NOVAHAUS — Design that speaks
NOVAHAUS — Design that speaks
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Cashmere frame-front kitchen with island and illuminated display cabinets

Transitional kitchens

Transitional kitchen cabinets with German frame fronts

Transitional kitchen cabinets combine the framed door Americans know from Shaker kitchens with the precision of a German system. Nolte’s frame fronts give Craftsman, Spanish and traditional homes a kitchen that fits the architecture and still works like a modern one.

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Nolte Küchen design

01The idea

Why frame fronts make transitional kitchen cabinets work

A frame front has a raised or recessed border around a center panel. On its own it reads classic; in a frameless German carcass, with tight gaps, slim handles and a calm color, it reads current. That balance is exactly what transitional kitchen cabinets are meant to achieve — and why they suit so many older Los Angeles homes with arched doorways, beams and plaster walls.

Unlike an American Shaker cabinet, the frame here belongs to the door, not to the cabinet box. You keep the full interior width of a frameless carcass, as explained on our frameless cabinets page. It is the warmest of our kitchen styles, and sits naturally between modern kitchens and wood kitchens.

02The fronts

Nolte frame fronts compared

EVORA LACK (PG6)
Genuine matte lacquer, 22 mm, with a slim 10 mm frame; matte lacquer concept colors; MatrixArt possible
RAVENNA LACK (PG6)
Genuine matte lacquer frame front, 22 mm, in the matte lacquer color concept; MatrixArt possible
TORINO LACK (PG6)
Genuine matte lacquer frame front, 22 mm, in the same coordinated matte lacquer colors
WINDSOR LACK (PG6)
Country-style genuine matte lacquer frame front, 20 mm; used with handles (no MatrixArt)
LUGANO LACK (PG7)
Real ash frame with veneer panel, matte lacquer in the matte lacquer concept, 20 mm; MatrixArt possible
ELEGANCE (PG7)
Country-style genuine gloss lacquer frame front, 22 mm, in White; used with handles (no MatrixArt)
PORTO (PG3)
Matte 3D lacquer-laminate frame front in white, magnolia, pistachio and platinum grey soft matte
FOCUS (PG3)
Matte laminate frame front, country character, in the same four soft-matte colors
CHESTER (PG4)
Matte melamine frame front with a wide 73 mm frame, in Sahara, Lava and Graphite
Sage green matt lacquer kitchen with oak worktop peninsula
Nolte Küchen design

03Color

The matte lacquer concept: one palette, many fronts

EVORA, RAVENNA, TORINO and WINDSOR LACK share Nolte’s matte lacquer concept with SOFT LACK and LUGANO LACK: 20 coordinated colors (Quartz grey availability varies by front), from Arctic white and Cashmere to Olive, Deep blue and Black green. A matte lacquer handle comes in the same colors, so the handle disappears into the front or contrasts on purpose.

The concept won the Kitchen Innovation Award 2026 with the “Best of the Best” seal, and EVORA LACK was part of the SCHÖNER WOHNEN Best of Design Award 2026. Practically, a framed tall wall and a flat SOFT LACK island can be ordered in exactly the same color — try it in the configurator or see samples at a consultation.

04Styling

Making a transitional kitchen feel current

  • Slim handles

    Matte bronze knobs or black 128–160 mm single handles, rather than ornate pulls.

  • Quiet colors

    Cashmere, Sahara, Greige and Olive in matte lacquer feel warmer than bright white.

  • Mixed fronts

    Frame fronts on tall units with a flat island in the same color keep the room from feeling heavy.

  • Stone and wood

    A honed marble or quartzite top and an oak shelf ground the look.

05Inspiration

Frame-front Nolte kitchens

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Cream kitchen under wooden beams with steel-framed window and island

Cream kitchen under wooden beams with steel-framed window and island

Nolte Küchen design

FAQ

Questions, answered

Still deciding? Call +1 (213) 776-0000 or send us your plan.

Ask a designer
What is a transitional kitchen?
A kitchen that blends traditional details — usually framed doors and classic handles — with modern planning, colors and lighting. It sits between a country kitchen and a minimalist one.
Are German frame fronts the same as Shaker cabinets?
They look related, but the construction differs. In a Shaker cabinet the frame is part of the cabinet box; Nolte frame fronts are doors on a frameless carcass, so you keep more interior width and the precise European gaps.
Can frame fronts be handleless?
Some can: EVORA LACK, RAVENNA LACK and LUGANO LACK are available in MatrixArt. WINDSOR LACK, ELEGANCE, PORTO and FOCUS are planned with handles, which usually suits their character anyway.
Which frame front is the most affordable?
PORTO and FOCUS in price group 3 are the entry point, followed by CHESTER in PG4. The genuine matte lacquer frame fronts sit in PG6.

Keep exploring

Related

3D configurator

Design your Nolte kitchen in 3D

Pick a layout, then add or remove cabinets, swap fronts and worktops, choose handles, lighting and gadgets — and see a ballpark budget as you go.

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  • Natural oak
  • Taj Mahal
  • Cashmere lacquer
  • Walnut
  • Smoked oak