What Is A Center Stile?

A center stile is a cabinetry panel that is installed in the middle of a cabinet to support it from sagging. You can think of a center stile as a support beam for your cabinet. If your cabinet did not have a center stile, and was loaded with too many dishes or plates, it could potentially collapse causing serious damage in your kitchen. The opposite of a cabinet stile would be a cabinet rail, which is the horizontal piece installed in a cabinet. The center stile is also finished to match the exterior of the cabinet it is being used to support. The only downside of a center stile is that it limits the size of pots, pans and other accessories that can be stored inside the cabinet based on cutting the storage opening in half.