Custom of Off the Shelf?

One question I am often asked is what is the difference between a custom cabinet and a cabinet off the shelf or “box” cabinet.  Personally, I am partial to custom cabinets, because that is what we build. J But, personal feelings aside, let’s explore the differences.  Disclaimer: While none of these characteristics are hard and fast, they are a pretty close generalization. Bottom line-do your own homework before making a decision.

Off the shelf or “box” cabinets are readily available, whether at a local home improvement store, a local dealer or even online. You are limited in the styles and finishes available and interior organizational opportunities. The biggest difference is size limitations. Off the shelf cabinets come in 3” increments, needing fillers to make up the difference in your space.  Some brands can be custom ordered in exact sizes, but that drives the cost and delivery time up. Many of the off the shelf cabinets are made with particle board, a lower quality material, that does not hold up as well long term as a solid wood and plywood cabinet. Most of the time when you buy a premade cabinet, you have to assemble and install it yourself or hire an installer to install them for you.

Custom cabinets are a whole different ball game. The sky is the limit-or rather your budget and space is the limit. Anything you can dream up or see in a magazine can become a reality.  Local shops vary in size and professionalism and ability.  Cabinets are able to be built down to the 1/16^th of an inch, allowing you to maximize the space you have. Any finish, style or interior organization idea is a possibility. Many custom shops build their cabinets with solid wood and plywood. Installation is normally included in the cost of custom cabinets.

Surprisingly, sometimes there is not much cost difference between off the shelf and custom cabinets. Style, finish and detail play a role, but before you sign on the dotted line, check out both options. What’s your experience with custom and off the shelf cabinets? Any further advice you have to add? I’d love to hear. Email me at Jessica@webbercoleman.com

Design Trends in Iceland

If you’ve known me for any time, you know that I love to travel. And I mean love. Traveling stimulates my creativity and opens my eyes to new ideas, trends and designs. This fall I had the opportunity to travel to Iceland.

Iceland is known as Fire and Ice. Home to glaciers and volcanoes, thankfully, we only saw the ice side while we were there.  In our explorations, driving and sightseeing, I observed some interesting design trends.

1.      Monochromatic: White, black, natural wood color, dark blue/gray colors. Building exteriors & interior decorations were very monochromatic. Even the sheep, ponies and reindeer fit into this color scheme.

2.    Colorful: In the capital city of Reykjavik, we climbed to the top of the famous Hallgrímskirkja Church. From the lookouts at the top the colorful houses and rooftops were a sight to behold.

3.    Glass: With such amazing views in any direction you looked, most homes had a lot of glass in them allowing the outside landscape to be part of the interior art.

4.    Simple: Many of the interior furnishings and decorations felt very Scandinavian which makes sense since that’s the next closest inhabited land mass.

It truly was a trip of a lifetime and I can’t wait to visit one spring when everything is green and I see a completely different side of this beautiful country. Have you observed any design trends on your travels? I’d love to hear!  Send me an email at jessica@webbercoleman.com.