How to Design and Develop a Custom Kitchen
Capability is always the baseline to hire anyone for almost anything. So true in hiring a kitchen designer and contractor. Talent and reputation are important but subjective. Experience is measurable but even with all my years, I am always learning something on every project. I love a beautiful, inspirational kitchen. Often a central focus in the home as a thing of beauty and a place to gather. Finding the balance of beauty and function is paramount in kitchen design and there is a world of possibilities. These days with styles, finishes, functional gadgets and built-in accessories, you can have a professional kitchen in your home as both form and function with no sacrifice to either. A new kitchen can get costly depending on all of the aforementioned decisions. Not everyone has the budget for an over the top dream kitchen but with a little creativity you can have more than a stock H-D kitchen, No disrespect. Big box stores offer some decent solutions for kitchens and nothing to be ashamed of depending on a few things. The limitation is not so much what they offer, but how you make use of it. Sometimes just a functional utilitarian kitchen is all you want and need and that’s it . More about that ahead for your edification.
We do custom cabinet work from design drawings to full installation
..including all elements of a kitchen as well as all types of cabinet work*. The process of a typical kitchen project for us would begin with a consultation to discuss the physical space available to develop the design including any reconfiguration of an existing layout. Exchange ideas with the end-user on the color palette and motif of surrounding areas to best integrate this important architectural feature. A kitchen can stand alone as a style but it should still pay some respect to the adjacent areas by choice, not by accident. While I love the beauty of a kitchen, the function should be the first wave of decisions to develop even if we have a design in mind. Do you have gas? Pardon the expression, or would you like gas appliances, if possible? Not always possible or desirable. Induction cooking is a very cool development in appliances. Not to get too technical here but, magnetic induction transmits current through a magnetic field to cookware containing iron. Why do we care? The cool answer is that the burner does not get hot which makes for less heat-gain in the kitchen among other energy saving and safety considerations. It functions more like cooking with gas and runs on typical 220v electric supply.
Choosing a range vs. cooktop vs. wall oven vs. wall or over-the-stove microwave, all to be considered. Maybe you have some existing appliances that you would like to reallocate. Coffee maker or blender that pulls out from a hidden compartment so as to keep a cleaner look more of the time. Easy access to utensils, spices, cookware is all part of the fun in designing a custom dream kitchen. On to cabinet style—as a rule our cabinets are made with solid plywood construction for durability and longevity. If your final finish preference is a wood-look then we must choose a wood species and then a finish tone. For example “cherry” may be the species of our wood with a “Walnut” finish—beautiful! “Maple” may be our choice of wood with a “cherry” finish. Don’t sweat that for now if you are confused. It is easy enough to sort out when the time comes and I have many examples to present for the perfect option.
Door styles and characteristics are numerous as well. Do we like glass for our doors to let in some light and perhaps add some beauty? Glass can be a relatively inexpensive feature for how much impact it has. Stained or leaded glass adds much more beauty but of course increases cost. Do we like countertop lighting under the upper cabinets? A great functional addition as well as a beautiful one. Decorative architectural features such as crown moulding, architectural turnings and other decorative elements to taste.
Is panty storage available in the existing kitchen space or is there space for a butler’s pantry? Now we’re living the dream!
Countertop choice is a critical detail for function and beauty. Granite, quartz, and quartzite are the usual go-to materials for both form and function and there are endless available options for color, texture, and how it can be fabricated. Fabrication refers to how we may integrate it with the cabinets, backsplash, and any other adjacent features. Marble is a beautiful option but with great caution. Marble is not as durable as the previous choices but a little mix and match if you really love a piece of marble, you can consider it for your tops with the disclaimer that it will stain or mark easier than granite.
Do we have space for an island? Often an island can be treated as a free standing ‘estate piece’ meaning it does not have to look anything like the rest of the kitchen. Sometimes it can actually be an estate piece or antique as long as it fits the scale and adequate function for its purpose. When designing a kitchen island from scratch with this in mind, there are many options in style and finish including countertop choice. The countertop does not need to be like the rest of the kitchen either. The footprint of an island may be limited to or maximized by the available space. It can be used for additional storage, it can have a sink or cooktop with proper planning. You can sit at the island and chop onions. A butcherblock countertop for a kitchen island is a functional choice for those who really like to bang away in their kitchen. No cutting board needed, just go at it. Butcherblock or stainless steel can be a great choice for your entire kitchen. Door pulls handles and decorative hardware can be a simple or utilitarian choice or it can jewelry. So many options to taste.
Logistics of a new kitchen from design to installation can vary. Our typical time frame for a kitchen production is a few weeks to develop and agree on all of the design elements above. Once we agree on all of the above and pricing of course, we can set a production schedule. Appliances, plumbing fixtures, electrical needs, and specifications need to be addressed in the location of the new kitchen while cabinet construction can begin in the workshop. Custom is custom but we seem to fall into the 10-12 weeks for cabinet fabrication and finishing once all decisions are in place. If demolition of an existing kitchen is part of the production, the demo would be scheduled a day or two before installation of the new cabinets would begin on site. Usually takes one or two days depending on site conditions to remove and haul away. Installation of cabinets depending on complexity of design can be a few days to two weeks. Then we can measure and template for countertops to begin fabrication, whatever the material may be. It can take a week or two to fabricate marble and stone countertops. Electrical outlets, faucets will be cut out along with the sink(s). The sink(s) will be cut out and mounted to the countertop. Sinks can be undermounted or set-in with a flange. A farmhouse sink is a cool choice in the right place as well.
A word on big box store kitchens
If you see something you like and you sit with a store designer and they make you happy, then the couple of things to consider are: who is the manufacturer? What is the construction material? Reputation?
We have developed designs using generic cabinets when the budget requires and still make a design that includes a bang-for-the-buck cabinet style with custom elements that make it unique. That is not our typical calling but we want to make people happy within their means just the same.
Pros and cons
I have heard some sad stories and I have heard some happy stories with the decision to choose an HD kitchen. Choose building and finish materials with care. Sometimes in new construction, we hear ‘this is all we offer.’ We have designed and executed kitchens for new construction as part of your dream home where a generic builder-offering was not good enough. I hope this primer on the process to hire a kitchen cabinet maker is helpful for your process. Obviously we can break down more but this is a good strategy to help think about the process. -Ken
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