How we work
A considered process, from sketch to install.
A kitchen is one of the most-used rooms in a home and one of the longest-lived. We treat it that way. Every commission follows the same deliberate path — drawn, selected, joined, finished, and installed by one shop, with one point of contact throughout.
Seven steps
The shape of a commission.
01
Consultation
We begin at your home or in our Gilroy shop. We want to understand how you cook, where the light falls, what you store, and what frustrates you about the room as it stands. There is no charge for this conversation — only an honest read on whether we are the right shop for the work.
02
Design & 3D rendering
We develop a plan in drawings and a navigable 3D model so you can see the kitchen before a board is cut. Door styles, sightlines, drawer banks, appliance integration — every decision is made on screen, where changes cost nothing. You approve a fixed proposal before we proceed.
03
Material selection
We help you choose the species and finish that will wear well for decades — rift-sawn white oak, figured walnut, paint-grade maple — alongside hardware, hinges, and drawer slides. We work in solid wood and quality veneers, never particleboard or thermofoil.
04
Shop build
Your cabinetry is cut, joined, and assembled in our Gilroy workshop by the same craftspeople throughout. Face frames are mortise-and-tenoned, drawer boxes are dovetailed, and every box is built square to a jig — not ordered from a catalog and badged as custom.
05
Finishing
Doors and panels are sanded through progressive grits, then sprayed in a dedicated finishing room — conversion varnish or hand-rubbed oil, depending on the wood and the look. The finish is what you touch every day, so we never rush it.
06
Install
Our own crew sets the cabinetry — no subcontracted installers. Boxes are leveled, scribed tight to walls that are never quite plumb, and hardware is set by hand. We protect your floors and clean the site each day we are in your home.
07
Final walkthrough & warranty
We walk the finished room with you, adjust every door and drawer to a consistent reveal, and hand over care notes for the wood and finish. Our work is backed by a written warranty — and by a shop that will still be here, and still answer the phone, years from now.
A typical timeline
Eight to fourteen weeks.
From the day drawings are approved to the day we walk the finished room. Phases overlap where they sensibly can — but we never compress the build or the finish to make a calendar work.
- 01Design & approval2–3 weeks
- 02Material lead time1–3 weeks
- 03Shop build3–5 weeks
- 04Finishing1–2 weeks
- 05Installation1 week
Refacing projects run shorter — typically one to two weeks.
Questions
The things homeowners ask first.
- How long does a project take?
- Most kitchens take eight to fourteen weeks from approved drawings to final walkthrough. A single vanity or a built-in may be quicker; a whole-home program of cabinetry runs longer. We give you a realistic schedule with your proposal and keep you updated as the work moves through the shop.
- How much does custom cabinetry cost?
- Custom cabinetry is an investment that varies with the size of the room, the species and finish, and the complexity of the joinery. As a guide, a custom kitchen typically begins in the range of fifty thousand dollars. We provide a fixed, itemized proposal after the design phase — no surprises once the number is approved.
- Do you work on new builds or remodels?
- Both. We cabinetry-package new construction in partnership with builders and architects, and we also handle remodels in occupied homes. For remodels we coordinate closely around demolition and other trades so the cabinetry arrives ready for a clean, fast install.
- Do you handle installation yourselves?
- Yes. Every project is installed by our own crew — the same people who build it, working out of the same Gilroy shop. We do not hand finished cabinetry to a subcontracted installer. Scribing, leveling, and hardware are all done in-house.
- What materials do you build with?
- We build in solid hardwood and quality veneers — walnut, white oak, maple, cherry — with mortise-and-tenon face frames and dovetailed drawer boxes. We use full-extension, soft-close hardware and conversion-varnish or hand-rubbed oil finishes. We do not use particleboard boxes or thermofoil doors.
- What kind of warranty do you offer?
- Our cabinetry carries a written warranty on materials and workmanship. Beyond the paperwork, we stand behind what we build: if a door needs adjusting or a finish needs attention down the road, you call the shop and we take care of it.
Begin a project
Ready to start with a conversation?
Tell us about your home and your timeline. We’ll walk you through what the process would look like for your space — and whether we’re the right shop for the work.