You can easily purchase premade cabinets right off the shop floor at your local home improvement store. So why invest in custom cabinetry? And is it really worth it to have something built specifically for your home?
The simple answer is yes.
In addition to increasing the value of your home, custom cabinets offer a host of hard-to-beat benefits for homeowners. Here are just a couple of the reasons we recommend going custom for your next kitchen, bathroom, or office remodel:
Your family is unique. The way you use your home and interact with its spaces is unique. So shouldn’t your cabinets be, too? When you invest in custom cabinets, you get something that’s designed specifically for you — your needs, your uses, your space.
There are no one-size-fits-all solutions here. Here’s what that means: If you love making pasta at home, you can get a cabinet and countertop arrangement that provides the perfect space for your pasta cutter. If you’re tall and hate how low standard cabinets are, your custom cabinets will be more comfortable to use. If you work from home and need a lot of storage space, your cabinet maker can custom-design a space that suits you.
Custom cabinets just function better. They’re not right out of the box, pre-made, and good enough to get by. They’re built to work for your family, both now and in the future, tailoring your spaces to your lifestyle.
Cabinets are a big part of any home, and they have the power to make a bold statement. In fact, the way your cabinets look and feel can influence the overall aesthetic of any room. After all, they take up quite a bit of space in kitchens, bathrooms, and offices! When you install custom cabinets, you have full control over the design decisions so you can make the aesthetic whatever you want.
Once you decide to invest in custom cabinets, you have the power to determine your finishes, styles, sizes, and more. It’s a highly personalized experience that improves the overall aesthetic of your home and makes for a more beautiful environment, one that was dreamed up by you! Plus, since custom cabinets are typically made from higher-quality materials than builder-grade cabinets, they’ll last longer and look like a higher-quality product, no matter where you install them.
When it comes to custom cabinets, everything is built to your specifications, including the budget.
Because of this, there are a lot of different factors that can impact the final cost of your cabinets, including the size of your space, your desired materials and finishes, any special touches you’d like to add (like appliance panels), and the labor required to finish your cabinets.
Type of cabinet - There are many types of custom cabinets to choose from, including wall cabinets, base cabinets, cabinets made to accommodate sinks or drawers, and more. The type of cabinet you choose will have a big effect on the final cost.
Materials used - The materials you use in your cabinet design will impact the final price. The wood species or cabinet color you’re interested in may change depending on the look you’re aiming to achieve. When you work with a custom cabinet builder, you can often request suggestions for what fits your desired aesthetics and budget.
Door types - The doors you use on your cabinets will affect how they look, and how much they cost. You’ll be able to choose from a flat panel, raised panel, and mitered doors, depending on your preferences.
Size - You’ll pay more for several large cabinets than you will for one small cabinet, so be sure to factor in your actual needs when you think about cabinet size and decide on your final budget for custom cabinets.
Style - Custom cabinets are tailored to your unique style and taste. Ornate cabinets with extra moldings or carvings are more expensive than classic framed cabinets, but whatever you do, don’t compromise style for budget. This is an investment that will pay off down the road by giving you a beautiful, functional space to work in (not to mention increase your home’s value!).
Labor - Finally, there’s the labor cost of your cabinets to consider. Whether your cabinets are big and intricate or small and simple, they’ll require concentrated labor to build, install, and finish.
When it comes time to estimate the cost for your custom bathroom cabinets, you’ve got to consider all the same elements as you would with kitchen cabinets, plus a few unique factors. Here are the additional items to consider:
Material - By and large, bathroom cabinets use the same material as kitchen cabinets. You can, however, vary your material from your kitchen to your bathroom cabinets. If you do this, you may pay different amounts for each set of cabinets. Depending on what you want, it could be more or less expensive.
Labor - Sometimes, bathroom cabinets require more labor since they’re plumbed for water hookups. If you want to update your bathroom cabinets, make sure you think about all the work it’s going to take to get it done. This is a critical piece of information to factor in as you budget for your bathroom cabinets.
Supplies - Kitchens and office spaces aren’t the same as bathrooms, so in some cases, your cabinet installer may need to bill for equipment, supplies, and other odds and ends. The end result will be worth every penny.
Designing custom office cabinets is an exciting process. In addition to deciding what you want the look and feel to be for your space, installing custom office cabinets is an excellent way to enhance the functionality of your workspace. It also offers an opportunity to provide a more comfortable, functional space for all those who work in it. Some offices require more cabinet space than others, so think about your true needs and uses for cabinets as you budget for them, and then consider:
Size - Again, larger cabinets will cost more than smaller cabinets. If you’re covering all four walls of your office in built-ins and cabinets, you’ll pay more than you would for a custom desk and shelving unit.
Materials - You can define your space with the materials you choose for your custom office cabinets. Be sure to talk to your cabinet installer about the materials available to you, and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Labor - If you want ornate, highly detailed custom office cabinets, you can expect to spend more on labor costs than you would for simple, straightforward cabinets. Talk to your cabinet installer about these considerations and figure out what you need most.
Now comes the fun part: designing and selecting your custom cabinets! Whether you’re installing custom cabinets in a single room or throughout the whole house, you can simplify the process by following these steps:
1. Choose the profile for your cabinet doors first.
Style is a huge consideration when it comes to choosing the best custom cabinets. To make sure you love your cabinets for years to come, we recommend starting with the most visible element first: the doors. If you need help choosing between styles, check out these timeless kitchen cabinet styles. You can also view our cabinet gallery to view past installations and gather some inspiration for your home.
2. Choose your finish type and color.
Next, it’s time to choose the wood type and color you want for your cabinets. If you’re not sure which direction to go, ask your cabinet design team for some guidance. Most cabinet shops will even allow you to take home samples so you can see what works in your kitchen and home.
3. Keep function and style in mind.
There are dozens of different options to look at when it comes time to choose new cabinets, but it’s important to keep both function and beauty in mind. While you want your cabinets to be beautiful, you also want them to function well enough that you’ll enjoy them for years to come.
4. Think about organization.
Your cabinets should improve your life, not just by making your space look better, but by making it function better overall. As you design your cabinets, think about the organization of your space and how you want your cabinets to function. Consider how you use your space most and what your priorities are (storage for the kids’ toys, for example, or a hidden recycling center) and build your space around that.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
If you run into problems deciding which kinds of cabinets you want, don’t be afraid to talk to your cabinet design team. Many of them have been doing it for years and can offer some really good advice. If you’re unsure, lean on them because they’ll be able to provide the guidance and insight you need to make the right decision for your space.
Now that you’ve decided to invest in custom cabinets, you probably have a lot of questions…
What’s the process like? How long will it take? What should you expect from your cabinet installation team? Here are a few things to know:
Adding new cabinets to your home is an exciting process, and naturally, you’re excited to get it done. While working with a custom cabinet company can take a few months, the installation itself generally takes between two days and a few weeks.
The custom cabinet design and installation process varies depending on the size of the job, the location of the new cabinets, and other factors. As a general rule, though, your installation team will follow this schedule:
1. Provide an estimate
2. Schedule the installation date
3. Conduct a showroom appointment
4. Complete the final measure on-site
5. Build the cabinets off-site
6. and Finally, install the cabinets
Once your cabinets are installed, it’s up to you to maintain them. With proper care, your custom cabinets will provide a lifetime of satisfaction, use, and beauty. The best part is that maintaining your cabinets is easy. Here are a few tips we recommend:
Wipe your cabinets after installation - After your cabinets are installed, wipe them with a soft, damp cloth, moving in the direction of the wood grain. Next, apply a thin layer of high-quality polish to your cabinets. For best results, choose one that doesn’t contain wax or silicone, and always follow manufacturer directions for the application of that wax. This layer will protect your cabinets from scratches, stains, and moisture damage.
Clean your cabinets regularly. - Once your cabinets are installed, clean them regularly to avoid grime buildup. It may seem tedious and you may want to skip it, but don’t! It’s the continuous care that keeps your cabinets looking their best. For best results, wipe the cabinets with a soft, damp cloth. Do this at least once every two weeks, wiping the cabinet in the direction of the grain.
Clean spills up quickly - If there’s a spill in your kitchen, wipe it up promptly. Don’t let it sit, not even for a few minutes! Many spills become difficult to remove the longer they sit, and you could risk damaging your beautiful cabinets. If you see a stain, use a damp cloth or sponge to remove it.
Avoid excess temperature and humidity. - Extremes in humidity and moisture can damage your cabinets, causing the wood to expand and warp, ultimately damaging the finish of the cabinetry. With this in mind, control the temperature and humidity of your home all year long so your cabinets stay in good shape. Ask your cabinet installer for more details about the optimal range for your home, and then follow their direction.
While DIY cabinet maintenance is important, there’s a time and a place for professional cabinet maintenance. The frequency with which you need professional cabinet maintenance depends on the materials of your cabinets.
However, no matter what cabinets you have, it’s recommended to have a professional come in every 1-2 years to make adjustments and do minor touch-ups to keep your cabinets beautiful and functional for decades to come.
One of the biggest perks of investing in custom cabinets is longevity. Generally speaking, if you purchase high-quality custom cabinets designed for your space, you won’t need to replace them for at least 25 years — oftentimes, longer! For instance, high-quality kitchen cabinets can last for up to 50 years or longer. At Kustom Kabinetry, our cabinets are built to last! Compare that to cheap, stock kitchen cabinets that you purchase off the floor at a home goods store (most of which only last 10-15 years), and it’s clear how wise the custom cabinet investment can be, especially because it can save you a lot of money down the line.
Custom cabinets enhance your home’s beauty and improve your home value. For more information about custom cabinets, contact our team today for a free estimate. We joyfully provide custom cabinets to those in Perry and the surrounding NY communities.
