Raised panel cabinets create a warm elegant look to any kitchen, old or new. Whether complementing the architecture in an older home or creating a traditional feel in a newer kitchen, this style can do both. A door panel with edges routed to float in the frame define a raised-panel design. The varied depth enhances the lines of the cabinetry with light and shadow.
Our KSI cabinets with a stained wood finish, the appearance of the wood grain varies from flat or stepped to curved surfaces for a subtle, rich effect. Each door panel becomes, in effect, a display piece.
Raised panel doors require more labor and skill to make than a shaker style door. In the past, only the wealthiest of people could afford a raised panel door and it was a symbol of success. Today the raised panel door continues to be desirable and is consistently chosen for upscale kitchens in the finest homes.
These doors are assembled from five individually machined components including a solid wood center panel. We manufacture our center panels in the house with careful attention to grain direction, grain character, and color match.
Some door makers purchase center panel blanks but all of KSI’s center panels are made from the same lumber as the Stiles and Rails.
The center panels are designed to float in the stiles and rails. The solid center panels can shrink and swell with extreme changes in temperature or humidity.
The panel is suspended using multiple pieces of special foam fillers to ensure that a swelling panel does not force the stiles and rails to separate at the joints.
Some manufacturers use rubber products to suspend the panels but oils in the rubber can leach through the door finish over time. We have seen light-colored doors with small oil circles where the rubber was used. You will not have this problem with a KSI Cabinet Door. We guarantee it. Some door makers pin or staple the center panels.
If a solid center panel is pinned or glued there is a good chance the door joints will fail over time. KSI does not pin or glue solid center panels.