From kitchens and bathrooms to dens and offices, the right cabinetry and millwork can provide beautiful focal points for just about any room. Cabinets and other built-in storage are essentially permanent furniture, so it’s important that they reflect the homeowners’ style and be built to withstand decades of wear and tear.
Essentially, custom cabinets and millwork give homeowners endless possibilities. Custom cabinetry gives designers and homeowners complete control over the finished product – from the quality and source of the raw materials to the style and finishes. These options are not dictated by the manufacturer, which will strictly limit the available cabinet sizes and style options. With custom cabinets, each unit can be built to any required size. This eliminates the dead spaces that are concealed with “filler strips” when using stock cabinetry and allows homeowners to better utilize the available space.
In addition, homeowners choosing custom cabinets and millwork can select the cabinet combinations that fit their lifestyles and work best for them. Those who love to bake can create custom spice cabinets and storage for bulky bakeware. Wine aficionados can build in ample wine displays and storage. Those who love to entertain main opt for an island with cabinets on all sides, in order to provide enough room for additional serving and dining pieces.
Custom cabinets and millwork are also ideal for homes that have rooms with unusual layouts. Custom options can fit in even the most awkward of areas, such as under a staircase or in a bedroom with a very slanted ceiling. This makes all of the space in a room usable and gives it a “fitted” look in a way that stock cabinetry cannot.
Custom cabinetry is also a better value than stock options. Stock cabinets may be cheaper, but they are never better made than custom. Custom cabinets are made by skilled craftsman by hand, never on assembly lines. This allows for higher quality construction and cabinets that are built to last. For example, the joints in custom cabinets will be exquisitely crafted using dovetail, dowel or mortise-and-tenon techniques. This makes the cabinets far sturdier than their out-of-the-box counterparts, which use glue, nails and screws at the joints. In addition, homeowners installing stock cabinetry often run into problems matching finishes. Stock cabinetry is made in batches at different times, so it’s often the case that the materials and finishes between the various batches do not match each other. This does not happen with custom cabinets and millwork, as it is all made and finished at the same time.
Despite the popular conception that custom millwork is expensive and out-of-reach, custom cabinetry can actually be more affordable than the prices of retail cabinets with installation fees.
Outfitting a home with custom cabinetry will not only maximize storage but also make the space a unique masterpiece. Homeowners can reasonably expect that the investment will add value to their homes beyond that of stock cabinetry. When all of the benefits and costs are considered, high-end homeowners will likely find that they can’t afford not to go the custom route.
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