One of the most interesting parts of my career as a cabinet maker is meeting people and listening to their ideas. This is how each project starts. It helps when they bring me drawings, pictures, ideas, and some rough measurements of what they would like.

I talk with them about the type of wood they want, if they have existing cabinets to match, the hardware they like, and how they plan to use the cabinets. This helps me to come up with a basic cost estimate.

Before I actually start building, I make a visit, to make sure the measurements are right, and that everything will work as planned.

Although I usually work with kiln-dried walnut, oak, alder, hickory and cherry wood, I do have access to more exotic woods if that’s what a customer wants, and I can use wood that the customer supplies.

I spend time to pick wood that has matching grain and colors, and I can also stain and finish to match any existing décor or wood the customer has. I also do painted cabinets, and match any color.

Our final finish is a conversion varnish, which is a high quality lacquer finish that is very smooth, durable and easy to clean.

After the design process is finished and I get approval from the customer, it’s time to start building. I build each cabinet like it is for my own home. I really want my customers to be happy with the cabinets I make for them.

Building frames and doors, fitting any inserts the customer ordered, creating stains to match, all these are part of my building process. I also make sure all the parts fit correctly, sand until surfaces are perfectly smooth, and test all the moving parts.

Even though it takes up to a month to build an average kitchen, I take time to do it right. Cutting corners is just not the way I do things.

The kind of cabinets I build are as different as my customers. Since each job is totally custom, I don’t have any stock sizes. I measure the space and make cabinets that fit without using any fillers.

What I create depends on the needs of each customer. I do mostly kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and other built-in cabinetry, but each cabinet unit is designed to fill a need. I can get nearly any type of insert you might want, from plate storage and spice racks, to tray storage and trash can holders.

To sum it up, I try to build cabinets that make my customers proud to own them.

Of course I would like to work for everyone, but listed below are the areas I normally cover:

     West – to Lake Michigan

     South – to Grand Rapids, MI

     East – to Lansing, MI

     North – to Traverse City, MI

If you are outside these areas, please contact me anyway! It might cost some extra for travel, shipping and installation, but I would appreciate the chance to see what you have in mind.

-Yost Schrock