Frequently Asked Questions

How do we get started?
I'll need to know a few things to get the ball rolling. I'll need to know the rough dimensions of your space. These dimensions don't need to be to the millimeter... If you can measure your space as close to the nearest inch that will be fine. Include window width from outside of trim to outside of trim as well. Most customers are keeping their current layout... So simply measuring your cabinetry as it sits today will suffice. A hand drawn birds eye view of your kitchen with these dimensions is perfect.

Do you come to my house to measure?
Yes, before we even turn on a saw I'll come out to your space for field measurements. It's the only way to be sure.

How does the design process work?
Once I have the dimensions of your space and your wish list I can start producing designs of your space. Typically I generate 3-4 designs by modifying locations of appliances and creating different work stations. I usually create layouts my clients never thought about in their kitchens.

How much will it all cost?
This is a tough question to answer without having all the information. Each kitchen is unique as every person is unique. Generally speaking though... an average sized kitchen typically runs in the $15,000.00 to $25,000.00 range. This includes design work AND installation.

Do I need to find someone to install my custom cabinetry?
Only if you want to. We install 95% of the kitchens we build. Since these are custom cabinets, we build them specific to your space with installation in mind. We build them as large as possible to reduce the number of seams and maximize storage. If you choose to have your contractor or another third party install your cabinets, we can talk directly to them to communicate our installation strategy to help the process go smoothly.

Can you fix my existing cabinetry?
Sorry, we don't fix existing cabinetry.

What are my paint color options?
We can match any color from any of the major paint companies. We will provide a color sample for you to ensure it is the correct color.

What are your custom cabinets made out of?
Whether you go with a clear coat or painted finish, all of our cabinet boxes are made from pre-finished maple plywood. All cabinet sides, tops, bottoms, and shelves are made from 3/4" ply, and all backs are made from 1/2" ply. Our clear coated doors are made from solid wood, no plywood panels here!. Our painted cabinet door frames are made from maple and the panels are made from MDF. We use MDF for our door panels because it does not expand and contract with changes in humidity so no fear of cracked paint joints. All of our face frames are made from solid wood. All of our dovetailed drawer boxes are made from maple and have 3/8" bottoms for strength.

Will my dishes fit in your inset cabinetry?
Yes. We build our upper cabinetry slightly deeper than "stock" cabinetry to unsure that your dishes fit. Our standard upper cabinets are 13" deep which give you 11 1/2" of internal space from back of the door to the back of the cabinet. If you need deeper cabinetry, not a problem. Since all of our cabinetry is custom made for you we can make them any depth.

Do I have to worry about my doors sticking or rubbing with inset cabinetry?
No. It IS important to know that wood moves seasonally with changes in moisture and temperature. Anyone in the Northeast that has a wood stove notices this with their woodwork in the wintertime. We build our cabinetry with the season in mind. If we're building a kitchen in the dry winter months we allow more spacing from doors to cabinet frames knowing the wood will expand in the summer. If we're building a kitchen in the humid summer months we leave less spacing knowing the wood will shrink a bit in the winter.

I have a very odd shaped kitchen. Will your cabinets fit?
Yes. Unlike "factory" cabinets, we are building cabinetry specifically for YOUR home. We can build cabinetry any size... this means any width, height, and depth AND any shape.

How long does it take you to build custom cabinetry for a kitchen?
We have built and installed kitchens in as little as a week in the past. It really depends on how in depth your remodel is. A typical kitchen remodel that requires new flooring could take up to 3 weeks. Regardless of the circumstances, we will have your cabinets built and ready for install when you are.

Do you handle all aspects of my kitchen remodel?
No, we are custom cabinetmakers. We build the cabinetry, you'll need a general contractor to handle demolition, new flooring, new windows, etc.

I already have a design in place, can you provide an estimate from that?
Of course. I may also provide additional designs as I may have my own thoughts.

Do you have anything in stock?
No, we are a custom cabinet shop. Everything we build has a destination.

Can I add to my existing cabinetry or re-work a cabinet to better suit my needs?
No. We can take all kinds of remodeling projects, but we cannot match or modify old cabinetry in a cost-effective way. We will not re-work, retrofit or add-to existing cabinetry.

What areas do you serve?
We work with clients all over New England. We've actually installed a kitchen in Florida!

How do you compare in price to the big box stores?
We don't compare, simple as that. I will say though, typically this is not an apples to apples comparison. Will our cabinetry be more expensive at first glance, yes. However, you are getting much more for your money with our cabinetry. Most of the "add on" options available with the big box store cabinetry is standard with ours. I have found time and time again that if you were to include all of the big box cabinetry features to be on par with ours, we are less expensive. These features include: Installation, Inset cabinetry instead of overlay, decorative cabinet sides that match the door style instead of flat plywood, decorative foot details instead of a standard toe kick, and 1" thick doors / drawer fronts / face frames instead of 3/4".

What kind of woods do you use?
We'll use whatever wood species you'd like. Lately we've done a LOT of painted kitchens so maple is the preferred substrate, but we've built a ton of cherry kitchens as wells as walnut, mahogany, alder, quarter sawn white and red oak, vertical grain douglas fir, ash, birch and chestnut. We've also used reclaimed or barn board as of late.