I'm not sure that buffet is frameless---at least it doesn't look like it, though I haven't seen that particular one in person. Is the frame around it really just aesthetic? I know in the media units from that line, the doors are actually attached to the frame, but they may be different.

Frameless cabinets can't have fully inset doors and drawers, because there are no frames to inset the doors and drawer faces into. But you can mimic the look of inset cabinets with frameless if you want the period look. One design firm I've seen do this a lot is JAS Design Build in Seattle---they use a lot of frameless cabinets with "frames" built around them to echo the look of inset without actually having the frame. They had a kitchen featured in This Old House magazine recently that I really liked that got the look down nicely. If we'd seen that before getting our cabinets, I think we might have gone that route---I really like our frameless cabinets, and though our framed cabinets are lovely, they are more finicky (fine now but took cabinetmaker a long time to get them perfect, and there are still a couple where I'm not thrilled with the tolerances, but the frameless cabinets don't have any issues at all). You might check out their website for some ideas. I think it would be difficult to get a truly framed look with frameless (if you wanted to separate each drawer, for instance, it would be possible but frustrating to build fillers for each, so you'd need a cabinetmaker who was on board with the concept) but I think getting halfway there might be enough if you mainly want a period feel.

Here is a link that might be useful: TOH kitchen with frameless inset-looking lowers and framed inset uppers

Excellent Explanation Artemis.

Clue-Colorado,
Beautiful Buffet. It does not matter if it Framed, Inset or
Modern it is beautiful! And the fact you know what you like
is half the battle to finding the right cabinet style.
I think what you want are period looking cabinets that
have the simple style of your "frameless" buffett. Why don't
we look at simple kitchen cabinets (Inset and Frameless)
in the quarter swan oak material. From there we can find
some ideas that will work for your space and give you
the look you desire. Lets base the look on the buffet.
Here goes..
~boxer

Cook and Cook Cabinetry (they do period cabs and beautiful
renovations)

Vintage Cabinetry Plum perfect

Vintage Kitchens Oak

Vintage Craftman

Quarter Sawn Oak Crown Point

Frameless Oak Stavraki Co. from Chicago

Tree House Co. Quarter Sawn Oak

Revival Wide

Oak floor

Kennebec Stained Tiger (I think this is maple)

Kennebec Qrt Sawn Oak Pantry

Kennebec Oak Breakfast

Okay not a kitchen but Quarter Sawn Oak by Kennebec Co.

Kennebec Co.

Kennebec 7

Frameless

Cook and Cook 86

Cook and Cook 84

Vintage Kitchens 9 (SOAPSTONE!!!)

Okay if you have gotten this far and you realize that all
these are toooooo Vintage or not what you wanted me to
find. No worries. Just tell me if amy were close to
what you were looking for. And I will try to find more
in the family of cabs. Most of the above are Qrt Sawn Oak
so there is going to be a slight difference to the
pic you showed of your buffet. No worries. I will try
to find more if you need them.
I urge you to check out Plain and Fancy and Crystal Cab
web sites. They might help you with ideas.
And help you discover more about inset, frameless and
oak.
~boxer

Here's a picture of frameless mission style quarter sawn oak. It's not inset, but it has all of the other elements you are looking for.

Here is a link that might be useful: frameless mission cabinets

Hello Neighbor! I'm in Boulder. When we went to see a kitchen our cabinetmaker had made it looked inset but was frameless: around each door / drawer he'd put a filler frame. It looked beautiful and inset, but it wasn't. For us it was just too much space wasted. There are a few cabs in our kitchen which do have filler, of course, and those mimic inset (without meaning to, just the name of the game).

This is a during-construction pic but it's a detail showing how this area mimics inset (not intentionally, just due to support, etc.)

I'm confused about the concept (which is nothing new, ha). I'm scratching my head about cupboard doors that are both frameless and inset. Doesn't "inset" imply that they have a frame (into which they're set)?

One of Boxerpup's photos shows frameless doors -- how could these be constructed so that they look inset into a frame, without adding a frame? Would they be cut smaller and hinged to the actual box wall, so that the box walls create a small 3/4" 'frame'?

In our MB we had cabs built with one frame around a set of 3 drawers on either side of the sink. It was a trial to see if I liked it well enough for the kitchen. I did traditional inset in the kit. Even though the drawers are inset into a frame without a stile between it looses something. In the kit 2 things we did, smallest possible stiles, no toe kick except at the sink. It certainly made up for the loss of space.

Obviously they can't be both. That was what Artemis
so kindly explained.
I posted images of mostly quarter sawn oak. I also posted
pictures of cabinets some are frameless and some are inset.
This was to help the OP figure out what or which she liked
with Qrt sawn Oak. I am certainly not saying they can be
both, nor am I trying to confuse anyone.
~boxer

Yes. The first reply explained that a cabinet is frameless or inset -- or can be frameless made to look more like inset. I think the look was created when inset was not widely available, to get the look at a lesser cost (not sure that still applies since inset is more widely available now) or possibly to get the look without the alignment and expansion issues in an extreme weather situation.

BTW, I think that Kennebec Stained Tiger is frameless or at least a hybrid of inset and frameless. The sides of the doors are attached to a frame (or filler)piece, but the drawers and spaces between the doors and drawers appear to be frameless. That's actually one of my favorites in all those pictures.

I like the look of inset, but I went frameless because I was looking to recapture much needed wasted space in my kitchen. I also don't have a 100 year old home, so I wasn't trying to match an older look -- just a classic feel. It's also fewer lines visually, which I like. The inset are most appealing to me when simply done -- probably for the same reason.

Oh Pups, no, no, the confusion is all mine! :-) [I pulled the old 'dawdle composing a reply while everyone else is answering' routine.]

I went back to re-read Artemis' great explanation, and that along with subsequent answers, and rmkitchen's picture, helps a great deal.

By adding a artificial frame outside frameless doors, it does seem one would risk losing the same amount of space as with framed doors, yet sacrifice some of the charm. Are insets that much more expensive?

NO, there CAN be frameless inset cabinets. I've several examples of Danish Modern furniture that exemplify that style. The cabinet box IS the "frame", and the doors do not overlay the frame, they are inset into the cabinet box/frame. It's a VERY modern style, not at all traditional.

Like this:

Oh my! I'm going to have to change to "Gettingaclueinco" thanks to you all! Mondays are in my DS kindergarten and I thought I better go for the 2nd cup of caffeine and not log on, sorry I hadn't responded until now. I am just afraid of how much space I would lose with inset, but I really REALLY like the look. Most kitchens that I am attracted to have inset. We had talked about frameless with full overlay and although I would be very happy to have them, if the sky was the limit they would be inset. However, inches really do count - 9.25' x 10.75' corridor kitchen and I want to make the most of my space. I took a bunch of pictures of the buffet but can't find my cord to upload them - it's probably with my cell phone ;-)...The doors are attached to the frames and open just over 90 degrees and the drawers are above a filler. I really like the kennebec pantry and it doesn't look like it has stiles. EANDHL did you NOT like that look? I think I'd like the filler better, but I guess they'd better be bombproof. WOW boxerpups, ask and you shall receive, much gratitude for your work and your collection! Thank you ARTEMIS for your explanation and thank you Ncamy and rmkitchen for the photos and extra explantation! I'm confused too circuspeanut! The cost is about 20% more for inset from the two places I've checked. Enough to make a difference in other materials for us! Lascatx, sounds like we are one the same page and thanks livewireoak for responding in both threads, I'm wondering if the door opening will be the decider. Thanks again!

Great, maybe you colud help CluelessinColorado the OP.
As you can see only two of my images were framless and
I am not positive if they were also inset. I had trouble
finding both in quarter sawn oak for a period 1912 house.
Clearly there is much confusion on the topic.
~boxer

Here's my (uncompleted) office. I have a combo of inset and frameless because I thought it was more modern not to have rails in between the drawers. The drawer hardware is on the sides instead of the bottom. In my kitchen, I have regular old inset. If you click around on the picture you can see the difference.

Boxer, You are a jewel!!!

You helped not only the OP but me too! ll be doing similar cabinets in the future and having them all in one spot is such a help!

Thanks a million!

AHA! I just found what I knew was lurking in my memory bank. Danielle00's wonderful kitchen. GBISM, I don't know if the oak/soapstone combo interests you or just the type of cabinets, but look at her kitchen. Thanks again all the info and photos, love your office histokitch - we won't even go into my mad love for your beautiful kitchen!

Here is a link that might be useful: Crown Point frameless, quartersawn oak

Didn't read all the responses yet, but crown point has samples of frameless inset...

Here is a link that might be useful: Frameless inset cabs

Yes, Live wire oak is correct, there is a class of cabinetry called frameless inset. There is no faceframe, just the edge of the plywood box is visible (always 3/4" plywood). The strange bit is when two cabinets abut, and you are treated to the view of two adjacent cabinet edges, and there is an objectionable seam. If the cabinetmaker was up to it, making runs of cabinets one-piece would permit the "doubling" to be eliminated.
If you look at the Blum website, there is a hinge made just for frameless inset types.
Casey

Thank you for the info sombreuil_mongrel! The plan would be to make one huge cabinet with many compartments. Can't wait to carry THAT into the house... The cabinet maker also bands the edges with whatever wood (if staining) is being used.

i'm not sure what your layout is like, but wouldn't your base cabinets be in smaller sections because of appliances? so maybe it's not THAT bad?

heh, i'm just rooting for you to get what you love...

danielle00's and histokitch's kitchens are beautiful, as well as boxerpups' photo collection.

Yes, hopefully the edges of the plywood get taped!!
Casey

There's a posting on ikeafans with the best example of frameless inset style I have seen on that site. This is modification of the Ikea panel system but he did a really good job.

http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/kitchen-planning/46730-finished-ramsjo-kitchen.html

You could show this to a cabinetmaker as an idea. If you put stiles between your lower cabinets such that the front face is flush with the door fronts, the lowers could look inset also.