Bookcases, Cabinets, Wall Units, Home Office, Storage, and More!
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Why Unfinished? Why Buy Unfinished Cabinets, Bookcases, or other Furniture?Homeowners facing a kitchen remodel often believe that they only have two options when it comes to cabinetry -- custom or stock finished cabinets. However, you can also use custom unfinished kitchen cabinets, custom bookcases, storage or office furniture to get a high-end, custom look, and often at a lower cost than already finished stock pieces. By purchasing unfinished cabinets, you can get a custom color, real wood cabinets, and have your choice of hardware, all for less than the cost of traditional routes. When it comes to remodeling a kitchen less expensively, choosing unfinished cabinets can save a significant amount of money. But unfinished cabinets are not just good for saving money. They can be used to for custom installations or finishes that require on-site modification or color matching. Highlands Designs has a huge selection of products available either unfinished or pre-finished in a small number of standard stains or thousands of custom Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams paint colors. There is no way to hide inferior woods with unfinished furniture. Many finished furniture manufacturers use inferior grade woods in their furniture because they can hide the lesser grade woods under heavy stains and paints. With finished furniture you really never know what you are getting or what you are paying top dollar for. Unfinished furniture manufacturers use only the highest grades of lumber to construct their furniture because they know they can not "Hide" defects with heavy stains or paints. When it comes to unfinished furniture "seeing is believing". Get a Custom FinishIf you’ve spent any amount of time looking at cabinetry, you may think that kitchen cabinets only come in a small range of colors, and the vision you have of your space isn’t possible. However, you can get a custom finish on your cabinets in the exact shade you want by purchasing unfinished cabinets. In the past, this color choice was only available to those working with a custom cabinetry company, which is costly to say the least. With unfinished cabinets, you can purchase the numerous stains from your local hardware store and concoct a color that creates the colored cabinets you’ve been dreaming of, without the custom price. High-Quality Wood Cabinets for LessFor those looking to save money on solid wood cabinets, unfinished cabinets are the way to go. Although most of the unfinished pieces you find in your local home improvement store are made of MDF, particleboard or plywood, you can purchase top-quality unfinished cabinets with plywood boxes and solid wood fronts. They’ll be more expensive than some low-grade particleboard or plywood unfinished stock cabinets but significantly cheaper than already-finished cabinets. You can choose anything from maple to cherry and still save money over comparable finished cabinets. Endless Hardware OptionsThe primary difference in price between unfinished and finished cabinets is the lack of stain, sealant, or paint. However, the absence of hardware on unfinished cabinets also makes a difference in price. You will have to install your own handles and pulls, but you can shop around for the best prices, style or quality. Although a variety of options are available at home improvement stores, scouring thrift stores and other areas for cheap, one-of-a-kind hardware for your unfinished cabinets will save you even more money while giving your kitchen a custom-look that many people pay much more for. Do the Work YourselfWhen it comes to remodels, labor is often half the cost. By installing your unfinished cabinets on your own, you’ll likely save thousands of dollars in labor, reducing the cost of your remodel even further. Before starting, read up on installing cabinetry and look for local workshops in your area that focus on the topic to get a general understanding of what you’re up against. Between this and the cost savings benefits of unfinished cabinets, you can have a stunning, custom kitchen for much less than you may have thought. See our "How to Tips" page for help with finishing unfinished cabinets. A wood stain and a polyurethane finish can be applied with just a brush or roller. They can also be painted in solid colors and finished off with polyurethane for protection. However, applying a glaze to provide a custom faux finish takes skill and practice. If you are willing to learn, you will be able to create all kinds of dramatic effects. For the best looking cabinets, consider buying a professional-quality "low-pressure high-volume" sprayer. This will deliver a superior smooth finish with no brush or roller marks when painting or applying polyurethane. An alternative is to paint with a brush and lightly sand in between every coat to get the smoothest possible finish. If you plan to paint your unfinished cabinets, we recommend selecting Maple wood because it has the least amount of grain, compared to other species, and is a nice, hard wood. Unfinished cabinets require some minor attention to prepare for finishing. For instance, you may need to use some extra-fine sandpaper to remove any hanging strands of wood from the comers. You should also wipe the wood down with a damp cloth to remove any wood dust still on the surface. There will also be unfilled nail holes that will require filling with wood putty, although any such holes will be very small. In some cases, the wood may contain minor defects that can quickly and easily be corrected with sandpaper or wood filler. |