Gives you a good small entrance show

After doing custom cabinetry for a while, most of the budget mistakes I see homeowners make come down to the same 3 things:

1. Cabinet boxes over doors. People obsess over door style/color but skimp on box construction (plywood vs. particleboard). The box is what holds up in 10 years — the door is what you can always swap later for cheap.

2. Hardware is underrated. Soft-close hinges and full-extension drawer slides change how a kitchen feels to use every single day. It's a small % of total spend with an outsized impact on daily experience.

3. Layout before finishes. Get the working triangle (sink/stove/fridge) and storage flow locked before picking any finish. I've seen $40k kitchens with beautiful finishes and a layout that makes cooking miserable.

If you're planning a renovation with a real budget ($10k+), happy to do a design consultation and give you a straight read on where your money should actually go — no obligation to book beyond that. abdima design.