The important thing to consider when designing any cabinet no matter what its use, is to always talk at length with your client about not only what he or she intends to use the cabinet (s) for but also who else will use the cabinet (s).

In the last three years I have had numerous contact from consumers inquiring about the cost of true custom cabinets. These consumers aren't interested in buying semi-stock cabinets, they want personalized cabinets, i.e. truly custom cabinets that will more closely fit their stature, lifestyle, and personality. One such cabinet and furniture design that grows in popularity with each passing year is Inlay work. Inlays are generally done with exotic woods such as teak and ebony where the cost for these exotic woods could make a millionaire faint at the price to construct an entire set of cabinets. Inlays as the term suggests are wood inserts, usually narrow strips, that are inserted into the main wood and fitted with precision making the insert appear as though it grew there. See my example of a cabinet with wood inlays. See examples of my kitchen designs.

Custom cabinets are bad news for the semi-custom cabinet manufacturers but great news for woodworking hobbyists and small cabinet shops throughout the country but, then again if you are a true woodworking craftsman, then business, however little or as much as you undertake . . . . . . . . is already booming!

Okay, so you have a client who has contacted you and decided that he or she wants you to design their new custom kitchen. You have agreed on how much compensation that you will receive for your design.

I and all really good designers no matter what the product they are designing need some design parameters and cabinets are no different. To design a fully functional and aesthetically pleasing kitchen, you need some parameters (information) from your client. For a true custom kitchen, you will need:

Once you have talked at length to your client, it's time to create a design. When a potential client contacts you inquiring about custom cabinets, your client will expect certain things from you. An exclusive design tailored to their wishes and lifestyle. They want their kitchen to be seamless. Besides the aesthetics or look of true custom cabinetry, you need to be prepared to come up with a design that will separate your design from anything available in the commercial market.

We all know that stock and semi-stock cabinets are boxes basically placed side by side or grouped together to form a row of cabinets. The problem with these is that they look like they have been placed side by side. Find out from your client what their exact wishes are. This will cut down dramatically on your design time.

The very first actual design criteria that I need is the make and model of the dishwasher. That's right, I said the dishwasher. I know you are scratching your head thinking what in tarnation (not sure if that's actually a word or not) is this boy thinking? Trust me and pay attention. There are three appliances in most kitchens that have adjustable heights, the cook stove, the refrigerator, and the dishwasher. One of these appliances can either make or break the aesthetics of your design and consequently make your client ecstatically happy or butt ugly mad and trust me you don't ever want to make a client mad. Give up?????

Yeah, I knew you knew it was the dishwasher but why the dishwasher? The dishwasher can make or break your design, and can make your design appear seamless. The reason is the toe kick panel. Appliance manufacturers have never agreed on a set height or depth of their toe kick panels and since most dishwashers are mounted somewhere in the middle of a bay of cabinets, it's really obvious when the dishwasher toe kick doesn't match the toe kicks on your cabinets. The other dishwasher dimensions that you will need will be the control panel height. You will need this dimension as this dimension will likely be used for your drawer height dimension.

But wait, you are saying refrigerators have toe kicks too. Yes, I know they do but refrigerators are stand alone appliances and unless your client is specifying a sub zero or some other monster refrigerator, then it's inconsequential unless . . . . . your client tells you differently.

Today's lesson then is about gathering information from your client, their stature, arm reach, inseam, their taste, and their appliance information.

Stay tuned for Part II