Not by using them but by knowing them.....I know several custom cabinet makers in NYC. I own a custom cabinet company in NJ and am friends with a couple of very reputable guys who own shops in and around NY.

I am also about to do a kitchen remodel on a small Manhattan galley kitchen and cannot decide between European or custom cabinets. I want the modern European look in wood. I would also welcome suggestions of excellent custom kitchen cabinet maker/installers in New York City who do work in the modern idiom. Kitchendesigner, how can I get the suggestion from you?

how about Henrybuilt?

histokitch said what I was going to say.

Henrybuilt would fit your yen for contemporary modern as well as custom. They have a showroom in Soho where you could check out their cabinets and their furniture. Beautiful stuff. Last I heard their manufacturing facility was still in Seattle however. But they certainly are otherwise local to you.

".........how can I get the suggestion from you?......."

I don't want to break any forum rules by posting business contact info. If you can post up your emails I would be more than happy to forward you the contact information of the companies.Or is there something/somewhere on the site where I can send a Private message or send emails?

I should have realized that cabinet makers specialize in certain styles. To make it easier for people to post suggestions on NYC custom cabinet makers, I am particularly interested in a more traditional style, such as Shaker.

Looking at this forum, it seems that some people like "Plain & Fancy" custom cabinets, so I'll probably investigate them when the time comes. Thanks.

I think in other parts of the country, custom cabinets can be a way to save money. But from what I have seen, custom cabinet shops charge WELL more than what comprable custom cabinet companies in other parts of the country cost. Worth shopping around but I am generally floored at what custom woodworking costs here - even for the most minor jobs.

You might also want to check out Crown Point. They are based in New Hampshire, so not SO far away from you. I liked my kitchen cabinets so much, I have also ordered some bathroom cabinets from them as well. They are very easy to work with, and the quality is top notch.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crown Point cabinets

"I am generally floored at what custom woodworking costs here - even for the most minor jobs."

It's the cost of doing business in NY. Parking tickets are expensive, traffic to get from point a to b is brutal. If you live in a brownstone, you can probably afford it. It can sometimes take 3 hours travel and add time involved for estimates for a small job. Who should pay for the convience of someone showing up? And there are not many lumber yards in NY so factor in that travel time as well. Sorry, but I do custom in the city in a different field and in my experience some people want custom but think they should get it at mass market prices.

You might want to try Knight Kitchens up in Vermont. They make custom cabinets and the pricing is pretty competative. Try www.knightkitchens.com

softfurn, the cost of doing busines in NY for all the reasons you cite results in a price premium for many (most) things - that's not news and we who live here are very familiar with it. However, custom cabinetry prices far exceed that.

If you live in a brownstone, you can probably afford it. . Right there is a big problem. I understand premium pricing based on value. It's the premium pricing based on the perception that I can afford it based on my address that's offensive. I don't expect mass market pricing but I think I should get it at a fair price and I'm unwilling to pay for attitude.

Relatives of mine had custom cabinets made by Piros, in Astoria.

They had laminate slab doors. But they're beautifully and sturdily made.

The folks at Piros order their doors from somewhere else, and his portfolio (I considered him for my kitchen, and often wish I'd gone w/ hime) included a lot of laminate doors, but a few others as well.

They don't do the kind of incredible finish that folks think of w/ custom cabinets. But they do a really nice job, in custom sizes.

Their prices are pretty good as well; they were about $6,000 for my 8x11 kitchen (w/ lots of doors) about 3 years ago, which was about the same price as my cabinets from the place that bragged about "wholesale pricing."

Thanks to everyone who posted for these leads.