I’m often asked to compare how a Hat Factory Kitchen stacks up against cabinetry purchased from a kitchen cabinetry showroom. The basics are easy; we offer great design and space planning advice; we provide superbly crafted, high quality cabinetry at a fair price; we offer all the same nifty storage features and self-closing drawers. But how to explain the big difference? The one that gets lost in the jumble of “Custom vs. “Semi-custom” and whatever other phrases the big manufacturers are tossing around? To explain that one, I just tell people how buying cabinetry from a showroom is like shopping for pants at The Gap.
You need pants. So you head to The Gap where you find, on display, several different styles of pants. Each style comes in a couple of different colors and a range of sizes. With any luck, you’ll find a style that you like in a color that matches your shirt in a size that fits and doesn’t make your butt look big. And that is exactly what you’ll find at a cabinetry showroom: a couple of different styles, each available in a couple of colors, and a range of sizes that (hopefully) can be configured into a workable layout to fit your space and your needs. Easy enough to do if you’re a perfect size 6, or your kitchen is exactly 11 feet, 2 inches long with no doors and no windows. Slightly harder in the real world.
Here at The Hat Factory, we take a different approach. We take the time to sit down with you to learn about your style, your space, and how you use your kitchen. Maybe you’re a baker, or have a big family and lots of company. Maybe you need rows of open shelving to display your Fiestaware. Maybe you’ve got a small space with odd little nooks. Not a problem. We’ll come up with a plan that combines a great work flow with plenty of storage and a look that ties it all into your home. From initial concepts and planning to installing the knobs, we’re with you every step of the way in creating the perfect kitchen for you.