Cabinetmakers set frame standards

There's good reason for making the door frames on your cabinets measure a standard 2" wide. Commercial cabinetmakers long ago settled on 2"-wide cabinet face frames and door frames as the industry standard. One reason they favored a 2"-wide frame is because it uses valuable hardwood efficiently without sacrificing strength. Also, the 2" width suits many cabinet door sizes and styles without making the center panel look disproportionately small. For example, a 12" square door with 4"-wide frame pieces would have a disproportionately small center panel just 4" square. Frames that are slightly wider, say 2 1⁄ 2" wide, still conform roughly to the standard.—from the WOOD shop