Our Process (Simple Overview)
- On-Site Conversation & Early Direction
We meet in your space to understand layout, function, and goals. This is where we establish initial direction and rough budget expectations. - Design & Scope Development (If We Move Forward)
If we mutually decide it’s a good fit, we enter a structured design phase where layout, materials, cabinetry details, and pricing are refined into a clear build plan.
A design fee applies and is credited toward the project if you proceed. - Fabrication & Installation
Projects are coordinated, built, and installed with careful attention to fit, alignment, and finish quality.
A Simple Process
We’re a small, two person shop located in Sisters, Oregon. We love what we do and where we do it.
We keep things simple by offering what we think is the best balance of cost, function, and beauty.
Here are the ways we simplify the process.
All our cabinet carcasses are made from a NAF (No Added Formaldehyde), Maple veneer plywood that’s pre-finished on both sides, regionally made in Klamath Falls, Oregon. It costs more than particle board, but the quality is worth it and we only have to stock one type of carcass plywood.
All our drawer slides are Blum full-extension, soft-close, undermount drawer slides. They can handle a hefty amount of weight (100lbs for standard slides and up to 170lbs for heavy duty slides). Drawers can be made 36″ wide using standard slides and up to 53″ wide openings using stabilizers. If designed thoughtfully, this can decrease the number of total cabinets and reduce cost. This far exceeds the functionality and capacity of other available slide options for roughly $10 more per slide. It’s worth it.
Here’s an image of a queen bed we built using Blum drawer slides with stabilizers. My wife hid in the drawer and it still slid smoothly to full extension and back. They can definitely handle all the pantry goods you can think of.
Our doors are all soft-close and installed with Blum hinges with 3 way adjustability to get that crisp reveal just right.
We offer a curated selection of doors as shown on our Home page. We can make variations to these doors so don’t be afraid to show us what you have in mind. We’ll see what we can create. In the paid design phase, we offer a sample door kit with six color swatches and the final sample door so you can feel confident about what you’re getting. More on that below.
All drawers have prefinished sides made of solid wood (Western Poplar). Standard drawers have 1/4″ prefinished maple plywood bottoms. Oversized and heavy duty drawers are upgraded to 1/2″ prefinished maple bottoms. We do not offer dovetailed drawers.
We offer both frameless and framed cabinets but we do not offer inset cabinets. We primarily push for frameless cabinets because we believe they maximize storage space and aesthetically very pleasing. Whereas, framed cabinets have a more traditional look and a more durable edge because the frame is solid stock wood instead of edge banding.
Here’s two images of a framed cabinet. You can see how the doors are set on a “frame” of solid wood. We built these cabinets to match an existing kitchen. Note that the corners of the cabinet are solid wood – Maple in this case.
Here’s two images of vanities we built using frameless cabinets. Because there’s no frame, the grain of the flush panel doors line up beautifully and the reveals line up in a pleasing way. Also note how the drawers and storage space is maximized because the frame doesn’t infringe on the width and height of the drawer space. However, the end panels are edge banded which is not as durable as the frame of a framed cabinet. We can offer a hybrid approach where the cabinets are frameless but the end panels are either a panel of solid wood or have a glued-on edge of solid wood (>1/2″ thick).
We offer solid wood countertops made of Maple or Dark Walnut. Here’s what a Maple countertop looks like on one of our built-in desks. Note that here the seams of the bookshelves are finished with a 1/2″ thick strip of solid Maple, exemplifying the hybrid approach of using frameless cabinets with solid stock edging.
Here’s a rundown of our process to see if we’re a good fit for your home.
1. Conversation & Early Concept
We start with a free conversation about your space, goals, style, and how you want the kitchen or cabinetry to function day to day.
To start with, I’ll create early visual concepts using AI-assisted renderings.
Send us photos of your existing space from multiple angles in good lighting. Provide images of a general style you like, such as “Scandinavian” or “Mountain Modern” or feel free to get very specific. Design fatigue is real; I like to make design choices starting from the heaviest and hardest to change elements and go from there. For example, I’ll pick out a countertop material, sink and backsplash. Next I’ll pick out appliances (can be a specific model or as generic as “matching stainless appliances”), cabinet door styles, and flooring. I consider wall paint, plumbing and lighting fixtures far easier to change so I’ll pick them last. Don’t feel compelled to make every design decision now. Pick out a few parts that resonate with you now, and we’ll see how they feel when they’re combined and overlaid on your existing kitchen.
The AI rendering is limited to using your existing layout, unless you already have a 3D model of the cabinets and layout you want built. One round of iterative changes is included until we move into the paid design phase.
This process helps quickly clarify direction—layout ideas, materials, and cabinet styles—along with a rough budget range to determine whether it makes sense to move forward.
This stage is about alignment, not final design.
2. Design & Scope Development
If we mutually decide we’re a good fit, we will move into the paid design phase. A design fee is applied and credited toward the project if you move forward with fabrication and installation. Here’s what our design phase process looks like.
We take a digital scan of the space using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to capture the room dimensions and window locations. We verify the dimensions with laser tape measures. We take pre-construction photos to reference from the office. All of this upfront digital work minimizes back and forth trips to the site to verify measurements, saving us both time and money.
Once we have a digital representation of the space(s), we build 3D digital cabinets using SketchUp Pro. We output several angles of the cabinetry and make photo-realistic renderings using your selected door style and appliances.
We pick out one door style to fully finish in a 9″ x 12″ size accompanied by six 4″ x 6″ sample chips from our curated set of paints and wood grain patterns.
Once you’re ready to preview your final look, we’ll select all the custom details (door style, color, edge profiles, hardware holes, and more) so you can see what your final cabinets will look like. Importantly, this will also get us one step closer to a more accurate project scope and cost so you can confidently transition into fabrication and installation.
3. Final Selections & Production Prep
Once the design is finalized, all details are locked in—cabinet dimensions, materials, hardware, finishes, and appliance integration.
From here, the project moves into production planning and scheduling. Every component is prepared with precision to ensure a smooth transition into fabrication and installation.
4. Fabrication & Installation
Cabinetry is built in-house, and we handle installation ourselves rather than subcontracting it out. This allows for tighter quality control and ensures the cabinetry is carefully fitted on site.
All elements are scribed and adjusted to the space so the final result feels built-in, intentional, and precise. We love a good scribe and here are some examples of our work.
5. Final Walkthrough
Before completion, we walk through the finished project together to ensure every detail meets expectations. Any final adjustments are handled carefully, so the space feels complete and fully resolved.
Every project starts with a conversation. We’re excited to help you understand what’s possible and whether or not we’re the right fit.