What is Half Overlay?

Half overlay is a reference to a particular measurement that allows for doors and drawers to be placed so they reveal dividing strips of the front face frame, but it can reference a particular characteristic associated with Euro box cabinets too. It is difficult to tell what is intended in a spoken conversation, so one should use the context clues of the conversation to infer which of the two meanings is implied. However, if the term half overlay appears in written form then the following is typically the delineation between the two uses of the same description.

When the word half is spelled out then that is a professional’s reference to the Euro box cabinetry that overlays half of a cabinet wall’s edge. However, if the term half is written numerically, as in ½ overlay. Then that is a reference to the design style in which a half inch of the door overlaps the front face of the cabinets on all four edges. The alternative to this style is a full overlay in which none of the face frame is visible and therefore it is often removed.