An Expert’s Guide to Custom Cabinetry and Ready-Made Cabinetry

I LOVE cabinetry!!!!! I love it almost as much as I love trim carpentry, because they are two peas in a pod. When used together, the two hand-in-hand elements of stunning cabinetry and trim carpentry can absolutely make or break your home design and can either lead us to that timeless, clean, and beautiful look, or to a, “yikes….are you good???” look. Let’s talk it out! 

Let’s first break cabinetry into TWO main categories: custom and ready-made. I firmly believe that BOTH of these options may have a place in your home and it’s about what fits the space! 

Custom Cabinetry

THE PROS OF CUSTOM CABINETRY

Dimensions - as the name suggests: “custom” means we can customize it for any space, any shape, anything at all. Often, with the layout of your space, or particular dimensions, it’s best to go with custom in order to maximize your space.

Example: In my home, dimensions absolutely dictated custom in both kitchen and master bathroom.

Functionality - When it comes to odd spaces, or just maximizing your functionality, custom is the way. Period. Custom allows you to optimize your strange corners, extra height, even hidden space beneath your toe kicks. It also allows for custom pull-outs, inserts, etc!

Example: I implemented a custom-spice slider in my kitchen. Life CHANGING!

Investment - When it comes to custom cabinets, our expectation is that doors, drawers, cabinet boxes, everything, is made of true hard-wood. This means no fiberboard, no pressed particle board, none of that mess. Now I do want to warn here, there are “custom cabinet shops” and then there are custom cabinet shops! One of the sure-fire ways to know is to visit the custom cabinet shop who’s making your cabinets. Lay your eyes on their workshop. If it’s filled with wood, you’re a go. If it’s filled with laminate or fiberboard, run for the hills. (Hint: if the interior of the cabinet boxes are white or flexible, or not literally knock-on-wood hardwood, then it’s a no. These aren’t for you.) 

Example: This was tragic, it actually made dad cry, but one time a client of ours opted for their own “custom cabinet shop” and when the cabinets were installed, come to find out, the cabinet boxes were particle board! The quality was supremely questionable and ultimately it left their investment in shambles. You HAVE to be careful when it comes to cabinet shops.

Design Impact - Your selections are so varied and beautiful! From wood species, door style, inset or overlay, trim out and edging, and more, this is really where I have to brag on our cabinet shop! ANYTHING is possible when you’re going custom. But if we’re looking for reeded fronts, or extra-depth lowers, specialty beading at our edges, paneled ends, etc., etc., etc., custom stands above the rest. We’re talking about the difference in, “oh, you did your kitchen, it’s so nice.” To, “OH MY GOSHHHHHH Y’ALLS KITCHEN….ARE YOU FOR REAL?????? THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!!!!” In full transparency, if you’re looking for a white shaker, this may not be your big pro. But if you’re looking for a Traditional Home-level look, then this is for you. 

Example: In my kitchen I chose inset cabinets, stain grade, with custom-beading around the doors and inside the panel. The look is simply remarkable. Or check out the Lakeview Drive breakfast nook - the trellis pattern here is just gorgeous! Just what you can expect with custom.

Hidden Appliances - the only way to achieve the hidden appliance look is through custom cabinetry. This is absolutely the way kitchen design is trending and we love it. 

Example: My refrigerator, freezer, and dishwasher all disappear in the cabinetry, thanks to custom cabinetry!

The cons of custom cabinetry

Expensive - Ouch y’all, these are certainly an investment. Because the materials are of such high quality and the craftsmanship is top-tier, you should expect to pay. 

Timeline - If you’re wanting to DIY a bathroom next weekend before your in-laws come to town, this is not for you. Most Cabinet shops will have a 6-12 week lead time, with some even being up to 1 year. 

Ready-Made

The pros of ready-made cabinetry

Quick - Many ready-made cabinets, when it comes to bathroom vanities, come with a countertop, sink, drain, faucet, cabinet hardware, etc., already included! You’re literally purchasing one whole unit and it’s knocking out like 3 or 4 line items! So simple! 

Example: In my guest bath, we had such a tight space, and such a tight budget, and this was simply not our priority, and we opted for a simple Hemnes Ikea sink unit. This fit what we needed perfectly, shipped within a week, and was installed lickety-split!

Cheap - About 65% of the time, ready-made cabinets are going to be more affordable than a custom. This, of course, depends on where you source your ready-made vanity from! We have sourced from IKEA, Home Depot, and Lowe’s, and while those are an okay option for a small and minimally-used, unimportant bathroom where we’re trying to save money, we recommend bumping up a level and looking at Rejuvenation, Crate & Barrel, or Made Goods. 

Example: In my laundry room, we opted for DIY IKEA cabinets to save money. Once they were trimmed out, painted, and all said and done, The final cost was about 30% what custom would have been in the same space. 

The cons of ready-made cabinetry

DIY - Many ready-made cabinets will require a fair bit of DIY, especially depending on the application, and where the item is sourced from. 

Example: At a job we just completed, we opted for a ready-made cab, but it quickly turned into a nightmare as the cabinet created complications with the wainscoting that was already in the room. Be prepared to be flexible and do what you have to do to get it done!

Constraints - We’re very limited when it comes to aesthetic, dimensions, functionality, etc. 

Difficult to Repair - When it comes to these pre-finished ready-made cabinets, they can be truly impossible to repair. If damaged in delivery, during install, or even just while in use, the repair can be IMPOSSIBLE. Meaning you may end up replacing the whole unit. 

What kind of cabinetry is right for each space?

KITCHEN

CUSTOM - We ONLY recommend custom cabinetry for your kitchen. Period. When you’re investing so much heart, time, money, and energy into a renovation, I just cannot abide you getting to the end and the kitchen looking like a HGTV reveal. This is the heart of your home, where you take care of your people! The design of the cabinetry (arguably the most substantial feature in any kitchen) MUST reflect your family’s values, culture, and general spirit!! Not to mention, the necessity of functionality in a kitchen. 

PRIMARY BATH

YOU PICK - For our clients, we only recommend custom cabinets. BUT, we can see a world where in a smaller primary bath, a ready-made could be perfect. Not every home has a 1,000 square foot bathroom with angles and all sorts of mess requiring custom. 

KIDS BATH

READY-MADE - Y’all, if there was EVER a place to save money and energy it’s on an upstairs kids bath. Throw an IKEA or Home Depot number in there and wash your hands of this!!! 

POWDER BATH

YOU PICK - We believe your powder bath is your BEST place to truly go hog-wild! Like, if you ever secretly wanted hot pink walls, now is the time. That being said, for cabinetry, we think this is absolutely a free-for-all in here! There are fantastic and amazing ready-made options that could absolutely tell the right story, or you could go for a fantastic super creative custom option! 

LAUNDRY/MUD

YOU PICK - The primary basis of your decision should be your dimensions and functionality. IF you can make ready-made work in your space, based on your rooms dimensions and how you want it all to fit and puzzle-piece in, then girl, go for it! IF the dimensions of your space simply will not work with ready-made then go for custom. 

For Cabinetry Inspiration

I’ve created a board on Pinterest with inspiration for both Custom and Ready-Made Cabinetry options! Click the image below to go explore!