Custom kitchen cabinets - worth the extra cost?

[monomono]

I'm shopping around for kitchen cabinets and basically have quotes for 15k - 25k from some custom places, and 10k from Canac (which is what they call "semi custom", because they have preset sizes for everything).

Materials and appearance are basically the same. For layout and styling options, Canac is slightly limited, wheras the custom places can do pretty much anything.

It seems to me that going the custom route just isn't worth the extra cost, or am I missing something? Any advice is appreciated.

[patrob]

We did a custom kitchen ourselves (not through builder) & we love it. We always knew what kind of style we wanted to achieve. Personally it's all about what you want & the look you are going for. We did not go through our builder, & they actually offered Canac...but the cost of doing what we wanted was out the roof with them :rolleyes:

You can achieve a custom look without paying for cabinets to be custom made. It's all about how it's designed & the choice in final touches, like faucet, lights, back splash, knobs/pulls ;)

[Nav]

We did a custom kitchen ourselves (not through builder) & we love it. We always knew what kind of style we wanted to achieve. Personally it's all about what you want & the look you are going for. We did not go through our builder, & they actually offered Canac...but the cost of doing what we wanted was out the roof with them :rolleyes:

You can achieve a custom look without paying for cabinets to be custom made. It's all about how it's designed & the choice in final touches, like faucet, lights, back splash, knobs/pulls ;)

cant be said better than this.

[patrob]

cant be said better than this.

Thanks ;) I guess I watched too many designer shows on HGTV back when I still had cable:( :lol:

[Diamondog]

If you ever plan on selling your home, the kitchen and bathrooms are the 2 rooms you can't go wrong upgrading. If you can afford those cupboards and find something you love you won't be disappointed living with it nor when/if you sell. We're not!

[monomono]

We did a custom kitchen ourselves (not through builder) & we love it. We always knew what kind of style we wanted to achieve. Personally it's all about what you want & the look you are going for. We did not go through our builder, & they actually offered Canac...but the cost of doing what we wanted was out the roof with them :rolleyes:

You can achieve a custom look without paying for cabinets to be custom made. It's all about how it's designed & the choice in final touches, like faucet, lights, back splash, knobs/pulls ;)

Thanks for the info. So did you go to a custom cabinet maker? And it was cheaper than what an upgraded Canac kitchen would have cost through your builder?

I personally think we'll get a nicer result with custom cabinets, but whether it's worth 10k extra...

[patrob]

Thanks for the info. So did you go to a custom cabinet maker? And it was cheaper than what an upgraded Canac kitchen would have cost through your builder?

I personally think we'll get a nicer result with custom cabinets, but whether it's worth 10k extra...

In our situation, the cabinets we got were from Kitchen Craft...they are semi-custom...but our decorative hood was actually custom designed by me;) & they made it to my specifications...plus some cabinets that had to go into a corner, since our dimensions were different than "standard".

The reason we decided not to go with Canac is because their starting price point for the stuff they were offering was high, meaning a lot of money for basic stuff. We did spend more money than originally we planned to :lol: but once you start, it's hard to stop sometimes:cheesygri Plus the extras that we got, for ex. full extension wooden dovetail drawers with Bluemotion slide system (I highly recommend it - it's amazing).

If you have the extra $10 K & you know you will be happy , then go for it:!: If you plan to stay in the house for longer, then it's a small price to pay...since how often do you buy a kitchen...right? It's a piece of furniture really.....sometimes you have to splurge:D And it will be money well spent. But remember about the finishing touches...the kind of faucet or even lights you get will either make or break the look you are trying to achieve. Even something as small as knobs/pulls...I see it many times people get these nice kitchens but they put the wrong style pulls>:( & ruins the entire look ;)

[WalnutCrunch]

I think the answer is "it depends". Is there something that you need that you can't get from a pre-fab cabinets? If the answer is no, I think it's better to go pre-fab or semi-custom and spend the extra money on upgrading the drawer boxes, drawer glides, and pulls/knobs.

[3weddings]

We have been shopping for the perfect kitchen for what seems forever now.

I have some higher expectations than most, and ALL builder cabinets simply do not do for me.

The closest we have seen is Barzotti in Guelph, but I am set on a crafted cabinet with not an inch of particle board (which even when you go semi custom/custom is what the interiors are made of :mad: )

Within your budget, it is worth it to look into companies other than Canac (just b/c most builders use them doesn't meant they are good! They simply quote better than others). Heck I'd choose Thomasville before I'd consider Canac's Cellini line (which is owned by Kohler now).

Patrob...I'd love to see some photos of your kitchen!!! Always admiring :D

[patrob]

Patrob...I'd love to see some photos of your kitchen!!! Always admiring :D

Sure, no problem...I just have to take some first :)

What style of kitchen do you want to do...we went with the "old world/french country' feel... I am still missing the backsplash, my island light which I just ordered & wire mesh for my uppers...;)

[gnunn]

I think off the rack cabinets can look just as good as custom cabinets, unless you have specific needs you can't meet with standard cabinets I'd suggest taking the money you save on going custom and putting it into the countertop and fixtures instead.

Having said that, I have custom cabinets in the sense that the previous owner renovated the house and made the cabinets from scratch himself. I'm sure he saved some serious coin going this route and we've been very happy with his work. Some pics as follows:

http://www.gexperts.com/house/ShowTourPictures_files/69783.jpg

http://www.gexperts.com/house/ShowTourPictures_files/69784.jpg

[tmash]

Always make sure you're comparing apples to apples when you get comparison quotes. Just because some of the materials look the same, doesn't necessarily mean that they are the same thing.

Some companies use shelf grade melamine to build their boxes, some use door grade. Door grade is of higher quality, washable, and more durable than shelf grade, which is basically wood chips wrapped in paper...

If you get PVC Doors, ask about the thickness of the vinyl. Some places use 12 mil, others 6 mil. The extra thickness adds to the durability.

Also, ask for everything that comes included in their estimate price. Some companies include installation, removal of old kitchen, disposal, plumbing work, all hardware, etc....while some only include the cost of the cabinets and countertops, and then ding you with hidden costs once you go with them.

Most important thing is to get as much information as you can about what that company is offering, and then decide for yourself whether or not you think the extra investment is worth it.

[monomono]

The closest we have seen is Barzotti in Guelph, but I am set on a crafted cabinet with not an inch of particle board (which even when you go semi custom/custom is what the interiors are made of :mad: )

I asked one kitchen place about this, and apparently if you use ply instead of particleboard the cost really skyrockets - you're looking at 50k+ for basic cabinets.

[patrob]

Patrob...I'd love to see some photos of your kitchen!!! Always admiring :D

Ok, here it is ;)

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/6228/img4865pq9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/5276/img4862jg5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I also finally figured out how to post pics :rolleyes:

[tmash]

I asked one kitchen place about this, and apparently if you use ply instead of particleboard the cost really skyrockets - you're looking at 50k+ for basic cabinets.


I think they're either A) trying to profit big-time off from it or B) don't want to do it with ply and so they make it seem ridiculously expensive.

When we make kitchens with plywood instead of melamine, it's usually between 12-18% more expensive, depending on how many drawers there are.

[iwells]

Patrob, nice kitchen.

I hope you upgrade/replace the light fixture eventually. It seems out of place but I'm sure you already know that.

Good job.

[patrob]

Patrob, nice kitchen.

I hope you upgrade/replace the light fixture eventually. It seems out of place but I'm sure you already know that.

Good job.

Thank you ;) ... The light has been ordered but I have to wait 4-6 long weeks:evil:

Anyone wants to buy my beautiful builder's light :lol:

[3weddings]

Very nice my friend....once again we have similar taste!

Where did you shop for your appliances?

[3weddings]

I asked one kitchen place about this, and apparently if you use ply instead of particleboard the cost really skyrockets - you're looking at 50k+ for basic cabinets.

The kitchens we've been eyeing will end up in the $35-45k range with particle board. For another $10k or so it will stand the test of time (an will allow future owners of MY kitchen to simply reface)

I remember when we were building this house (1995) we asked about taking the credit for the Canac kitchen we have now..........they offered us $2k!!! Pfft....even with inflation, that wouldn't have even paid for the fridge enclosure!

[patrob]

Very nice my friend....once again we have similar taste!

Where did you shop for your appliances?

Thanks...I had a feeling you would approve :lol: ;)

Most of them we got from Appliance Canada...some from Direct Buy :)

Since you just got that 'toy' car;) , are you putting your kitchen plans on hold?.....or just get the new kitchen & make it your new 'toy' :twisted:

[monomono]

Very nice kitchen patrob. I would never have known those cabinets were semi-custom, they look great.

[patrob]

Very nice kitchen patrob. I would never have known those cabinets were semi-custom, they look great.

;)

It's all about how the cabinets are put together & using fillers such as decorative posts vs. plain fillers and the biggest IMO is getting the dummy panels to cover the exposed sides of cabinets makes a huge difference, since you see that a lot in the custom kitchens! The wooden hood & corner cabinets were custom made :-)