I have seen the catastrophic result of homeowners having their semi-custom component cabinetry installed by someone with little to no cabinet installation experience...the reality is installation can ‘make or break’ how your kitchen turns out.

Overlooking this crucial part of the process can effectively destroy all of the work, planning, and design that goes into a cabinetry project.  It can mean the difference between cabinetry that looks beautiful and rich, or an end product that looks like it came straight off the shelves of one of “Big Box”  home stores.

This common mistake of hiring someone that doesn’t specifically have cabinet installation experience, or even just using a general contractor or finish carpenter that does not specialize in cabinet installation, can result in an end product that does not do justice to the potential of the cabinets.

Of course, it’s not just semi-custom, component cabinetry that can suffer this fate.  I’ve seen custom cabinets that have been botched by a poor installation.  So there is no guarantee that your cabinets will look flawless unless the person installing the cabinetry has had specific experience doing so.

Your Semi-Custom Cabinetry Can Look High-End Custom…If Installed Correctly

In a previous blogpost I discussed how semi-custom, component cabinetry can give you the best of both worlds in beauty, function, and savings.  But, if you want the end result of your kitchen or bathroom to look high-end and custom, then don’t cut corners by letting just anyone who claims they can install cabinetry take on your project.

7 Rookie Installer Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Cabinets!

• Cabinets that are not plumb
• Panels or crown molding not scribed to the walls (wall are almost always imperfect)
• Poorly cut moldings, leaving massive gaps
• Doors or drawers left improperly adjusted
• Nail holes/screw holes left exposed – including misdrilled hardware!
• Racked cabinet boxes, making doors or drawers close improperly
• Cabinet lines that are not level which causes counter top issues

The list goes on…but the result is clear.   The potential for the well designed, custom-looking kitchen or bathroom ends up with a haphazard appearance that downgrades the entire look and feel of the space.

Getting Custom Results From Your Design

On the other hand, when an experienced professional is used, the results do the cabinets more than their proper justice.  The lines are straight, the cabinets seamless, the moldings are scribed flush to the walls and coped in the corners, the doors and drawers are level, and it’s hard to tell that the cabinets were not simply custom built for your exact space.

A safe bet is to ask your designer who they recommend for the installation…and go with the recommendation.  They’re recommended installer will understand the design and how it is supposed to go together far better than someone who has not worked with the designer before.

The bottom line:
Don’t trust the investment of your cabinets to just anyone.  If you’ve carefully chosen beautiful cabinetry with a design that is well thought out, then use the professional that your designer recommends.  With the right installer, you’ll be the only one that knows you didn’t pay for custom, built-in-place cabinets.

California Cabinetry is a professional kitchen designer with over 500 successfully completed/installed projects. California Cabinetry LLC supplies high quality cabinets at wholesale prices to contractors, designers, and homeowners in Rocklin, CA