Carpentry Life

Greetings,

My name is Ryan. I have been a carpenter since, well, I was a kid really. There was no guidance, tutorial or education by any formal means.

I am a custom cabinetmaker specializing in a variety of custom cabinetry related projects. My company is called Cherrywood Custom Woodworking, out of Crestwood, KY. The following is an introduction to all the information you need to know about your custom cabinetry project.

TYPES of PROJECTS
Due to the custom nature of our operation, our project opportunities and cabinetry solutions are virtually endless. We can do anything from

• custom entertainment centers,
• custom built-ins,
• custom kitchen islands,
• custom built-in cabinetry,
• custom laundry workstations,
• custom closets,
• custom home offices,
• custom desks,
• custom mantles,
• custom fireplace cabinets,
• custom woodworking,
• furniture refinishing,
• kitchen cabinet refinishing,
• cabinet repair
• and other custom cabinetry related projects.

DESIGN
Our first responsibility is to help our clients with the design of their custom cabinetry projects for their homes or businesses. This is the most important phase of the entire process and requires the largest deal of client input. In other words, we need your help with reading your mind. The best visual aid our customers can provide is at least a pencil sketch of the project concept. This is the base of the design. Other helpful aids are images and links from search engines and social media such as Pinterest and Houzz. We will talk about the type of materials, finish, colors, etc.

BUDGET
The range of project options is endless. Like the price of diamonds varies based on the number of carats and the weight of the stone, wood cabinets and furniture are priced based on the type and quality of the wood used, whether painted or stained, the type of finish, and more. Thus, it is not important for you to have ever purchased a custom product or service, but rather how much you wish to spend. Just as it is important for the jeweler to know how much your wish to spend for your wedding ring, it is important that custom service and product professionals know a budget, or range, that you wish to spend for your project so they can provide you with options that fit your budget. It is not reasonable for the custom cabinetmaker to give you a price for a solid walnut cabinet at a high and undesired price, when they could have provided another comparable option at a lower cost within your budget.

MATERIAL OPTIONS
In a nutshell, cabinets can come in a few different options based on your desire outcome and budget. Let’s keep it easy and call low, mid-grade, high grade, and premium grade. Each of the following categories summarize the most common options per grade.

• CASEWORK
  • Medium Density Fiberboard a.k.a. MDF (low/paint grade)
  • Melamine (mid-grade, low-maintenance)
  • Decorative Hardwood Plywood (high paint and stain grade)
  • Solid Wood (Premium)
• FRAME WORK
  • All frame work is of solid wood. We strive to acquire all of our raw material from the same source and lot. For example, all doors and drawer fronts, face frame and moldings will be made from the same material from the same stock availability from the supplier.
• DOORS AND DRAWER FRONTS
  • Medium Density Fiberboard a.k.a. MDF (low/paint grade)
  • Melamine (mid-grade, low-maintenance)
  • Decorative Hardwood Plywood (high paint and stain grade)
  • Solid Wood (Premium)
• HARDWARE
  • HINGES
  • SLIDES
    • Euro (we do not use the slides)
    • Ball bearing (standard and soft-close)
    • Concealed, Undermount (soft-close)
  • DOOR PULLS are to be purchased and selected by customer
• FINISH
  • Depending of the project, we do the majority of finish in the paint shop. We try to do as little finishing on site so that your custom cabinetry can be used immediately after installation, but we always recommend wiating at least a few days.
  • Paints– We have our preferences, but we will work with whatever paint vendor and type you want
    • Water-based paints offer the most user friendly option. Although not as smooth and durable as lacquer, water-based finish allows the homeowner to touch up, apply fresh maintenance coats or easily change the color.
    • Oil-based or Alkyd paints, we rarely use. Ideally, the cabinets and components are primed and made ready to paint after install.
  • Stains– Our preferred stain brand is M.L. Campbell.
  • Clear Coats– Clear coats come in a wide variety of options and alternatives. We use mostly Low VOC as well as H.A.P.s-free finish products.
    • V.O.C.- Volatile Organic Compounds- Visit the EPA on V.O.C.s for a detailed explanation of what they are
    • H.A.P.s- EPA on Hazardous Air Pollutants

FABRICATION
Depending on the project, the majority of fabrication and assembly is done in the workshop. These parts of the process aid in friendly installation. There are aspects of our installation that require the making of additional sawdust.

SHIPPING & DELIVERY
We deliver our products ourselves locally.

INSTALLATION
During installation, we respect that your property is often being used during installation. Therefore, we are careful to keep our work area clean, our dust contained, our trash collected and our tools confined. Your safety during our operation on your property is of the highest importance. We pay more attention to your pets when they are not under our feet. We maintain a vigilant awareness of your children’s presence. We our own tools and will not use yours.

SERVICE AREAS
The following areas are where we strongly focus the majority of our business, but depending on the scope and size of the project, we may go further, ideally within a 50 mile radius of Crestwood, KY.

• Oldham County, KY
  • La Grange, KY
  • Crestwood, KY
  • Pewee Valley, KY
  • Prospect, KY
  • Goshen, KY
• Louisville, KY
  • Prospect, KY
  • Anchorage, KY
  • St. Matthews, KY
  • Middletown, KY
  • Clifton Park, KY
  • Cherokee Park, KY
  • Highlands, KY
  • Downtown Louisville
  • Old Louisville
  • Fisherville, KY
  • Jeffersontown, KY
  • Glenview
  • Lake Forest
  • Lyndon, KY
  • Ten Broeke
• Southern Indiana

HOW TO GET A RESPONSE FROM US
This is very important. Very simply, please leave a message, text us, email us, message us on Facebook, use the contact form here or on our Contact Us. All messages are secure and go directly to the owner. Ryan will contact you at his earliest convenience.

We spend our time working on projects, your custom cabinetry projects. Due to the ever-growing and ridiculously abundant amount of robocalls, phishing scams, ruthless “charity” groups, advertisers, unscrupulous entities who waste our time and attempt to steal our earnings, we strive to maintain focus on serious prospects and paying customers when we have an opportunity. Ours are the hands which operate the machinery and without them, we cannot deliver the excellence you desire. Safety is paramount. Therefore, it is our policy to keep our phones off during working hours.

About Ryan
Cabinet designer, cabinetmaker, finisher, installer by trade, by profession and by enjoyment. Focus in the Kentuckiana region. I serve those who value 3-d functional, hand-crafted, artistic, custom cabinetry. The importance of creative thought and execution is top of mind. This craft is truly perfect for the mind of a perfectionist. I always strive for perfection, although I have the perfect realization that perfection is perfectly unattainable, no matter how perfect and precise, I will settle for perfect Excellence. You can see some of my designs and work on my website at CustomBuilt-InCabinets.com. On Facebook at CherrywoodCustom.

I have become a master of DIY projects, yet there is always something more to learn and bring to the table. Home improvement and repair is not rocket science, but there are rules and methods and tricks of the trade.

I am a real person, not just the monitor you are glazing into. Say hello; I love the attention!

Top three words I try hard to live by: Integrity, Appreciation, Reputation.

Truly,
Ryan Bruzan
“Quality is not perfection, but it is the primary characteristic of excellence!”