Custom Built ins

Newhere,

I like Ikea cabinets very much but it isn't great for all items. Email me for so me great designers at primerenovations@mac.com. You can see some of their work on my site: www.primerenovationsnyc.com

For custom i would send you to the Little Wolf Cabinet Shop on First Ave & 82nd (approx) You tell them what you want and they will build. I've used them in 2 apts and have been very happy.

Little wolf is very good but they do not do a finish coat, meaning they will make you a piece but then you have to have someone paint it. When it is painted onsite it is a very different finish compared to a custom piece being sprayed or finished with a nice veneer.

Primer, who would you recommend then? I'm really looking for someone who will not break my bank since we did sink in a significant amount buying the place. Thx!!

And primer - just so that I understand - your recommendation is to have the custom built in sprayed and finished with a nice veneer beforehand ?

Ugh. If you're going to pay for custom-built furniture, go the extra 9 yards and use solid hardwood, not dreadful veneers!

Matt, how much does a typical built in media center cost - approx 8.4' x 10'?

I got a quote from a guy who works out his home in one of those Upstate counties of around $8,000 for solid oak. He told me that 90% of the cost is in labor, so my choice of hardwood would have had a negligible effect on the price (unless it was something relatively rare like walnut). What really makes the price skyrocket: doors and drawers. Electrifying it would also not have been a major impact -- BUT -- that's provided he built it in such a way that all he had to do on MY end was plug it in. Integrating it into the electrical system (apparently even just removing the backplate from the socket) would have opened a whole can of worms requiring a licensed electrician, permits, and board approval.

I ended up not using that craftsman, by the way, but not because of quality or price. I just couldn't justify spending $8,000 on something I couldn't take with me if and when I moved. I instead spent $1700 on these really cool shelving systems for my books (http://www.teebooks.com/en/) (they're so minimalist that fully stocked, the books look like they're floating), and for my stereo components, vinyl collection, television, and stupid number of ancillary boxes (all of which, of course, need to be plugged into an electrical socket) I splurged on a solid oak Stickley television credenza and matching vertical audio cabinet. I ended up spending the same amount as I would have for the built-in unit, but these units give me more flexibility in re-arranging the living space and I get to take it all with me if and when I move out. (The bookshelves, by the way, I installed as a double-row up near the ceiling around the perimeter of my entry foyer, giving the space a cozy "library" feel, while giving the living room a more uncluttered and spacious feel.)

how about semi custom from Room and Board - http://www.roomandboard.com/catalog/custom/cabinets-and-bookcases

Wow. Those look pretty sweet. Solid wood. Handcrafted in the USA. Works for me!

It was very thoughtful of Gustav to design a television credenza ... it sounds like the kind of thing Audi would create for the delusionally aspirational.

Alan, don't be a hater.

I'm just saying

Matt, thanks for all your input. Everyone has been so helpful!

Little Wolf on the UES is great for low to mid end. Just don't use their recommended painters.

Newhere,

To answer an earlier question you had a custom piece that is 8' 4 x 10 is around$8,500.- 10,000. It coulsd be cheaper depending on design

If budget is an issue I would look at Gothic, a good value for what they do

And never let the amount your going to spend dictate on whether it should be a built in or something freestanding you can move on to the next place.
In theory, it seems better to pay for something you can move later but in reality, it will not work in either your new place and/or be out of style to sell it 2nd hand.
You dont have to move built ins when you sell.

That being said, Ive been contemplating buying a couple of these.
http://www.loretiarredamenti.it/shop/schedaProdotto.php?idn=76

THey are beautiful in person, but they are pricey.

But when you sell you need to sell with the built-ins. Many a purchase has been rendered an impossibility for me because I despised the built-ins. And getting rid of built-ins isn't so easy, particularly if you have floors you wish to retain.

How does a bookcase go "out of style"?

The same way Formica did.

Many people are making sense in regards to custom millwork but I think it depends on what your plan is. If its your 1st apartment and you are planning on selling in 5 years than I would think twice about it. if you are planning on spending 10 years or more than go all in, whoever buys your apartment will probably gut it anyway