We are often asked whether having bespoke cabinetry is worth the money. We are often asked… how can it be done cheaper? We are often asked, surely we can just get something from IKEA? (Other stores do exist as well). There are so many questions around doing things bespoke, but we hope to answer a lot of them and show you why we nearly always recommend bespoke in some form or other.
The Difference Between Bespoke Cabinetry & Carpentry
Let’s be clear: bespoke cabinetry is not bespoke carpentry. A carpenter by trade does the general woodwork in a house refurbishment – such as door surrounds – whilst a cabinet maker (also a carpenter in the true sense of the word as he/she works with wood) will create exactly that… cabinets, kitchen units, custom bookshelves and the like. They both have two completely different skillsets. If you want bespoke cabinetry, make sure you hire a cabinet maker, not a carpenter.
Bespoke Cabinetry In Alcoves
Often in the houses we renovate for our clients, there are old chimney breasts, and these make an ideal space for some custom-made cabinets and bookshelves. The little alcoves either side of the chimney breast tend to be wasted space, but are absolutely perfect for hiding today’s electronic wizardry that makes the average house tick: the Sky box, the Wi-Fi router etc. The problem is that every single one of these alcoves is a different size. We once did three identical houses in the same street and each alcove was a different size.
Now whilst something from the ‘I’ brand may go into the space, it always looks out of place and very obviously just placed there. Having something built that fits exactly, is seamlessly integrated into the walls, as though it has always been there, is a great bonus. You can also design the shelves and doors for the cabinet to suit your requirements, not those of the manufacturer. If you have tall books or objet d’art, the bookshelves can be placed accordingly.
If your alcove is deep, whilst the chimney breast is not so deep, you can design the cabinet and shelves to fit just so. The doors on the cabinet can be made so they open perfectly without hitting the sides of the alcove. Another advantage not often mentioned is you can add a variation in the colour scheme to the room, by using interesting woods like walnut for the surfaces.
The Benefits Of A Bespoke Kitchen
So that covers small cabinets, but what about bespoke kitchen units? They’re definitely something to think about when renovating your home. You can have a kitchen exactly as you want it, with the right woods on the inside (in the case above, rosewood), shelf units and drawers made just so to accommodate all your little knick-knacks, pots and pans.
In the picture below, our client was not of the tallest stature and as such all the units had features that allowed her to pull higher shelves down to her reach. This allowed her to store not-often-used items at the upper levels. When they were needed, she was able to pull them down without standing on dangerous stepladders. In order to bring a sense of France to her kitchen (where they have another house), she copied the pull-out wicker baskets for the vegetables and such like. The large double opening fridge-freezer was a nod to her husband’s wishes.
A Bespoke Wardrobe: The Perfect Storage Solution
With wardrobes, the world is your oyster. Being able to build the units into exactly the right space in your bedroom or walk-in dressing room makes your changing space so much more a part of you, allowing you to relax that little bit more in your house.
So, let’s look at clothes. There are long evening dresses, shoes the like of which Imelda Marcos has never imagined, there are short dresses and skirts, blouses, trousers, belts, handbags and – last but not least – jewellery. Now that’s just for the ladies. Men are even more complicated with their suits, shirts, jeans, casualwear, belts and watches. With bespoke cabinetry, you can design pull-out drawers, shelves, hanging rails and doors to be in exactly the correct place, height and width to accommodate all your items. You can have your wardrobe exactly as you want it.
Custom Cabinetry Under The Stairs
Now think of that space under the stairs; that little triangle of space that is normally full of hoovers and other stuff just thrown in, never to be seen again. Well, we have changed all of that in many of our houses. Here, you can see how we have built a custom kitchen(ette) for the client, so that they don’t have to run upstairs from their snug room when they need a cuppa or a glass of wine.
For this space in other houses, we’ve also built custom wine fridges that fill the whole space, which are back lit and refrigerated at just the right temperature for the wines. Our favourite, though, was putting in spice rack type pull outs (three per stair space) that allowed the client to store shoes, the hoover and other household items, but in a way that used all the space, not just the bit at the front like in most under-stairs storage.
The Cost Of Bespoke Cabinetry
Now let’s talk cost and how to make some of this cheaper. For kitchens, most kitchen cabinets are the same, so it makes sense to buy these from a company like Howdens, but you can then customise them with custom doors, worktops and fit-outs to suit your exact style. This will reduce your cabinet maker’s costs. The same is true of wardrobes; IKEA does very good wardrobe units, which you can then personalise with your own custom-made drawers, doors and end panels, so that they’re built-in, but also work exactly as you wish them to.
We hope that this has given you some idea of why to use custom cabinetry instead of over-the-counter kitchens and storage. Please free to contact us to discuss your bespoke cabinetry project.