Frame-front kitchens in cashmere and black

A frame front — a slim raised frame around a flat center panel — is the German answer to the American shaker cabinet. These three Nolte designs show how far the same idea travels with color. The profile stays the same; the color, worktop and handles change the whole character of the room.

In cashmere, it is calm and classic. Frame-front base units, an island with two oak-look drawer fronts, and a back wall of glass display cabinets lit from inside make a kitchen that sits comfortably in a traditional home. Matching tall units and a low sideboard continue the fronts into the living area, so the kitchen and furniture read as one.

In black, the same profile becomes graphic. The second design sets a black frame-front island in front of a wall of open shelving with oak-look drawers, under a trio of geometric pendants; an oak-look strip on the island top marks the serving zone. The third uses a black wood-grain frame front, a light worktop and brass details, with an open glass unit at the end of the run. Across all three, the frame is narrow and the panel is flat, which keeps the look crisp rather than country — a frame front that still belongs in a modern room.

Frame fronts suit Los Angeles homes from Spanish Revival to mid-century, where a flat slab can feel too stark. Handles matter more here than on modern fronts, so we choose them with the color: bronze-tone or black for cashmere, bronze-tone or stainless-look for black. Read more about transitional kitchens and glass-front cabinets, see these finishes at our showroom, or try them in the 3D configurator.