The Vision
Well before the installation, you need the educated opinion of a professional who will understand exactly what a proper installation will take. This goes all the way back to the vision stage of your cabinetry. If you are looking for a new design, will this involve moving some of the other parts of the runaround? How will your new design affect the way that your room flows in the rest of the house? These are questions that you may need a professional opinion for, because you probably do not have the perspective to make this kind of a decision on your own.
This is exactly what a professional cabinet designer does for a living. You would do well to take his opinion under consideration, although you definitely always have the final decision.
Meticulous Measuring
Once you have the vision for your new cabinets in tow, you need to understand what kind of redesign this will require in your home. Installing new cabinets is rarely a straightforward process. New designs may require that you take an inch from a countertop here or move a wall over a half an inch there. Again, these are small design details that you may not have the experience to understand on your own. A professional cabinet designer will have experience in these details because of his previous design work in houses of all shapes and sizes.
There is a reason that designers of all types say “measure twice, cut once.” You want to get rid of all human error in the measuring process so that there is no room for human error in the actual “cutting” process. It is much easier and more cost-effective to fix a problem on the architectural paper than it is to fix it once you have actually started putting saw to metal. If you are looking for a cost-effective process, then you need to be sure that you have a cabinet design professional who understands how to properly measure for your new design.
Leveling
The next step in your cabinet installation is leveling your design. This is the first step in the building process, and it is one of the most important. As stated before, each step in the process depends on the step immediately before it. If you have a great design but that design is not properly leveled, then it will be built in a way that does not give you a professional look at the end.
Leveling is a distinct step that is separate from measuring. Leveling is the first step that is actually done in the real world away from the architectural paper. The designer that you choose should be able to work within the auspices of an imperfect home. Your home may be built on uneven ground, or you may have aspects of the room that are slightly uneven. Your new cabinet design will have to take all of these things into account – things that are not necessarily included in the ideal on the design paper.
This is just as much an art form as it is a science. This is where you need a professional cabinet designer more than ever, because you need an eye that will catch things that are not necessarily obvious. No matter how much DIY experience that you have in cabinetry, you do not want to be the final word on the leveling process. You will probably find out too late that you have missed a small leveling detail that is very important, and you will have to rework a lot of your previous work in order to fix it.
Building
Building your cabinet design according to the plans that you have set and the imperfections that you have found is an essential step in getting a professional look to your cabinetry. Now that you have found all of the small nuances to consider in the design, you need someone who can actually build according to the things that you have found. This requires a steady hand that only a professional designer has the time to cultivate.
Finishing
The finishing process is the final step in your cabinet installation. Your finish is what will make your cabinets look and feel like the ideals that you see in design magazines. This is a step that is separate and distinct from the building process, and it requires another type of expertise. If your designer does not have finishing experience, he will probably have access to someone who does. As a matter of fact, these two professions often work together. If you pick a duo who work together often, you will get the best final design.
The custom cabinetry and millwork from Kitchen Art Design is designed to deliver best-in-class projects on time and on budget, without any hassle, and we have done this for 40 years!
We’ve been around for long enough to know what questions to ask about cabinets, partnering with leading designers and contractors to get the job done right. We operate strictly under three foundational elements – integrity, quality and transparency. That means being upfront about the details that matter most, and sticking to our estimates.
Our work is upholding your reputation. We do whatever it takes to deliver the look that you are known for. We stand by our cabinet work, offering a limited lifetime warranty on our products for your peace of mind. Give us a call today.