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Hi Everyone,
Never in a million years would I have dreamed that nearly two years after moving to Boston, I’d still not have gotten very far with my renovation.
Oh, I could bore you to tears with the numerous reasons. But, I’ll spare you most of it.
In any case, it’s probably been for the best, for in that time, I’ve been able to tweak and hone in on what I really want to do.
Before I found my dream kitchen cabinet company, I approached three other cabinetry companies.
Two of the kitchen cabinet companies were crazy expensive.
How expensive? I mean, approaching six figures for my 90-square-foot galley kitchen. And, those numbers didn’t include installation or crown and other mouldings. That’s absolutely insane. I mean, we’re not talking about Christopher Peacock here. Plus, I don’t have that kind of money to spend on kitchen cabinets. Of course, I want them to look like my design, but I’m not asking for anything outlandish.
In addition, the previous design of the kitchen had at least 25% less cabinetry than the current one. Therefore, the price should be lower, not higher.
After the first two kitchen cabinet companies and during my Covid bout early last May, I did what I should’ve done months earlier.
I contacted my friend and fantastic kitchen designer from Long Island, Susan Serra.
Susan has been featured several times on this blog. We met years ago at the Kitchen and Bath Show in Orlando. (KBIS) And super coincidentally, I sat next to her at dinner in Copenhagen in September 2018. She was not a part of our group but was visiting family, I believe. However, she knew almost everyone on the trip. It was a lot of fun.
I contacted Susan because I wanted her to look over my plans and give me some advice if she saw any glaring issues.
She was very excited to give me a hand and also interested in helping me contact brands as she has a lot of great connections in the kitchen and bath industry. With Susan’s wealth of knowledge and experience as a kitchen designer, I knew she’d help me from making some hideous mistakes.
And, she did.
The first one came when I sent her two versions of my kitchen.
Remember the one with the back fully built up with glass and mirrored door cabinets? That version also featured only under-cabinet fridge drawers. I was getting a little nervous about that, so I sent her one of my earliest iterations for the kitchen.
A week later, she sent me a lovely computer rendering of not the kitchen I was thinking of doing but the alternate. Clearly, this is the version she preferred.
Immediately, when I saw it, I knew she was right, and I never looked back at the other design.
This is why working with a qualified kitchen designer is so good. Even if for only a consultation. The wonderful thing is Susan is super-adept at working long-distance. During the pandemic, she began doing this almost exclusively. What I love about that is that you can use her in whatever capacity you need.
She is incredibly knowledgeable in selecting everything needed for a beautiful, well-functioning kitchen. She’s easygoing and fun to work with. But, she’ll also be honest if something is a mistake.
So, if anyone is looking for some assistance with their kitchen design, I very much recommend contacting her. You can reach Susan Serra via her excellent website here.
Back to the kitchen cabinet design and the quest for the best kitchen cabinet company.
I tweaked Susan’s design, and above is that version. Sorry, it’s a little sloppy, but you get the idea. That one morphed into the current design.
Mistake #2 probably would’ve been caught by the cabinet company.
But, maybe not. That’s the situation with the fridge door. We were looking at Fisher & Paykel refrigerators. I thought for sure that three inches would suffice for clearance.
It doesn’t. It needs 5.25 inches.
Can’t we swing the door the other way? I inquired, not thinking about the consequences.
Susan patiently said, “well, you can, but you’ll have to maneuver around the door.”
Oh, man! Of course!
I am not positive, but I think I read somewhere that Viking fridges can go flush or almost flush against a wall.
One does need to allow room for the hardware. If anyone knows more about that for certain, please tell us in the comments.
During the first several weeks working with Susan, so I wouldn’t drive her too crazy, I realized I needed to hone in on the specifics of the cabinetry. After all, how can she draw if she doesn’t know what it is? It’s just that I’m so fussy. Please remember that I make a lousy client. I would definitely fire myself!
I was hoping that Susan would have a kitchen company recommendation.
And she did. But there turned out to be a problem with both of those kitchen cabinet companies.
So, in the back of my mind, I thought I would contact a company whose work I like. I had worked with them a few times, but I’m not saying who it is. It took a few weeks and so forth, and I received the quote.
But, while their price wasn’t nearly as bad as the other two, unfortunately, the owner broke my strict no asshole policy.
A number of times.
So, that eliminated that kitchen cabinet company.
After three failed attempts, I did more research, went back to my list, and then researched some more.
What am I looking for in my perfect kitchen cabinet company?
- Inset cabinetry – I realize it’s become incredibly “on trend.” But, inset cabinet doors ARE the way that ALL cabinet doors were created for the most part. Sure, there are probably some old pieces with overlay doors and drawers, but never in finer pieces of furniture.
However, not everyone does inset cabinetry. It takes extra skill to get them to fit right without excessive gaps. Therefore, if I got on a website, and 90% were overlay cabinets, whether partial or full, I crossed them off the list.
- I’m looking for classical proportions and little if any ersatz designs.
Anyone reading my blog knows I’m a nutjob about proportions. And, that I hate furniture designs that are “ersatz.” That means designs that are a made-up bastardization of a classical design. Or, just made up by some delusional furniture designer. Sorry, but I’ve had it with all of that.
This is not a debate about that.
Classical designs can also be modern and contemporary. Not all of it isn’t good; not at all, but too much is.
Well, the no-ersatz rule knocked out the majority of companies. I’m not talking about something that isn’t my preference. But, just over-the-top, uniformly horrid proportions and weirdness.
However, to be clear, I always checked out the company’s Instagram if there was any doubt. Often, folks will put up pics that are 10,15, or even 20 years old on their websites. Their best work is on their Insta account.
However, getting back to the proportion and design thing.
It’s not that they have to have exactly what I’m doing, but they have to have a particular taste level that lets me know they will be able to produce it.
There are two more items on my wish list, but neither one of these would’ve been deal breakers.
1. The ability to do the rounded cabinet.
2. Having the option of being able to do an on-site hand-painted finish.
Of course, I am also looking for good value, quality workmanship, reliability, and honesty.
Out of a half-dozen or so fairly strong contenders, there was one kitchen cabinet company that stood out way above the rest.
I knew of them. In fact, I have already had two of their kitchens on this blog in two separate posts.
The company is Crown Point.
Crown Point Cabinetry fulfilled EVERYTHING on my wish list, and more!
That includes the rounded cabinet, as well as offering both a pre-finished product or one primed for paint. In addition, further research only revealed good things about this company. I looked at every image on their Instagram account and listened to three videos on youtube presented by the owner, Brian Stowell.
Here’s one of them.
Decades ago, Brian’s father loved making cabinets so much that he decided to start a new cabinetry company in the family’s garage in Claremont, NH.
Brian, his six siblings, and his mom all worked at the new kitchen cabinet company. Eventually, Brian took over ownership of the company. I love the humble beginnings and that it’s a family business. They take tremendous pride in their product, and it shows.
But, there’s more, much more that I love about this great custom cabinet company.
1. They have a direct-to-consumer business model. In other words, their line is not sold through a dealer or showroom. By going direct, their customers eliminate a middle-man and are effectively getting this high-end cabinetry at wholesale pricing. They have on-staff kitchen designers who will help you design your perfect kitchen. However, you are also free to use your own designer if you prefer.
2. They have a fully custom line with dozens of options for doors, drawers, crowns, toe kicks, and pretty much anything else you’d like.
3. But, they also have a semi-custom line with the same high-quality cabinetry and still many options, but a finite number. But, that limited number is still more options than some fully custom cabinet companies offer. These cabinets are sold at a lower price point.
4. Crown Point is in New England, only a two-hour car ride away from Boston. So, there IS going to be a field trip to visit the factory where I will learn even more.
Laurel, how much do the cabinets cost?
Yes, yes, I’m getting to that. :]
I have extrapolated apples for apples, that the price for my kitchen is about a third of the price quoted by the Boston kitchen place, for their fully custom top-of-the-line product. And, it is about half the price of the Boston kitchen place’s mid-priced cabinet line (with a-not-that-great-of-a-finish.) It’s also half the price of the second cabinet company I rejected.
In addition, those quotes were for the first kitchen with at least 20% less cabinetry. The price should’ve been significantly less, not substantially more!
Before I got the quote, Brian and I shared about a half-dozen emails a piece. We chatted about the business and what he sees happening in the future. This was the opposite experience of the previous guy that broke my rigid no-A-hole policy.
That also tells me that this company is first-rate. It all stems from the top. Brian reminds me of my wonderful stepdad, Mark Raffel who I wrote about here.
So, now that you’ve made it this far, please let me present a sampling of some of my favorite Crown Point kitchens.
Gosh, I have so many gorgeous images, I don’t know where to begin.
Let’s begin slowly with a detail shot from a Crown Select kitchen.
Yes, this is their less custom line of cabinetry. Beaded inset for their lower-cost brand. That is very rare. These cabinets are not lower quality; only fewer options. They are able to offer the lower price because these kitchens take less time to create.
As for a better idea of actual costs, I read that the fewer options Crown Select line cabinets run from about $25,000 – $35,000 on average. And, the regular Crown Point cabinets average from $40,000 – $50,000. However, some of the kitchens you’re about to see definitely cost more because they’re quite large.
Below is a detail shot of a beautiful range hood.
I love the detail on the face frame. Crown Point offers numerous options for face frames and of course, doors and drawers.
Above is a wider view of this spectacular kitchen.
Below is another close-up of a kitchen with a slightly different face frame detail.
You can also have a plain face frame.
Let’s zoom out on this beauty.
Sooo elegant!
No, not everything they do is white. In fact, they have dozens of colors from Sherwin Williams to select from. I believe they also have a milk paint finish.
I know that when I say unkitchen, they will get it. :]
By the way, do you want an English-style DeVOL or Plain English Kitchen-type kitchen?
Crown Point does those too!
Above is one example.
The same kitchen straight on.
Another DeVOL-style kitchen by Crown Point Cabinetry.
This is a lovely pantry/coffee station.
I wish I had known to recommend Crown Point to Mary before she started her big kitchen reno two years ago.
While the kitchen turned out beautifully in the end, Mary said her experience with her kitchen cabinet company was a complete nightmare. She’s such a lovely, kind woman. That’s totally not right for her to be treated so poorly.
Let’s look at some more Crown Point kitchens. Maybe you’d like a rustic kitchen? Sure. No problem.
How stunning is that! Sure, the windows are showstoppers. But, the cabinetry is the perfect supporting player.
Above, and the following three images are of the same kitchen.
An interesting point (to me, anyway) is that I saw this kitchen in an article online, and the cabinets look very BLUE. However, these images are from the Crown Point website. The cabinets are a cool gray blue.
This is another situation where the colors online can look quite different from what they are. I just looked at this article in Chrome. Originally, I saw it on Firefox. The colors on Chrome are closer. They look almost neon-bright in Firefox.
This beauty IS blue.
This was one of the images I published years ago from Crown Point Cabinetry.
And, this was the other one.
Does Crown Point only do kitchens, Laurel?
Oh no, they do cabinetry for every room in the house. It’s all on their website.
I recommend that you look at the images under homes. Those, I believe, are especially big and beautiful, when they are opened up. What I’ve posted is a tiny fraction of what they have.
When will you be getting your new kitchen?
It’s going to be about a year, maybe a little sooner. But, it might be longer. Remember, I was talking about that in this post.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this intro to Crown Point Cabinetry. Sometime next month, I’m hoping to drive up to Claremont to tour the factory, check out the finishes, etc. They encourage all of their customers to do this. How cool is that!
And, yes, they work all over the country. One can work long-distance with Crown Point. Aside from my field trip, I will be one of their long-distance customers.
I am so relieved to have found this company, and happy to share this information. Finding good people can be difficult.
Of course, I will keep y’all up-to-date with the progress of the final design.
xo,
PS: Please check out the newly updated HOT SALES! There are many fantastic sales and new items to see in the widgets.
The post The Best Kitchen Cabinet Company for My New Kitchen appeared first on Laurel Home.
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