Why custom cabinetry makes such a difference

The main advantage is that you can make much better use of the space. When you are working with modular sizes, you often end up with sill panels, voids or awkward bits of wasted space. With custom cabinetry, you can reduce that and give the customer as much working storage and workable space as possible.

It also means the storage can be designed around how you actually live. So if there are certain items that you use all the time, the cabinetry can be built to suit them. For example, if you use tall tumblers all the time and they are 15 centimetres tall, you can make sure they are going to fit properly inside the drawer, rather than hoping a standard drawer depth works.

That is the difference. It is not just custom for the sake of sounding fancy. It is custom so the kitchen is easier to use, more functional and more suited to the people who are actually living with it.

How is custom cabinetry made?

It generally starts in the showroom. That is where you run through the different products available and get a feel for what you are looking for, whether that is laminate or 2pack doors, different benchtop materials, handles or handleless options. That part is really important because it helps line the project up with your style and your budget before the design work starts.

From there, there is an in-home design consultation and measure up. The space gets measured properly, the walls are checked, and the layout gets worked through based on what you want in the kitchen and how you want it to function. Then the kitchen is designed in CAD and quoted. After that, you come back in and the design can be run through with you in more detail, including showing you what it is going to look like in 3D.

Once everything is approved, the cabinetry is built to order. MKN uses Australian-made board for the carcasses, and the pieces are cut with specialised machinery to millimetre accuracy. That is a big part of why the fit and finish is so good. The carcasses are then put together in the factory, and the project managers go through all of the finer details before the kitchen goes into production, right down to things like which way each door is hinged, where the handles are going and where the adjustable shelving needs to be.

The kitchens are also checked through the manufacturing process, and staged before delivery so everything can be assessed before it goes out for installation. That way, anything missing or incorrect can be picked up before it arrives on site.

What can actually be customised?

Pretty much every part of the cabinetry can be customised. The obvious one is size, but it is not just about cabinet width. You are also choosing the layout, the door style, the finish, the storage configuration, the hardware and the overall look of the kitchen.

If you want a flat door, you might go with laminate. Laminate comes in a big range of colours and finishes, including matte, semi-gloss, high-gloss and timber look finishes. If you want a routed door, whether that is Hamptons, shaker or VJ, that would usually be done in 2pack. 2pack is a hard wearing painted finish, and it can be colour matched as well.

Then there is the internal side of it. Drawers can be sized to suit what you want to store. Pantry storage can be made more usable. Little details like oil and bottle pull-outs, inner drawers, appliance areas and other storage solutions can all be worked into the design depending on the space and the way you use the kitchen.

Custom cabinetry vs flat pack or modular kitchens

The biggest difference is that flat pack and modular kitchens are built around set sizes. That means the design has to work within those standard measurements. With custom cabinetry, the cabinetry is built to suit the room.

That becomes especially important in older homes or in spaces that are not perfectly straightforward. Walls are not always square. Room sizes are not always neat. Sometimes you have odd corners, unusual bulkheads or other little quirks. With custom cabinetry, you can build to suit the actual shape of the room rather than trying to force pre-set units into it.

It also means you usually get a cleaner overall result, because you are not relying on as many filler pieces to make everything work.

The materials and hardware matter too

Custom cabinetry is not just about getting the size right. It is also about what the kitchen is made from and how it performs over time.

MKN uses Australian-made board for the cabinetry, which is built to order. That matters not just from a quality point of view, but also because imported board can sometimes have that chemical smell to it when it is first installed. We find Australian board avoids that.

For hardware, MKN uses Blum soft close hinges and Finista Edge runners. The hinges are soft close and designed to hold up properly over time, which is important because hardware is one of the most hardwearing parts of the whole kitchen. If the hinges are poor quality, doors can start to sag and throw out the lines of the kitchen (just think of that ikea tv cabinet door you're always adjusting).

The drawer runners are fully extendable and weight rated to 40 kilos, which means you can access the full drawer space rather than losing that bit at the back. Everything is soft close as standard, both doors and drawers.

Even with laminate doors, the details matter. MKN uses ABS edging, so you do not get that old style peeling laminate look. It is a much harder wearing finish than people often expect.

Who custom cabinetry suits best

Custom cabinetry is a really good option for people who want the kitchen to fit their space properly, look beautifual and function well long term. It suits people with awkward spaces, people who want to get better use out of the room, and people who have specific ideas about style, storage or layout.

It is also a good option if you are renovating for yourself rather than just doing the bare minimum. When you are planning to live with the kitchen for years, those little details around layout, storage and usability matter a lot more.

It really comes down to fit and function

That is really what custom cabinetry is about. It is not just that it looks nice. It is that it is made to suit your space, your storage needs and the way you want to use the kitchen. You are not trying to make standard sizes work. You are building the cabinetry around the home.

And when you do that, you generally end up with a kitchen that feels more considered, more usable and much better fitted to everyday life.

Book a showroom tour at MKN

If you want to see what custom cabinetry could actually look like in your home, the best place to start is by booking a kitchen showroom tour at MKN. We can run through the different finishes, storage ideas and design options with you properly, so you can start working out what is actually going to suit your space and the way you live.