Custom built-ins and cabinetry
Built-ins and custom cabinetry should look original to the house. Apperals Custom Woodwork builds bookcases, media walls, window seats, mudroom benches and storage fitted to the room and finished to match its trim, for homes in Deerfield Beach, Parkland, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton.
- Pieces
- Bookcases, media walls, window seats, desks, mudroom benches, closet storage
- Materials
- Cabinet-grade plywood, MDF for paint, solid hardwood faces and trim
- Finish
- Painted to match the trim, or stained
- Fit
- Scribed to walls, floors and ceilings that are rarely straight
- Where
- Jupiter to Miami, from our base in Deerfield Beach
Built-ins are finish carpentry that holds things. A bookcase, window seat or media wall should carry the same crown, baseboard and casing as the room around it. That is the difference from a box bought off a showroom floor.
There are no cabinetry photos on this site yet. The photo at the top shows one of our white coffered ceilings above built-in shelving, a room where ceiling and storage were planned together. Call us to talk through the piece you have in mind.
What we build
- bookcases and library walls
- media walls with closed storage below
- window seats and banquettes
- desks and office walls
- mudroom benches and lockers
- closet shelving and storage
How a built-in comes together
- Measure. Walls, floors and ceilings are rarely square. We record where, by how much, and where outlets, vents and switches sit.
- Draw. Shelf spacing, door and drawer sizes and trim profiles are set on paper before any cut.
- Build the boxes. Carcasses are built square, then set level on a base that absorbs the floor’s dips.
- Scribe and trim. Filler strips and trim are cut to the actual wall, so no gap shows.
- Finish. Painted to the trim color, or stained, with doors and hardware adjusted last.
Paint grade or stain grade
Most built-ins are painted to match the trim, so MDF panels and poplar frames work: the finish hides the grain and the joints get filled. Stain grade shows every face, so the boxes are veneered plywood, the edges are solid stock of the same species, and joints must close tight without filler. It costs more and takes more time.
Built-ins under a wood ceiling
A library or media wall often shares a room with a coffered or planked ceiling. Built together, the top of the cabinet can align with a beam line or coffer edge, and the crown can carry into the ceiling trim.
Humidity and materials
South Florida air works against cabinets. Wide solid panels can warp, and raw MDF swells if it gets wet. Every face gets sealed: plywood for structure, MDF for painted doors and panels indoors, solid hardwood for face frames and edges that take wear.
Cost
Door and drawer count, hardware, interior lighting, finish and scribing all change the number as much as size does. We quote once we have seen the wall the piece will go on. If the room also needs a ceiling, see our wood ceilings.
Quote for custom cabinetry and built-ins
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Questions we hear
What is the difference between built-ins and custom cabinetry?
Built-ins are fixed to the house and finished as part of the room, like a bookcase that runs into the crown. Custom cabinetry is made to your sizes but can be a freestanding box. Living rooms, libraries and offices usually get built-ins.
Is MDF or plywood better for built-ins in Florida?
Plywood is stronger and holds screws better, so it goes into boxes and shelves that carry weight. MDF stays flat and takes paint smoothly, so it suits painted doors and panels in air-conditioned rooms. Both should be sealed on every face.
Can built-ins be matched to the existing trim?
Yes. Matching the crown, baseboard and casing profiles is most of what makes a built-in look original to the house, so those profiles are part of the design from the start.
How much do custom built-ins cost?
It depends on size, materials, door and drawer count, hardware and finish. A run of open shelves costs far less than a media wall with doors, drawers and lighting. Each piece is priced on its own once we have seen the room.
Cabinetry by city
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