I happened upon a fabulous cabinet maker recently while helping a dear friend with a major remodel of his childhood home. I came in a bit late in the game and the kitchen had already been designed and was being built. Good thing he was a great cabinet guy!
A great woodworker’s craft shows in their attention to details. This seems obvious, but it truly makes a difference when everything is installed. If the craftsman offers advice on what it takes to get the job done right (the first time) by recognizing issues that may arise during install, you’re in good hands. A pleasant personality is an added bonus. Picture existing sloped floors in a remodel that are not going to be leveled off. You need a cabinet guy that will account for the height differences that will occur BEFORE the units go in. Nothing holds a project up like having to send things back to the shop for adjustments due to oversight and then having to reschedule another install day… Who pays for these delays??? You do. In pain and frustration.
I have designed a bunch of built-in units throughout the new house which will hopefully make the spaces stand out. The master bathroom cabinets for one, but the big showstopper will be the built-in entertainment, fireplace, bookshelf combo which will live in the double height space of the living room. I can not be more excited to finalize the design of that monster. I’m thinking of a black unit flanking and built around a gas fireplace. I still don’t know exactly how I’m going to explain how Santa comes down a non-existent chimney come Christmas time… but that’s another post for another day.
Built-ins can visually upgrade a home from looking like a spec house or a rental to a bespoke haven. Pieces that are made specifically for a house should never look like an afterthought. Talking through the design phase with a skilled craftsman will ensure that function and appearance blend perfectly. One can potentially build around bought units to make them look built-in which may save money in some cases, but a custom bench seat made to store toys, or a shoe storage cabinet that needs to be a certain dimension, or that odd space under the stairs that must double as a mud hall and storage? Those I leave to a professional. One that will respect my desire for beauty and function while offering the creative touch that a bought piece just can’t accomplish. Collaborate with the right master builder and your built-ins should just disappear into the fluid language of the space. I’m looking forward to my one-on-ones with the cabinet maker we select.
-K
Living room built-in stunners.
Built-in beauty in utility and functionality.