements and whether you approve a drawing |
| Delivery | Large flat fronts are easy to chip | Ask who delivers and how damaged pieces are replaced |
Why does installation matter more with frameless cabinets?
A face frame hides small errors: the frame overlaps the box, so a wall that is out of plumb or a floor that is out of level can be absorbed at the edges. Frameless cabinets show a row of doors separated by gaps of only a few millimeters. If the boxes are not level, plumb and aligned with each other, those gaps taper and the eye finds it immediately.
That is not a reason to avoid frameless. It is a reason to plan fillers and scribe panels at every wall, to make sure appliance openings are confirmed against the actual appliance specifications, and to hire an installer who has set frameless cabinets before. Ask the installer directly, and ask to see a finished frameless kitchen they installed.
What frameless options does Cabinet Doctor sell?
Our catalog includes a European modern collection of frameless, full-access cabinetry, Boxy lines in both framed and frameless construction, wall-mounted floating vanities for bathrooms, and custom European closets. Each collection page shows its door styles and finishes.
We operate online. You can lay out the kitchen yourself in the free 2D/3D design studio with live per-cabinet pricing, or send measurements and photos and have our team put the layout together with you. The prices shown are MSRP; a quote request gets you the actual project price, which is below MSRP. We deliver to jobsites across the Bay Area, and the same quote can include slabs, tile, flooring and plumbing fixtures from the other RemodelER departments.
Frequently asked questions
Are frameless cabinets as strong as framed cabinets?
A well-built frameless cabinet is strong enough for any residential kitchen, including stone countertops. The strength comes from the box panels and how they are joined rather than from a face frame, which is why the panel material and thickness are the first things to ask about.
Do frameless cabinets give you more storage?
Slightly, yes. With no frame narrowing the opening, drawers can be a little wider and shelves are easier to reach. The difference per cabinet is small, but it adds up across a full kitchen, and it is most noticeable in drawer bases.
Can I mix frameless and framed cabinets in one home?
Yes. It is common to use frameless cabinets in the kitchen and a different style in bathrooms or the laundry room. Within a single room it is usually cleaner to stay with one construction type so the door gaps and reveals match.
To see finishes and start a layout, browse the cabinet collections, open the design studio, or call (408) 830-4458 with your measurements.