Partial kitchen remodel - buy or build base?

[Dean Karavite]

Hi All,

I am going to remodel just part of our kitchen. The remodel will consist of two base cabinets - 18" and 36" and corresponding wall cabinets plus an over fridge cabinet and over range cabinet. All will match the existing cabinets on the other side of the kitchen - painted, simple shaker style doors and drawer fronts.

I am 100% committed to building the wall cabinets (I want deeper than the standard), but am wondering if buying the base cabinets would be a good option. I want all the nice blum hardware and boy does that add up when you buy the parts. I'm trying not to wimp out here, but I don't see the cost/benefit of building the base cabinets myself (and I have plenty of projects). However, where to go? Online has a million places with cheap looking stuff. I'm not crazy about going to the Borg and I wonder if a real custom kitchen place would want to waste time with such a small order?

[Paul Atkins]

Look up a cabinetmaker around your neck of the woods. There should be a bunch of smaller shops looking for work. Ask around the hardwood stores etc. I've been to Philly 3 times and love that city! I think I ate at Terminal Market a couple of dozen times.

[Andrew Minear]

Hi All,

I am going to remodel just part of our kitchen. The remodel will consist of two base cabinets - 18" and 36" and corresponding wall cabinets plus an over fridge cabinet and over range cabinet. All will match the existing cabinets on the other side of the kitchen - painted, simple shaker style doors and drawer fronts.

I am 100% committed to building the wall cabinets (I want deeper than the standard), but am wondering if buying the base cabinets would be a good option. I want all the nice blum hardware and boy does that add up when you buy the parts. I'm trying not to wimp out here, but I don't see the cost/benefit of building the base cabinets myself (and I have plenty of projects). However, where to go? Online has a million places with cheap looking stuff. I'm not crazy about going to the Borg and I wonder if a real custom kitchen place would want to waste time with such a small order?


The real advantage to building the cabinets yourself is quality. The materials, thicknesses and fastening techniques you use are easily as good and better than top tier custom cabinets. Manufacturers cut every corner and often the cabinets need to be re-glued at some spot, and are slightly out of square.

The cabinet distributors would surely want your small order, so, if you want 1/2" particle board sides with 1/4" ply backs, hot glue and staple joints, there is quite a number of companies that will sell you some.

As for the custom sizes, make sure you are sitting when you get the price.

Andrew

[Jay Jolliffe]

If your going to do the top why not the lower ones. Like it's already been said they will be costly in a cabinet shop especially if their custom sized. You can get the hardware reasonable if you look around. HDL hardware is a good price if you set up an account also Woodworkers Hardware. There are others you have to look.

[Matt Meiser]

if you want 1/2" particle board sides with 1/4" ply backs, hot glue and staple joints,

The "premium" line catalog that my mom picked up at Lowes when lookinf for ideas called that "furniture board". And the ply back was an upgrade over "furniture board." If you were starting from scratch or have euro-style cabinets and wanted to buy, Ikea is actually one of the best made brands I saw when looking. At least they and 3/4" "furniture board" and screws or other secure mechanical fasteners. You could still make your own doors with their system too.

Until I started looking at what you can buy, I didn't consider myself to be a high-end cabinetmaker. I now believe that the folks here who I used to consider to be high-end to be ULTRA high-end.

[David G Baker]

I found a local cabinet maker that custom build my kitchen cabinets for around $2000 less than the Borgs mid range cabinets.
If you aren't comfortable doing the work yourself check around your area and you may luck out. I use word of mouth to find folks to do projects for me that I don't feel qualified to do.

[Dean Karavite]

Thanks everyone. I went to Lowes last night and with all your replies am now convinced to make the base cabinets too! Thanks for reality check. I thought I could get about the same thing I wanted for not much more the same price of materials, but I see that's not true. For example, I would use nice 3/4 prefinished plywood. Also, my wife and I are thinking of designing in some features. Lot's of ideas out there. For example, this corny and dated 1940's kitchen video has a lot of ideas that could be updated: http://www.archive.org/details/StepSavi1949

Matt, I am very familiar with your work and posts. You did a fantastic job and you can bet I will be reading your threads again and again. I also watched all of Norm's 9 part kitchen cabinet build shows. With both of you as resources, how can I fail? :-)

Paul, glad you enjoyed Philly. I'm not originally from here, but it is a neat city. Kind of flies under the radar. Next time you are at the Terminal, try one (or two) of The Famous 4th Street Cookie Company. You have to have dessert right?

I think my only problem now is figuring out all the Blum stuff. It's kind of overwhelming with all the options.

[Jim Becker]

Dean, if time is a factor, I'll be honest, the Ikea boxes are quite reasonable in price and quality for the money. And you don't have to use their door and drawers. I used them in our laundry room for expediency, while custom building all the built-ins for our addition two years ago. I'd take the Ikea boxes over anything that HD and Lowes sells knocked down and over many of their more "custom" options, too. You can also source cabinet boxes from many places online.

That said, building your own is a pretty easy job, especially if you do the toe kick bases separately like I do. Then...you're making rectangles with no little cut outs at the bottom. Fast and easy. If you use a computer application like CutList Plus, you'll be able to optimize your use of the sheet goods for your cabinets, too.