Are Custom Cabinets Worth It?
I love it when clients ask me if custom cabinets are worth it! Here’s my perspective based on years of experience helping clients confidently choose between custom and semi-custom cabinets for their kitchen and bathroom remodels.
Do custom cabinets cost more than semi-custom cabinets?
People usually assume that truly custom, hand-built cabinets will be significantly more expensive than “semi-custom” cabinets, but the opposite is true! Not only can you get better quality, more eco-friendly cabinets from the right custom cabinet maker (meaning cabinets that don’t off-gas in your home and threaten your family’s health), but believe it or not, you might pay less for truly custom cabinets than you would for semi-custom cabinets, with fewer obstacles to getting exactly what you want!
How is it possible to get custom cabinets for less than semi-custom?
Semi-custom cabinets are usually sold through showrooms that carry several different lines of cabinet brands, while hand-made custom cabinets are usually built by a craftsman working in a studio or workshop. That means that you’re not only paying for the overhead of a fancy showroom when buying semi-custom cabinets, but also the mark-ups of middlemen and commissioned salespeople.
By buying cabinets through a designer, only one step removed from the maker, you can get better quality materials for your money instead of covering the overhead and salesperson costs that come with running a showroom.
Additionally, while the upfront cost of a semi-custom line might be lower than you’re quoted for custom cabinets, once you adjust the semi-custom line to fit your kitchen and add the pull-outs and storage solutions you need to make it functional, the costs go up dramatically, often making the semi-custom line more expensive than the custom, hand-built option.
Of course, even if you end up paying the same as you would for semi-custom cabinets, you’re not comparing apples to apples between the two products.
What’s so great about custom cabinets?
Semi-custom cabinets simply can’t compete with custom-made cabinets. The workmanship, the details, and the service are totally different!
While I can’t promise that every custom cabinet maker will provide top-shelf quality, I can promise that if you work with me, you’ll have exclusive access to the best cabinets available.
With my cabinet maker, you get:
Superior Construction: Dovetail joinery, soft-close features, and well-engineered hinges and drawer glides are standard. Yes, you can get that from semi-custom lines too - it’s considered the baseline of durability and luxury - but it’s a corner we never cut in custom cabinetry at Taylored Kitchens and Baths.
Custom Dimensions: Forget about “standard” sizes and 3-inch increments. With custom cabinetry your cabinets are made to any dimension, perfectly fitting your storage needs without any wasted space. Close-to-custom dimensioning is available from some of the more expensive semi-custom lines, but you’ll pay a lot for that added benefit and should definitely be looking at true custom cabinets if this is a priority for you!
Precision Grain Matching: A true craftsman can carefully grain-match your cabinet fronts in any direction, ensuring a flawless, cohesive look. This is essential for high-end modern kitchens with wood cabinets. Semi-custom lines will promise grain matching, but man-oh-man have I got some horror stories I could tell you about the actual results clients get when they think they are paying for this level of detail. Again, if this is important to you, skip the semi-custom lines and work with a true cabinet maker.
Home-Healthy, Family-Friendly Materials: This is where my cabinet maker really starts to shine! Unlike mass-produced cabinets that can pollute your home with VOCs and formaldehyde, my cabinet maker cares about the impact of his cabinets on our well-being. To ensure his cabinets don’t off-gas dangerous chemicals into your home, he uses products like soy-based adhesives that meet the highest environmental standards instead of more common industrial products like VOC epoxy acrylate finishes. These health-friendly choices protect the air quality in your home by keeping dangerous chemicals out of your home in the first place.
Sustainable, Eco-Conscious Manufacturing: In addition to working with products that keep your home healthy, my cabinet-maker works from a 100% solar-powered shop and only builds his cabinets using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood. If you want to learn more about how to choose cabinets that align with your eco-friendly values, check out the EWG Healthy Home Guide.
So why would people ever buy semi-custom cabinets?
The only reason I can think of is the same reason some folks buy lower-quality sofas from big showrooms: they like the emotional security of being able to touch and feel the finished product before they buy it.
The problem is that how a sofa - or cabinet - looks and feels when it’s new has very little to do with how it’ll age. Plus, you can’t tell from looking, what products were used to make that sofa or set of cabinets, not to mention whether or not it included fair labor practices.
In the end, you have to decide if it’s more important to you to be able to touch and feel the finished product before buying it, or if you can trust me to help you choose a product that will be better for your home, your family’s well-being, and the planet. Don’t worry, you will get to see, touch, and feel live samples, it just won’t be in a fancy showroom featuring whole kitchens. I know it can be scary, but I’m here to help you through the process!
Feeling a little nervous? I’m here to help!
If you’re ready to choose custom, handbuilt cabinets for your kitchen or bath remodel, I’d be honored to guide you through the process and help you get handmade, environmentally responsible cabinetry for your home that won’t pollute your home with dangerous chemicals and will stand the test of time. It’s a choice you’ll never regret.
