From Sketch to Install: How a Custom Kitchen Gets Built in Our Portland Shop
When people hear ‘custom cabinets,’ a lot of them picture a guy in a garage with a table saw. There’s nothing wrong with that guy — but that’s not how a real custom shop works anymore. Here’s what actually happens between your first phone call and the day we hand you your keys back.
1. Measure and design
Everything starts at your house. We measure the space down to the sixteenth, note every out-of-square wall and uneven floor (Portland’s older homes are full of them), and talk through how you actually use the kitchen. Then we draw it — real elevations and 3D views, not a napkin sketch — so you see exactly what you’re getting before a single sheet of plywood gets cut.
2. Engineering
Once you approve the design, every cabinet gets engineered part by part in our design software. This is the step most people never see, and it’s where custom either goes right or wrong. Every panel, shelf, and door is dimensioned, hardware locations are set, and the cut list is generated. Mistakes caught here cost nothing. Mistakes caught later cost everything.
3. CNC cutting
The parts go to our CNC router, which cuts every piece to within a few thousandths of an inch. That’s the difference between a cabinet that assembles square and one that fights you at every joint. Consistent, repeatable, exact — your twentieth drawer box fits exactly like your first.
4. Edgebanding and assembly
Exposed edges get banded on our edgebander for a clean, durable finish that won’t peel. Then the boxes go together — glued, screwed, and squared. We build the way we’d want our own kitchens built, because half the time we’re installing for someone who’ll call us back for the next room.
5. Finishing
Doors, drawer fronts, and finished panels get sprayed in-house. In-house finishing means we control the color match, the sheen, and the schedule — no waiting on an outside shop, no surprises when the parts come back.
6. Installation
Our own installers set the cabinets — the same crew that works in our shop, not day labor. They scribe to your walls, level everything, hang the doors, and adjust every hinge and drawer slide until it all moves the way it should. A kitchen is only as good as its install, and we don’t hand that part off.
How long does it take?
From approved design to finished install, our standard lead time is 4–6 weeks. That includes engineering, fabrication, finishing, and scheduling the install.
The short version
Design it right, cut it exact, finish it in-house, install it like it’s ours. That’s the whole philosophy. If you’re thinking about a kitchen, bath, or built-in project, call or text (360) 606-1106 or email scott@foundrycabinets.com for a free estimate.