How we build our cabinets
Fully custom plywood cabinets, drawn in KCD, CNC-cut, assembled and sprayed in our Concord, California shop, and delivered fully assembled. Here is exactly what goes into every box.
From drawing to delivered box
1. Drawn in KCD
Every job is drawn in KCD from your plans or your design brief, producing shop drawings and renderings. We review them with you on a video call before anything is cut.
2. Cut on a CNC
Parts are cut on a CNC from the approved drawings, to your measurements in 1/16-inch steps. The thirtieth box in a kitchen is cut exactly like the first.
3. Assembled and checked in the shop
Boxes are assembled, squared and checked in our Concord shop, with drawers built and fitted and hinges installed.
4. Finished in our own spray room
Paint and stain are sprayed in our shop, not brushed or rolled on site, so the finish is even and cured before it reaches your home.
5. Delivered fully assembled
Every cabinet arrives built, labeled to the shop drawings and wrapped, ready to set and fix. No flat-pack, no assembly on site.
Frameless cabinets
Frameless, or full-access, cabinets have no face frame: the doors cover the box edge, and the interior opens fully. Every frameless box is 3/4-inch 9-ply plywood.
| Part | Specification |
|---|---|
| Top, bottom and sides | 3/4-inch 9-ply plywood |
| Back | 3/4-inch 9-ply plywood |
| Shelves | 3/4-inch 9-ply plywood |
| Edges | Matching wood edge band, matched to the box interior |
| Fasteners | 1 1/2-inch crown staples and 1 5/8-inch construction screws |
| Part | Specification |
|---|---|
| Sides and bottom | 3/4-inch 9-ply plywood |
| Back | 3/4-inch 9-ply plywood |
| Stretchers | 3/4-inch, for support |
| Shelves | 3/4-inch 9-ply plywood |
| Drawers | Dovetailed, with 5/8-inch solid hardwood sides, front and back and a 1/4-inch veneered bottom, on concealed undermount full-extension guides with integral soft close |
| Edges | Matching wood edge band, matched to the box interior |
| Fasteners | 1 1/2-inch crown staples and 1 5/8-inch construction screws |
More detail on our frameless cabinet construction page.
Framed and inset cabinets
Framed cabinets have a solid face frame on the front of the box; inset doors sit flush inside it. Framed boxes are 1/2-inch 9-ply plywood behind the face frame, with 3/4-inch available as an upgrade.
| Part | Specification |
|---|---|
| Top, bottom and sides | 1/2-inch 9-ply plywood |
| Back | 1/2-inch full back, 9-ply plywood |
| Shelves | 3/4-inch 9-ply plywood with edge-banded fronts |
| Front | Solid face frame |
| Fasteners | 1 1/2-inch crown staples and 1 5/8-inch construction screws |
| Part | Specification |
|---|---|
| Sides and bottom | 1/2-inch 9-ply plywood |
| Back | 1/2-inch 9-ply plywood |
| Stretchers | 1/2-inch, for support |
| Shelves | 3/4-inch 9-ply plywood with edge-banded fronts |
| Drawers | Dovetailed, with 5/8-inch solid hardwood sides, front and back and a 1/4-inch veneered bottom, on concealed undermount full-extension guides with integral soft close |
| Front | Solid face frame |
| Fasteners | 1 1/2-inch crown staples and 1 5/8-inch construction screws |
More detail on our framed cabinet construction page.
Standard on every order
Plywood, never particle board
9-ply plywood boxes: 3/4-inch on frameless, 1/2-inch behind a solid face frame on framed, with 3/4-inch available.
Dovetailed drawers
5/8-inch solid hardwood dovetailed drawer boxes on full-extension soft-close guides, plus soft-close hinges.
Built to the room
Cut to your measurements in 1/16-inch steps, with no filler strips, and backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
What this means on site
- No assembly. Boxes arrive glued, squared and fastened, with drawers fitted and hinges on.
- No finishing. The finish is sprayed and cured in our shop before delivery.
- No guesswork. Every cabinet is labeled against the shop drawings.
- No filler strips. Runs are sized to the wall they sit on.
Questions
Are your cabinets plywood or particle board? Plywood. Every box is 9-ply plywood: 3/4-inch on frameless, and 1/2-inch behind a solid face frame on framed, with 3/4-inch available.
What are the drawers made of? Dovetailed boxes with 5/8-inch solid hardwood sides, front and back and a 1/4-inch veneered bottom, on concealed undermount full-extension guides with integral soft close.
How are the boxes held together? With 1 1/2-inch crown staples and 1 5/8-inch construction screws, on frameless and framed alike.
Where is the finish applied? Sprayed in our Concord shop, not on site.
Do the cabinets arrive assembled? Yes. Every cabinet arrives fully assembled, labeled to the shop drawings and wrapped, anywhere in the continental United States.
Working on a trade job? See our pages for contractors and designers.
Send us your plans
We’ll come back with drawings and a fixed price.