Custom Cabinets That Fit Your Life and Style in Chesapeake, VA

What Are Custom Cabinets?

Custom cabinets are built specifically for your unique space and design aesthetic. A professional cabinetmaker works with you one-on-one to understand how you envision using the space and what architectural elements will make it just right.

Custom cabinet construction starts with detailed measurements of your room. Then the cabinetmaker uses specialized design software to create plans for cabinets that make the most of every inch. You get to approve the layout and select the details that match your style.

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) recommends when undergoing any remodeling project – like installing custom cabinetry – homeowners “take the time to research and evaluate companies to find the right team that best fits your needs.”

Customization Options Galore

From the type of wood to the hardware and everything in between, custom cabinets offer endless options to build your dream kitchen or bath.

Wood Choices

1. Alder

Alder has a light tan look that takes stains and paints beautifully. It’s also harder than pine but without the higher cost of oak or maple.

2. Oak

Red oak is a classic cabinet wood cherished for its pronounced grain. White oak has a subtle grain that’s ideal for light stains or paint. Oak is very durable and water-resistant.

3. Maple

Maple offers a smooth, uniform look that works with nearly any kitchen or bath design. It has a fine, pale grain that looks great with dark or bold paint colors. Maple is easy to clean and stands up well to daily wear and tear.

4. Cherry

Known for its reddish-brown hue and flowing grain pattern, cherry wood gives cabinets a rich upscale look. The smooth finish highlights fine details like raised panels or custom hardware. Over time, the cherry darkens into an even deeper red-brown.

5. Hickory

Hickory brings a bold, rustic aesthetic with dramatic graining and knots. While sturdy and durable like oak, hickory has a more pronounced color variation when stained for a unique aged wood look.

Custom Cabinet Hardware

The hardware finishes and styling makes nearly as much impact as the wood choice itself. Top-of-the-line hardware ensures smooth motion and lasting quality while complementing your distinctive style.

Popular custom cabinet hardware styles include

• Modern flat bar handles in brushed metal, matte black, or chrome
• Elegant glass knobs accented with polished steel or satin brass
• Traditional bail pulls, cup pulls, or decorative porcelain knobs
• Rustic hammered metal handles and latches
• Bold oversized handlebars that stand out from standard knobs

Custom Storage Solutions

Beyond their facade, the interior storage configuration makes or breaks cabinet functionality. Share exactly how you want to use the space, and custom kitchen cabinets add specialized storage areas for everything.

Do you love whipping up culinary masterpieces? Add custom racks for:

• Pots and pans
• Baking sheets
• Spices
• Oils and vinegar

Serving wine a regular part of your routine? Incorporate storage for:

• Bar glasses
• Shot glasses
• Wine bottles
• Mugs

Or maybe keeping things ultra organized is most essential. Custom cabinets can integrate:

• Tray dividers
• Pull-out shelves
• Roll-out cabinets
• Spin corner carousels
• Customized drawers
• Drawer dividers
• Cutlery inserts
• Wastebin pull-outs
• Appliance garages

According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), when designed thoughtfully, kitchen storage solutions will simplify daily tasks and bring order to even the most hectic lifestyles. Proper storage design comes down to understanding a family’s needs and how they use the kitchen. Custom cabinetry provides specialized solutions tailored to those unique needs.

How Custom Cabinets Are Built for You

So how do professional cabinetmakers turn your vision for the ideal custom kitchen or bathroom storage into reality? Here’s an inside look at the custom cabinet creation process.

Working with a Custom Cabinet Maker

The best custom cabinetry begins with an experienced cabinetmaker guiding the design process. A reputable custom cabinet company employs skilled professional carpenters dedicated to the specialized work of cabinet construction.

Schedule an initial design meeting to discuss your project goals and options:

• Overall design aesthetic
• Color scheme
• Storage needs
• Countertop plans
• Budget

With a clear vision of your dream space, the cabinetmaker takes detailed measurements and begins drafting a 3D layout in design software.

Custom Cabinet Design Process

Leveraging 3D software allows you to visually walk through the proposed layout and test different configurations. Adjust elements like:

1. Storage placement
2. Appliance positioning
3. Modifications for mobility access
4. Cabinet depth
5. Toe kick dimensions
6. Countertop overhang

With CAD software, we can tweak the smallest details until the layout perfectly supports your usage.

Constructing Custom Cabinets

Once you sign off on the final design, the cabinet construction process begins. Skilled carpenters start by selecting high-grade lumber and wood materials needed for the cabinets.

The carpenters precisely cut the wood into the required components. Modern CNC machining allows exact cuts for consistent sizing and smooth edges.

Cabinet parts then go through necessary sanding, distressing, or staining steps depending on the planned finish. Carpenters carefully join the pieces together using appropriate construction methods for the selected cabinet types.

Popular custom cabinet construction techniques include:

• Frameless cabinet boxes
• Faceframe construction
• Wood or metal reinforcements
• Plywood carcasses
• Solid wood frames and doors
• Dovetail joinery for quality and longevity

Finally, cabinets receive the finishing touches like hardware installation and protective clear coats.

Professional Installation

When the custom cabinets complete construction in the woodworking shop, professional installers schedule delivery and handle the on-site installation.

Meticulous measurements and 3D renderings allow the installers to efficiently mount the cabinets efficiently and precisely. Experienced custom cabinet companies check each detail to ensure your absolute satisfaction.

Custom Cabinet Options to Fit Your Needs

Beyond offering every design detail you can imagine, custom cabinets fall into several construction categories to fit all needs and budgets.

Stock Cabinet Modifications

For lighter customization, many cabinet showrooms offer stock cabinet lines with the option for small-scale custom tweaks like:

• Adding extra interior fittings or trays
• Swapping default cabinet fronts
• Changing hardware styles
• Opting for glass fronts, open shelving, or other specialty elements

This allows a custom look without full custom pricing.

Semi-Custom Cabinets

Semi-custom cabinets strike a balance between personalized options and budget efficiency. Semi-custom lines allow you to configure stock cabinet components like:

• Cabinet fronts with several door-style options
• A range of sizes and depths for cabinet boxes and drawers
• Variable heights like extra tall wall cabinets
• Accessory fittings and inserts

Pulling from existing manufacturing capabilities allows more flexibility without starting completely from scratch.

Modular Cabinets

Modular cabinet systems take a flexible, mix-and-match approach to affordability and customization. Modular cabinets utilize standardized cabinet carcass units in incremental sizes like 12, 18, or 24 inches.

The uniform boxes allow endless layout arrangements to maximize your unique space. And you can still pick the perfect door styles and finishes to reflect your taste.

100% Custom Built Cabinets

For a completely tailored kitchen or bathroom, fully custom cabinets offer unlimited craftsmanship potential. When building fully custom, the cabinetmaker works from the ground up based on your exact storage needs and desired aesthetic details.

Along with answering every layout and functional question, custom building enables tiny tweaks that personalize cabinets like:

• Incorporating custom radii designs on cabinet edges
• Integrating specialty organizational fittings specified to your needs
• Designing intricate matching woodwork trim details
• Constructing one-of-a-kind cabinet shapes and dimensions to work in challenging spaces
• Hand-selecting wood materials with perfect graining or distressing

Fully custom cabinets help carefully design the heart of your home around you.

Selecting Your Custom Cabinet Style

Beyond storage functionality, cabinetry makes a huge impact on interior design aesthetics. The door style and finishing options influence the overall look, feel, and flow of your kitchen or bathroom. Consider what decorative design fits how you want to use the space day to day.

Custom Cabinet Door Styles

Do you prefer ultra modern and sleek or warm and traditional? Custom cabinet makers offer diverse cabinet door options across the design spectrum:

Modern cabinet doors:

• Flat paneled doors in solid colors or wood grains for contemporary styling
• Two-toned designs with lighter recessed panels and darker frames
• Finger groove detailing to add subtle lines and architectural interest
• Shaker-style doors with recessed center panels for an understated attitude
• Gloss lacquer or high polish finishes for lustrous sheen

Rustic and cottage cabinet door options:

• Beaded inset panels, often with glass fronts
• Plank styling with visible wood frames
• Distressed finishes that emulate worn, aged wood
• Painted or glazed country white for cottage charm

Traditional custom cabinet doors:

• Raised panel doors with solid wood construction
• Intricate inlaid designs, carvings, or cutouts across center panels or corner posts
• Decorative arches that soften linear edges
• Crown mold trim framing the top of cabinets
• Classic glass fronts to showcase favorite dishware

Transitional ideas spanning traditional and modern:

• Wide rail and stile construction with clean lines
• Subtle profiling around raised center panels
• Mixing glass fronts and solid door cabinets
• Blending visible wood grain textures with solid painted sections

With near-endless possibilities, Davidson’s Cabinet Makers help uncover what options make the right impact.

Custom Cabinet Paint and Stain Options

Along with style preferences, think about what paint and stain options help the cabinets coordinate with countertops, floors, and your overall vision.

Custom options include selecting from thousands of possible paint colors thanks to advanced mixing capabilities. Modern stains also come in wide tonal ranges from nearly white washes to deep espresso tones.

Consider factors like:

• Undertones that coordinate with other finishes like granite counters or hardwood flooring
• Contrast tones to make cabinets stand out
• Deep, saturated colors for drama or soft neutrals for flexibility
• Gloss, satin, or matte sheens

FAQs

What are the benefits of custom cabinets?

Some benefits of custom cabinets include: they are built specifically for your space and needs, you can customize the design, size, materials, and features, they maximize storage capability in your home, you can choose premium materials and finishes, and they add uniqueness and character to your home.

How much do custom cabinets cost compared to stock cabinets?

Custom cabinets typically cost more than stock or semi-custom cabinets, but allow for complete personalization. As a rough estimate, stock cabinets cost $100-300 per linear foot, semi-custom cabinets cost $200-500 per linear foot, and full custom cabinets cost $500-1,500+ per linear foot installed.

What design services do you offer for custom cabinets?

We offer full design services for custom cabinets including measuring your space, recommending layouts and configurations, developing 3D renderings of cabinet designs, advising on materials and finishes, providing multiple layout options for your approval, and finalizing technical drawings for cabinet construction.

What types of wood do you use for custom cabinetry?

We use high-quality woods for custom cabinets including oak, maple, alder, hickory, cherry, and walnut. We will help you select the best wood type for your design goals, usage patterns, and budget.

Can you match the style of my existing cabinets for a new custom addition?

Yes, by providing photos and detailed measurements of your current cabinetry, we can closely match the door style, finish, hardware, and build quality of your existing cabinets when designing and constructing new custom additions.

How long does the custom cabinet design and installation process take?

The full process of designing, manufacturing, and installing custom cabinets typically takes 6-8 weeks. The design and approval phase takes about 2 weeks, construction is 2 to 4 weeks, and professional installation is about 1 week under normal circumstances.

Bring Your Custom Cabinet Dreams to Life

Upgrading your Chesapeake home with custom cabinetry gives you the power to design storage tailored specifically for how you live. Beyond gaining specialized spaces for everything from glassware collections to small appliances, custom cabinets make a statement reflecting your style.

The endless options for wood types, cabinet configurations, hardware styles, and decorative finishes let you actualize your dream aesthetic. By collaborating one-on-one with a professional local cabinetmaker, you can incorporate specialty built-ins like angled drawers, adjustable shelving, and custom-built microwave cabinets. The result is storage crafted just for you in both form and function—guaranteed to meet your needs beautifully for decades to come.

Whether your goal is maximizing kitchen functionality or creating a centralized laundry workspace, custom cabinetry lends versatility limited only by your imagination. Bring your storage visions to life and elevate the heart of your home with custom cabinetry made right here in Chesapeake, VA.