Bookcases & Cabinets For Every Budget

3 Approaches to Custom Looking Cabinets and Bookcases

Built-in bookcases & cabinets are one of the quickest ways of giving your home a high end, custom look as well as adding a lot of functionality They are the icing on the cake. I often get requests from homeowners who want this look, but think they need to have expensive bookcases & cabinets custom made. This is definitely not the case. I want to show you how you can save some money and still get high end looking built-in bookcases and cabinets.

There are 3 basic options you have when approaching a project like this. They are:

  • Standard “off the shelf” kitchen cabinets
  • Ready to assemble (RTA) or “flat pack” kitchen cabinets or bookcases
  • Custom made cabinets

Let’s look at the different Pros and Cons of each type.

Standard Cabinets

These are what you find at your home center store and sometimes at warehouse outlets if you have them in your area. Can often be combined with custom shelving options as shown below.

Cost: $ – $$

White base cabinets with floating shelves above
Standard Cabinets w Floating Shelves
Pros
  • Quick and easy availability
  • They are ready to install
  • Pre-finished. This is huge. Painting cabinets is more time consuming than you might think and it can never match the quality of a factory finish without a lot of extra work.
  • Can be made to look built-in. The use of different styles of trim can give these plain cabinets a truly custom look.
  • Versatile. Different types of cabinets can be configured to not only make great built-in bookcases & cabinets, but they can also be used to make entryway benches, window seats, etc.
Cons
  • Standard sizes can sometimes make it difficult to make them work in your space, however their trim-ability can often make this a non-factor.
  • Limited styles, colors & finishes
  • Cheap construction (particle board cases).

RTA Or “Flat Pack” Cabinets

Cost: $$-$$$

IKEA "Billy Bookcases with doors shown as a built in.
Billy Bookcases w OXBERG Doors

One can’t talk about this option without giving special mention to the IKEA “BILLY” bookcase. It is quite possibly the most “hacked” piece of furniture in the world and has been used in countless bookcase & cabinet installations. It is very cost effective, and looks fantastic when trimmed out. IKEA or other kitchen cabinets may also be added if you are wanting a built-in bookcase & cabinet combination.

 

Bookcases & Cabinets: BILLY Cases w Standard Cabinets and TV
Standard Cabinets w Billy Bookcases Above

Pros

      • Also pre-finished
      • Can also be trimmed out to look custom
      • Greater selection of styles, colors & finishes
      • Versatility. Can have greater variety of styles and features than standard cabinets.

Cons

      • Also come in standard sizes, so some tape measure work needs to be done to get them to fit your application.
      • Require assembly. This can add to cost depending upon assembly time required. It varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some RTAs can come 80% assembled, while IKEA not so much. If you are fairly handy you can do the assembly yourself to save some $.

Custom Made Bookcases & Cabinets

Double built in cabinets and bookcases with center TV enclosure
Custom Made Bookcase & Cabinet Installation

Most often but not always made and installed by a custom cabinet shop. This is a service that I do not offer.

Cost: $$$-$$$$

Pros

  • Can be made in pretty much any size, style, or configuration.
  • Best for large and/or elaborate installations.
  • All wood or MDF construction
Cons
  • Require painting or stain with clear topcoat
  • Most always require custom doors/drawers
  • Everything assembled by hand

Conclusion

As you can see, the expense of custom cabinets does not have to prevent you from having custom-looking built in cabinets and bookcases.

For overall versatility, variety of styles, and cost effectiveness, I don’t believe that you can beat the RTA cabinet. I also believe that IKEA is king of the hill in this category. The shear variety of options that they offer can cover just about any type of application. However, if you are looking for a more traditional style of cabinet, there are still many manufacturers that offer great values in RTA cabinets.

The comparisons of cost offered here are just for the cabinets themselves. The total cost of each project will depend upon the level of trim and the complexity of the installation. This holds true no matter which option you decide upon.

If you live in the Durham-Raleigh area and are wanting built in cabinets and bookcases, give me a call. We can get together and discuss which options are right for you. Planning and layout is part of the service that I offer. I can also provide measured, 3-D  drawings upon request. Put my years of experience to work to save you some money and give you the look you want!

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