Best Custom Cabinet Providers

Chicago’s Best Custom Cabinet Providers

Beautiful cabinets can make or break a room, whether it’s the kitchen, the bathroom, a study, or a home office. A set of well-designed cabinets pulls a room together and keeps you organized. Because you spend so much time in your home, you’ll want to make sure that it looks great and fits your style to a T — and that’s where custom cabinets really come into their own. Read on to see why and where to get yourself a custom cabinet in Chicago!

 

What Are the Advantages of Custom Cabinets?

Chicago custom cabinets are expensive, but they offer some great advantages that make them worth the cost. These advantages include having more control over the process, having more of a say in the design, and being able to create something based on your exact preferences. If you’re unsure about whether custom cabinets are right for you, consider some of these reasons why people love them:

They’re Truly Unique

This is the most obvious advantage of having custom cabinets. It’s right there in the name; they’re custom. You have the opportunity to design a space to look exactly how you want it to look. If you’ve had a dream kitchen in mind, they can help you bring it to life. And, no one else will have the exact look that you’ve accomplished with your custom Chicago cabinets.

If you’re not so confident in your designing skills, don’t worry! That’s what the experts are for. Designers will work with you every step of the way to help you bring your vision to life. Whether you like a traditional country look or a modern sleek look, they can help you accomplish that goal. From the fine materials of the cabinets to the color, to the hardware on the front, Chicago custom cabinet companies will advise you every step of the way for a unique and stylish finished product.

Meet Your Quirky Needs!

Do you want a built-in iPad holder or an unusual rack in your cabinet? Hidden compartments? A bathroom vanity with minuscule drawers for all of your cosmetics? Cabinets to display your best glasses and plates? Whatever it is you want, you can have it! You don’t have to choose from preselected sets or shelving units. The sky’s the limit with custom cabinets.

When you hire someone for custom kitchen cabinets in Chicago, you get to choose extra features and make stunning, carefully-crafted designs to fit your every need and whim. While this could be something that’s simply visually appealing like displaying nice items, it could also be very practical. If you’re taller or shorter than average, you can also bring that into consideration when making the design. You could even have something made for the kids!

Impeccable Build Quality

When you hire someone to make custom cabinets in Chicago, you know you’re getting something that’s well-built. Where larger manufacturers build cabinets using machines and assembly lines, custom cabinet designers choose the highest-quality items and build everything by hand. Typically, they have years of experience with wood craftsmanship under their belts. Instead of assembling pieces with glue and flimsy nails, they’re using complex jointing techniques that hold better and take far more skill to finesse.

This means that these cabinets are also more expensive. But, when you consider the fact that what you have is a true one-off item and that they will not need to be replaced anytime soon, it’s worth the extra cost. The quality, beauty and longevity of your Chicago custom kitchen or bathroom cabinets will more than make up for the higher price tag. They’ll also be a great talking point.

They’re Designed for Your Particular Space

The first step in the design process is an in-person visit where designers will measure your space and discuss your ideas, goals, and dreams for the cabinets. They’ll take all of that information and create a rendering of your space, so that you can envision what it looks like, make final tweaks, and know exactly what it’s going to look like ahead of time.

Once the designers have pinned down that rendering and vision, they make a product that fits the exact measurement and needs of your kitchen, bathroom, study, etc. Once installed, it will look like it was always meant to be there.

More Control over Materials

When you shop with large manufacturers, you have a limited choice of materials. If you want to retain a little more control or if you’re, say, more eco-conscious, finding someone for custom kitchen or custom bathroom cabinets in Chicago is the way to go. They will give you more of a say; in fact, with custom cabinet makers, the customer is king, and some of these companies are even built around the idea of being more eco-conscious than larger manufacturers.

So, if you’re looking for something made from an unusual or recycled/reclaimed material, custom cabinets certainly have an advantage over premade factory cabinets.

What Should I Look for in a Custom Cabinet Vendor?

Choosing the right vendor for custom cabinets in Chicago is tough because there are a lot of great options. The choice that’s best for one person might not be best for others. However, there are a few criteria that you can consider while you’re shopping around, to help you find the best vendor for you.

Experienced Staff

Of course, experienced staff is a key attribute. You want to work with people who have years of experience with the design and construction of custom cabinets. But you don’t just want someone who builds great cabinets, you want great customer service too. A perfect example of this combination is CraftedWild. Though they’re young, founders Kyle and Kornel delegate these tasks between each other. One has a lot of history with customer service and sales while the other has extensive experience with woodcrafting.

When you have experienced staff who know how to handle every step of the process with attentiveness and finesse, you can fully put your trust in them to deliver a beautiful final result.

Compatible Specialties

Some vendors that are masters with specific interior design styles and others go for more of a “jack of all trades” strategy. You can find great vendors in both of these categories. The important thing is that you know whether they can handle the design style that you prefer.

During the consultation phase, make sure to ask what their specialties are to find out if this aligns with your needs. If not, you may want to look for another vendor. When you’re investing this kind of time and money, you deserve to have an expert on the team.

Complimentary Services

Most vendors of custom kitchen or custom bathroom cabinets in Chicago will offer you some complimentary services to get started. This typically includes the initial consultation where you can ask questions and discuss your ideas for your renovation.

While this doesn’t have to be a make-or-break point, the fact that these vendors want to discuss these points with you (and maybe even create a design) for free gives you a good indication of how much they prioritize the customer experience. It shows you that they want to put your needs first to ensure that you get a good final product.

Various Price Points

Every project is going to be priced differently depending on the size of the space, the materials, the design, etc. However, some vendors will offer you more or fewer services based on your needs.

If you don’t have a large budget, consider a vendor like Guided Design. Guided Design will simply create a design for you and let you do the rest. Or, if you have a larger budget, look to more comprehensive services such as installation and being able to pick out the hardware for the cabinets.

Good Customer Testimonials/Awards

Seeing awards and good customer testimonials is always encouraging. If you want to read unbiased customer reviews, be sure to look in more than one location. Of course, the ones that the vendor puts up on their website are going to be incredibly positive. So check on a third-party site as well, even if it’s just Google reviews.

This is also why awards are a good indicator. Their business has been recognized by someone else for their quality of work and customer service. It’s an unbiased voice that you can trust.

Satisfaction Guarantee

Some vendors clearly state on their website that they offer a satisfaction guarantee, while others don’t. This is another question that you should ask in your early consultations and in-person visits. If they don’t offer a guarantee, that’s reason for pause. While it wouldn’t be unusual to work with someone who doesn’t offer this guarantee, it’s more of a risk. For the money you’re investing, you want to know that you’ll have a finished product to be proud of. A satisfaction guarantee gives you the assurance this will happen.

Are Custom Cabinets More Expensive?

When it comes to the price of custom cabinets in Chicago, there’s a short answer and a long answer.

The Short Answer

In short, yes. Custom cabinets are going to be more expensive than stock cabinets. According to Home Advisor, it can be anywhere from two to five times more expensive to have them custom made.

The Long Answer

Just because the initial investment for custom cabinets over stock cabinets is more, that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad investment. There are some things to consider when you think about price, including the quality of the material, the next-level craftsmanship, and the fact that custom cabinets will last longer than stock would.

In essence, you are comparing apples and pears; the two things are nowhere near comparable! Yes, they’re both fruit, but that’s where it ends. The custom cabinet excels precisely because it is custom-made.

Quality of Material

We already talked about how custom cabinet vendors give you more control over materials. This is great not just for aesthetic or environmental reasons, but also for quality reasons.

With stock cabinets, you may not really know what it is that you’re buying. It might look like solid wood, but it’s actually a cheap particle board that’s laminated with just a thin layer of wood to improve the appearance. That laminate may well peel away in time, especially if the room is ever damp, and it may not withstand knocks and chips the same way a Chicago custom cabinet would.

With custom cabinets, you can request a sturdy hardwood like red oak that can handle a lot of wear and tear. You can also look for unusual grains and colors when solid timbers are used.

Before you start your remodeling project, do some research on the best materials within your budget.

Craftsmanship

With stock cabinets, materials are pushed through an assembly line and handled by machines. The processes of cutting and attaching the materials are all simplified. There’s no artist’s eye looking for the best pattern in the wood. Joints are created with simple glue, staples and nails. There’s no real consideration for the beauty or sturdiness of the final product, it’s just about getting it done quickly for mass production.

When you work with a custom cabinet designer, they can perform more complex joints that are not only stronger and held in place by the pressure created in the joints, but also, they can ensure the abutting wood grains and colors are harmonious and chosen for their suitability and beauty.

These kinds of details are what make it worth the cost. Custom cabinet vendors take a lot of pride in their work. They want to give you a finished product that’s just as functional as it is beautiful.

Longevity

Since you have higher quality materials and better craftsmanship, it naturally follows that these cabinets are going to last longer. Your new cabinets will withstand the everyday wear and tear significantly better than stock cabinets would.

Not only are these cabinets of a higher quality, but they look absolutely amazing.

So, if you choose to go with cheaper stock cabinets, you may find yourself wanting or needing to update the styles often, or having to upgrade when the veneers start to show their age. However, with a beautiful, traditional set of custom cabinets, you can enjoy your remodel for decades. The look will never go out of style nor will it deteriorate quickly.

When you consider all of these factors, you actually save money in the long run. You’ll pay more upfront for custom bathroom and custom kitchen cabinets in Chicago, but you get better material that’s crafted to a higher standard to last longer and look better. With a quality custom job, you won’t have to do another remodel for a long time.

Custom cabinets can make a plain, utilitarian kitchen into a gathering space, turning a sterile, boring bathroom into the perfect salon for getting ready in the morning. They turn that extra bedroom into a cozy study or sleek home office.

Taking the time to hire the perfect custom cabinet business is so worthwhile, as is the extra cost.

With any of the Chicago custom cabinet vendors on our list, you can trust that you’ll get high-quality, gorgeous custom cabinets that will look great for years to come. Transform your space into your dream home today by contacting a vendor.

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