There are disadvantages to "local custom cabinetmakers" and there are disadvantages to "corporate" cabinetmakers. There are advantages to "local custom cabinetmakers" and there are advantages to "corporate" cabinetmakers. It's all in what you want, etc. Do your research regardless of the route you go. (Taken from one of my posts on a thread from earlier this month.) Just a word of caution..."local (custom) cabinetmaker" is thrown around here a lot with the implication they are all superior to or at least as good the various cabinet manufacturers. Some may be, but there is no guarantee. "Local custom cabinetmaker" does not necessarily equate to "high quality" or "low cost". There are many very good custom cabinetmakers out there, but there are many not-so-good ones as well. Just b/c someone is a "custom cabinetmaker" does not make him/her a good cabinetmaker. And, it's not just their skill at cabinetry...how are their business skills? E.g., How are they at meeting schedules? Do they stay within the cost they quote you? How do they deal with issues? What is their warranty? What recourse do you have if they drop the ball? Sometimes you can go "over the heads" of people at cabinet stores or even go to the manufacturer (at least for warranty issues), but you might not have that option with a local cabinetmaker. If you go this route, be very diligent in your research: Contact several recent references, including at least one who had problems so you can see how s/he handled those problems. Ask about: How were they at keeping to the schedule they promised? Did they stick pretty close to the cost estimate they gave them (no hidden fees, undeclared upgrades, etc.)? Did they let them see a sample of their cabinet door w/finish for approval of the finish, quality, etc. prior to completing the entire order? How did they handle construction issues? How did they handle installation issues? Contact several not-so-recent references, ask them how their cabinets are holding up (joints, face frames, drawers, doors, finish, etc.). Try for some at least 5 years old and at least 10 years old. See actual installed kitchens with the same type of cabinets & finish you are looking for: Type: frameless, framed overlay (partial or full), inset Wood species: cherry, maple, alder, oak, etc. Finish: stained, glazed, painted Look at their construction details: Wall thicknesses, box material (plywood, MDF, etc.), interior finishes, box construction (joining, etc.), drawer construction, shelving, etc. What is their warranty on their products? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? Lifetime? Do they have a kitchen designer they work with or does the cabinetmaker do the designing? Are they open to working with you as a designer or with a kitchen designer you hire separate from them? [You really should work with a good designer to catch the "details" that might be missed by you and/or us (most of us are not pros)] ...

Please forgive my confusion, but did you or a professional woodworker estimate that the desk could be built for $500? Here's my take, as a working carpenter and sometimes furniture maker. In any wood, $500 is extremely low. Off the top of my head, here are a few of the tasks involved in such a job (and I'm sure I've forgotten some). You can guess at how long they take, but note that vehicle time isn't free. - meet client to find out what they want - produce working drawings and budget - show drawings, budget to client and get signoff *now, some would argue that the steps above are part of a 'free' estimate. I've done it for free; I just know that the cost of those activities ends up on someone's bill eventually. - buy lumber -- about 30 bf @$4/(take time at the yard to find nice boards) - mill lumber to close thickness/width/length - glue up tabletop (jointing/biscuiting/gluing/clamping) - cut remaining stock to finish width/thickness - mortise legs; shape legs if not rectangular - tenon aprons - build drawer wasn't included in this exercise, but if it got built, it would also need to be fitted and hardware-d - tabletop out of clamps, cut to final size and smoothed - assemble legs and aprons - attach tabletop - final sand; no finishing - deliver to client For the non-free tasks, I guessed 22 hours, and I always guess low. Which brings us to our final task: - pick up cheque for $500 ($120 for cheap hardwood; $380 for labor @$17/hr) - then, after hands are shaken, go to the accounts shoebox and deduct taxes on that $380; pay various overheads; pay for the cost of the machinery used in the production; pay for the vehicle; pay for consumables in the shop like sawblades... Then, realize that the net wage for that job was about $10/hr.

Have you talked to Heartwood Design? They are in Afton, not too far from you. We are in Lynchburg and they readily traveled to us. I know they have completed work in the No. Va/MD/Washingon, DC areas. I cannot recommend them highly enough - craftsmanship, expertise in design, worked with me on my budget and my dream. After a year of using my kitchen, I would not change a thing and the quality of our cabinets will last a lifetime. Good luck with your project! Also, feel free to email me if you have specific questions. Here is a link that might be useful: Heartwood Design

The kitchen shop I dealt with had designers, too. It also had two different companies, each with cabinets at two different price levels. I had innumerable meetings with the owner/designer. He came out to my house and took measurements. Then I paid him $1000 for a design and a detailed bid (I had a good ballpark figure already). For that money, I now owned the design and could take it anywhere, with all the specs as well. If I chose to go with this company, the $1000 would be credited toward my purchase. That is what actually happened. I had considered using a local cabinet maker and might have saved some money, but I didn't for various reasons. First, he was a flake - constantly losing his cell phone, not showing up for appointments. Second, he was strictly a cabinet maker - I would have had to hire someone else for demo of the existing kitchen and installation of the new cabinets. I was already hiring someone to remove the soffits (I wanted it done before the demo - needed to find out what was up there and wanted the final demo/installation to be done in as short a period of time as possible). I had also hired someone to install a new ceiling and paint it, and a painter to paint all the woodwork and walls. I had all this done ahead of time. I had put new lighting in 12 years before, and the same handyman came back and removed the under cabinet lighting and later reinstalled it. He also added one more pot light in the ceiling and dealt with the electrical stuff that was revealed when the soffit was removed. So, I needed a company that would do the rest. I used Shiloh cabinets and 18 months later, could not be happier. They are Shaker, painted in Repose Gray. They're wonderful and I'm thrilled with my kitchen! If budget is a big concern (is usually is!), then nix the wood hood and go with a simple stainless one from Vent-a-Hood. It will be far easier to keep clean and cost about half what the wood one does.