For those wondering about custom cabinetry, the first question is usually, “So how does this work?” We figured we lay it out for anyone wanting to know more about the process, as it definitely is a process, and for good reason! Custom cabinetry is just that- fully customizable. This is not show up to a box store and pick from premade cabinets and try to make it work in your home. Instead, the process involves designing your cabinetry to fit your exact space and style, and this takes careful consideration and attention to detail that you simply won’t get from a box store. The personalized service you’ll get from going custom is worth it in itself, not to mention the much higher quality of cabinetry you’ll receive with the endless options to customize.
Let’s walk through the process so you know what to expect.
Once you’re ready to start the process, begin by making an initial contact by phone, email, website, or stopping in. From there, we will gather some information such as the city you’re located in, what rooms you’re wanting cabinetry for, and your contact info. We will pass this along to our next available designer who will then contact you directly to set up a meeting time.
Depending on the project, this first meeting will either be held at our showroom in Eureka, Illinois or at your residence. You and your designer will discuss your space, the look you’re going for in terms of cabinetry, and talk through some material options as well as the budget for the project. To prep for this meeting, it’s helpful to have an idea in mind of what your ideal design would include. Consider saving some inspiration photos on Pinterest of styles you like or making a list of storage inserts you’d love to incorporate. This will give your designer a better starting point and help the meeting run more efficiently. If this first meeting is in our showroom, you can browse through our variety of samples and check out some of the custom inserts. If the initial meeting takes place in your home, the designer will take some measurements of the space, but this can also be done later. If you’re looking to get the ball rolling and expedite getting a quote, you can also provide measurements yourself as a starting point.
After this first meeting, your designer will take what was discussed and put together a design that caters to your space and personal taste. They will prepare the cabinetry elevations to send to off to the cabinet builders for quoting as well as visual renderings so you can get an idea of what the final outcome will look like. Once all of this is prepared and the quote comes back, you and your designer will set up another meeting to go over it.
This second meeting will consist of the design presentation, where you and your designer will go through all the plans, the materials, and the quote. You’ll view 3D renderings of the design as it would appear in your home to make sure you like the look of it before we order. This takes the guesswork out of wondering what it will all come together looking like, which should help ensure you love the final project. If there is anything you’re not loving during this presentation, it’s your time to communicate any changes to your designer so we can get the design finalized before ordering.
If any changes are requested, your designer will adjust the plans and send them to you for final approval. Once the design is finalized, we will request the client to put half down on the cabinetry to put in the order. Your designer will also visit your home for a final measure to confirm the measurements of the cabinetry.
At this point, the cabinet plans will move to the product review phase where the cabinet builders will look over the plans and discuss any details with the designer as needed. Our current lead time for custom cabinetry is about 15 weeks from order to delivery (this number can vary depending on time of year). Make sure to plan ahead with your cabinetry and check current lead times so you have an accurate timeline.
Once your cabinetry is completed, we will schedule a delivery date to drop off your brand-new custom cabinetry! Ideally, you’ll want to communicate this with your contractor (or whoever is installing your cabinetry) so they can plan to install it shortly after delivery. If you’d like help finding a contractor in your area, feel free to ask your designer for recommendations on who they have loved working with. Your designer will provide all the cabinet plans as well as a hardware plan so your contractor has all the information for a successful install.
If you are also ordering countertops through us, we will set up a countertop measure as soon as your cabinetry is installed. You don’t have to do anything for this besides let them in to measure the space. They will take these measurements and custom fabricate your selected countertops. You can expect around 4-5 weeks from measure to install depending on the scope of the project. Once your countertops are ready, we will schedule a delivery date and the countertop professionals will take care of installation for you.
After everything is installed and ready to go, we may ask if we can photograph your new space to share on our social media. Don’t worry, we don’t share any personal information and you can always politely decline if you’re not comfortable. However, our clients typically enjoy showing off their new space and it becomes a fun way to celebrate the end of the process. We invite you to follow us on Instagram or Facebook to stay up to date on what we’re working on and get inspiration for your own projects.
If you’re ready to make that initial contact, visit the Contact Us page and fill out the short form to let us know! This will get you in contact with our design team to start the process and from there you can ask any other questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you!
