WHAT IS SEMI-CUSTOM CABINETRY?
By Erica Dean
What are semi-custom cabinets?
Semi-custom cabinets are manufactured with standard sizes, styles, and finishes. They are similar to stock, but have more options for customization and added detail. For example, you may have the ability to alter dimensions such as cabinet depth.
In general, semi-custom cabinets are a lower cost alternative to custom while still providing great functionality and a beautiful look.
How can I customize semi-custom cabinets?
Semi-customs often have many options for modification. While having fewer options than custom cabinetry, semi-custom cabinetry has a greater level of customization than stock lines.
Semi-custom cabinet lines offer a wide variety of popular door styles and finishes, with flexible sizes and modifications. There are many options for choosing stains, glazes, and paint colors. Some lines even offer finishes with specialized techniques, such as distressing. Due to this abundance of variety, these cabinets are often a great fit for homeowners.
In addition to diverse finishes and door styles, semi-custom cabinets have a greater capacity to incorporate accessories and inserts such as cutlery trays, pullouts, organizational tools, and spice racks.
Aside from your main cabinetry and the interior features, you can also add special moldings, decorative pieces, and hardware to spice up your look.
Why is customization important?
Customization is important because it results in increased functionality and efficiency of your space. It improves storage accessibility and reduces the amount of fillers and ‘dead space.’
When using stock cabinets, standardized dimensions and styles may not fit a kitchen space perfectly. This creates a need for fillers between cabinets. With semi-custom cabinetry, you have more flexibility with sizes and dimensions. This reduces the need for extra fillers, and creates a cleaner, more uniform appearance.
Customization also allows you to create a space that is unique and personalized to you. It means finding the perfect colors, door styles, and dimensions for your home and lifestyle.
While more customization can mean a larger cost, instead of thinking “how much can I save by eliminating customization?”, think “how will these features add to the value of my house?”. This will help you determine whether certain customizations are necessary or beneficial to your kitchen.
How does the quality of semi-custom cabinets compare with the quality of custom cabinets?
It is a common misconception that all stock and semi-custom cabinets are low in quality compared to custom cabinets. This is not always the case.
In general, you get what you pay for. For a very low-cost stock or semi-custom cabinet, the quality will be low. On the other hand, with higher price range custom cabinets, you will find much better quality in terms of materials, finish, and construction. To balance cost, quality, and ability to customize, many homeowners love finding a semi-custom line that will fit their needs.
What are the benefits of choosing semi-custom cabinetry?
Semi-custom cabinets may be a great option for your kitchen because they are very affordable and generally less expensive than the higher-end custom options. They can help you save money while finding the right fit for your kitchen cabinets.
These cabinet lines offer a variety of options for finishes, styles, and prices. Flexibility with added features and modifications helps create a space that is more unique and comfortable for you.
With semi-custom cabinets, you get the best of both worlds: an individualized look, personalization, strong construction, and quality, without the higher costs of custom cabinetry.
What are the drawbacks of choosing semi-custom cabinetry?
Some drawbacks of semi-custom cabinetry include the longer wait time compared to stock cabinetry. However, the lead time on semi-custom tends to be shorter than with custom.
Additionally, there are limited options for styles and finishes compared to custom cabinetry. While semi-custom cabinets have many options for personalization, custom cabinets have a greater ability to be modified to create custom storage solutions. Custom cabinets can be personalized with an unlimited number of combinations from wood type, door style, and finish. Some custom cabinet lines even offer custom color matching.
Overall, semi-custom cabinets do not come with the same features, functionality, or resources as custom cabinets.
What lines of semi-custom cabinetry does Dean Cabinetry offer?
Dean Cabinetry works with semi-custom cabinetry from Eudora, St. Martin, and Kemper, along with others.
From each of these cabinet providers, you can find a range of design and pricing options. They offer many ways to customize and personalize your kitchen cabinetry. Feel free to contact us with any questions on semi-custom cabinets and more.