The old framed kitchen cabinets we replaced had the centre stile. One of the Cabinet people who came out, said he doesn't see that much anymore. Our frameless cabinets (largest is 36") do not have the centre stile.

Sorry can't help you with the Kraftmaid issue.

We did KM cabs and I purposely chose certain sizes for some cabs where I didn't want stiles. If you have their catalog showing the various choices, look for the word "BUTT". That means there is no style, and the doors will meet with a small space between them.

Anne

Oh, thank you! They do show the cabinets with BUTT in them.

Only cabinets over a certain width really need a center stile. Probably over 33 or 36". I would NOT buy cabinets (smaller than that) with a center stile. No way. We saw some frameless cabinets with a center stile back when we were looking, and I thought, what's the point of frameless if you're going to have a center stile which to me, is WORSE than a frame?

I would not buy cabinets with a center slide either.

My old kitchen had them in the two main large uppers and it seemed to make the cabinet have less usable storage for some reason.

I accidentally got one in my laundry room (which was done before my kitchen and I wasn't paying close enough attention to detail then) and it made the 36" cabinet so much less useful. Very difficult to get my storage bins in and out of the cabinet. Ick.

Anita

Anita

I have Kraftmaid cabinets. I was careful to specify that I didn't want center stiles, but the cabs over the fridge and over the OTR microwave do have center stiles - that's the only way those particular cabinets came. I was told they needed the extra support - the fridge cabs because they're 24" deep, and the m/w cabs because the m/w is attached to it.

My other cabinets are BUTT cabinets. I kind of like the dark line between the doors. :-)

I just finished having Merillat cabinets, installed in my new kitchen. I specically asked not to have the styles in the center. Anyway 2 of my uper cabinets (27") have them and my sink base. Know I have to watch what goes in them. They where on my old, cheap kitchen and hated couldn't what to get rid of it. Now those cabinets will be for glasses and tupperware storage. Not my plates.

Sheesh--I do know that it's "stile"!

In our remodel as well as the new house, all of our butt doors were on 27" wide cabs.

Anne

I had thought that my 30" upper cabinets would be structurally stronger with the stile so I ordered mine that way. Now, I've come to dislike the way the stile reduces accessibility. I called Kraftmaid and talked to a specialist who revealed to me that both varieties are constructed the same, just that the stile is "added" (and could even be removed if absolutely needed) so I'd say get them without the stile if you don't mind the door gap or adding a dust strip.

I chose frameless cabinets and specifically ordered no cabinet wider than 36" in order to avoid center stiles. Then, I realized I needed a 42" cabinet to go over my range hood. I expected a center stile, but it was constructed without one! So, no center stiles anywhere in my new kitchen--HEAVEN!