When refinishing a piece of furniture, one important factor to note is whether you are dealing with inset vs overlay style drawers and cabinet doors. Understanding the differences between these styles can help you choose the best technique for your project and achieve the desired look for your piece.
painting overlay vs inset drawers // painting overlay cabinets // painting inset cabinets // should I paint the inside of drawer pockets? // painting overlay vs inset furniture
Whether you are painting overlay vs inset drawers will determine whether or not to paint the inside of drawer pockets and best approaches to spraying or brushing your painted pieces.
In this blog post I’ll dive into the main differences in overlay and inset furniture and best methods for painting them.
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What is an inset vs overlay drawer?
INSET DRAWERS AND CABINETS
painting overlay vs inset drawers
An inset drawer is a type of cabinet drawer that sits inside the opening of a cabinet or piece of furniture, rather than on top of it. The front of the drawer is flush with the front of the cabinet or furniture, creating a seamless and integrated look.
INSET DRAWER EXAMPLES
Inset drawers are typically more difficult and time-consuming to build than overlay drawers because of the perfection they require, but they offer a clean, classic appearance and can be a great choice for high-end furniture or cabinetry.
OVERLAY DRAWER AND CABINETS
An overlay drawer is a type of cabinet drawer that sits on top of the opening of a cabinet or piece of furniture. The front of the drawer overlaps the front of the cabinet or furniture, creating a more decorative look.
If selecting inset vs overlay cabinet or furniture, designs Dove Studio has a great article on the pros and cons of each.
OVERLAY DRAWER EXAMPLES
Overlay drawers are easier and quicker to build than inset drawers, making them a popular choice for many types of furniture and cabinetry. They are also more forgiving in terms of fit, as small gaps or imperfections can often be covered by the overlaying edge of the drawer.
Painting inset furniture
In my furniture refinishing years, I’ve found inset drawers and cabinets to be the most common construction. When it comes to spraying furniture, inset drawer will be much easier to spray with the drawers inside the body of furniture. I rarely even tape or apply plastic to the drawers when spraying inset pieces.
While inset drawers are a bit easier to paint with the drawers inside the body of the furniture and require less taping and plastic wrapping when spraying, there is an important final detail step that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Should I paint inside drawer pockets? For inset drawers, the answer is yes. This provides a clean and finished look when the drawer or cabinet is closed. Otherwise, you are left with a little strip of wood peaking through the edges.
Depending on the particular piece, sometimes I’ll just paint a thin sliver along the inside of the drawer pocket. Other times, I’ll paint the entire piece of wound that creates the face frame. There is no wrong answer, just stop wherever it makes most sense for your piece.
If you end up spraying with the drawer in the furniture, you’ll also have some detail work left over the edges and top of the drawer fronts. I just use an artist brush to paint these small surfaces after spraying. Call me brave, but I typically don’t tape. * smirky side eye *
Painting the inside of the drawer pocket & edges of the drawers may take some extra time to remove the drawers and tape off the inside (depending on how much you trust your free handed paint lines), but it’s certainly worth it for a clean look! The trade off perk being the ability to spray much more easily with untaped drawers inside the body of the furniture.
Painting Overlay Drawers & Cabinets
When it comes to overlay drawers, since you have a slight overhang around the drawer pocket opening you won’t need to paint the inside of the drawer pocket. Overlay drawers have a lip that extends beyond the front of the drawer, hiding the inside of the pocket from view. Therefore, painting the inside is not necessary for aesthetics.
The downside of overlay drawers comes into play if you prefer to spray or hand brush your pieces with the drawers in the body of the furniture. While it’s still possible, you’ll first have to paint the body of the dresser, allow it to dry before sliding in the drawers.
It may not seem like a huge deal, but if you are working in a small space, keeping the drawers within the body of the furniture can be a major room saver and prevent you from accidentally tripping or kicking over wet painted drawers. (Ohhh the curse words spewed over this annoyance!)
Another downside, if you decide to spray, is the necessary step of more taping and plastic wrap to prepare the drawers for paint. It’s not impossible to do, but does require more time and materials. In the photo above, you can see how the drawers are taped and plastic wrapped. If you have the space, you could leave the drawers out of the body of the furniture for spraying. But because my space is so tight, I tucked the drawers back into the dress, not fully closing them so I could spray the sides of the drawers. Check out the separate post on this Green Painted Dresser.
In conclusion, whether you’re painting overlay vs inset drawers, both can be refinished with great results. The technique differences between the two styles will depend on your personal style preference, the piece you are working on and your preferred methods for laying down the paint. Whether you choose inset or overlay I’m confident you’ll get great results if you keep these major differences between painting overlay vs inset furniture in mind!
Happy Painting!
Girl Behind the Blog
I’m Jess, the creator of Oak & Grain. A mid-west girl at heart who now resides in Raleigh, NC. I love finding old things and giving them new purpose by way of refinishing or incorporating unexpected, overlooked thrift store finds in the modern home. I work full-time in medicine and I love dipping into my creative side and in the process, keeping my sanity. Follow me on Instagram and YouTube to see more behind the scenes action.