Your Kitchen

6 Reasons to Choose Custom Cabinetry

By Janine Pumilia

Custom 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 inches above the counter rather than the standard 18 Painted cabinetry is very popular today, especially in shades of white, grey or blue. inches, for example. A taller person may want a from the ordinary, improving resale value. Kitchens are the most 33-inch or higher bathroom vanity, not the standard 30-inch, to important room of the home for prospective buyers. make it easier to bend over the sink. “Custom work can give your kitchen personality,” says

“Do you have a special collection of dishes you love, but Snyder. “I’ve been known to place a dishwasher at a 45-degree there’s a 13-inch platter that won’t fit in a standard 12-inch-deep angle in a corner, or even a range or a sink. As long as things are cabinet? Not a problem, as long as you tell us during the planning symmetrical, proportional and functionally efficient, your kitchprocess,” says Snyder. en doesn’t have to look like every other kitchen in the world.”

Third, custom work allows for “any door style in any wood Fifth, there’s no shipping hassle. J. Miller typically delivwith any finish,” unlike stock cabinets. “Maybe you like this door ers a kitchen within three weeks of placing an order, although style but you can’t get it in that color. We can do any style in any this year is extra busy and turn-arounds are longer. At big-box color on the color wheel.” stores, customers not only risk delays for cabinetry to arrive, but

Fourth, custom work allows your new kitchen to stand out also risk damage caused by shipping, which can force a re-order. 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. ❚