Your Kitchen
6 Reasons to Choose Custom Cabinetry By Janine Pumilia
C
ustom cabinets made by hand, from scratch. Sounds expensive, right? And yet many homeowners are surprised by the value proposition of custom work, says Designer Randall Snyder, J. Miller Cabinet Co., Columbia City, Ind. First, “Every inch of space is well used when you build custom cabinets,” he says. “Stock cabinets and even ‘semi-custom’ cabinets are often ordered in 3-inch increments, which means if you don’t have exactly the right space, fillers are used and space is wasted. We don’t fill the space, we fit the space.” Second, custom cabinets are made to fit the customer – literally. “We can build any height, depth and width that makes sense for you,” says Snyder. A shorter person may want a lower kitchen counter height and wall cabinets placed 16 inchPainted cabinetry is very popular today, especially in shades of white, grey or blue. es above the counter rather than the standard 18 from the ordinary, improving resale value. Kitchens are the most inches, for example. A taller person may want a important room of the home for prospective buyers. 33-inch or higher bathroom vanity, not the standard 30-inch, to “Custom work can give your kitchen personality,” says make it easier to bend over the sink. Snyder. “I’ve been known to place a dishwasher at a 45-degree “Do you have a special collection of dishes you love, but angle in a corner, or even a range or a sink. As long as things are there’s a 13-inch platter that won’t fit in a standard 12-inch-deep symmetrical, proportional and functionally efficient, your kitchcabinet? Not a problem, as long as you tell us during the planning en doesn’t have to look like every other kitchen in the world.” process,” says Snyder. Fifth, there’s no shipping hassle. J. Miller typically delivThird, custom work allows for “any door style in any wood ers a kitchen within three weeks of placing an order, although with any finish,” unlike stock cabinets. “Maybe you like this door this year is extra busy and turn-arounds are longer. At big-box style but you can’t get it in that color. We can do any style in any stores, customers not only risk delays for cabinetry to arrive, but color on the color wheel.” also risk damage caused by shipping, which can force a re-order. Fourth, custom work allows your new kitchen to stand out Perhaps the top reason to choose custom cabinetry over stock cabinets is quality. J. Miller customers deal with accessible local folks, not far-away corporations. “We use only hardwood for doors and frames, and plywood with veneer – never particle board, which absorbs moisture – for shelving and side pieces,” Snyder notes. “We tell people, ‘If you can dream it up, we can build it.’” All cabinetry is made in the same shop that the late John Miller opened in 1949 and the business remains family owned. It specializes in custom kitchens and baths, entertainment centers, bookcases, mantels and “anything wood that a home needs, except the flooring and staircase,” says Snyder. J. Miller also sells countertops in quartz, granite, laminate and cultured marble. Learn more by calling Randy at (260) 691-2032 or stop into the shop, 5874 North 350 East, Columbia City, at the east end of Round Lake. ❚ Tell them you saw it in ...
Smart Living Fort Wayne
May 2021 • II
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