SemiHandmade
Emily Oster
Working in the residential design industry, I have learned how beautiful and expensive custom cabinetry can be (like WOW). And while I am a big supporter of investing in quality materials and design elements in your home, the price of a custom cabinetry just makes it not feasible for most people. That is why I think the concept behind SemiHandmade is so amazing. SemiHandmade uses the boxes or cabinet fames from IKEA and creates custom door fronts and drawers drilled to fit. This short and informative video explains how it works.
Essentially, you design the cabinetry layout you want using IKEA's software then you send your plans to SemiHandmade and they use the scheme to create a custom kitchen, closet, bathroom etc. for you. The cabinets take about 7-8 weeks once a deposit is received and ship UPS ground.
SemiHandmade's doors are veneer and they offer roughly 21 material choices organized into 4 different price categories. The website indicates that most of their customers spend between $5,000 to $10,000 on their custom doors. Add this to a typical cost of IKEA boxes and hardware - $1,000 to $3,000 - and installation - $1500 to $2500 - and the all in range is $8,000 - $15,000. While this is still a lot of money, its about 30-40% off a typical custom project. Below are some examples of their completed projects - I think they look so good and totally custom!