Custom cabinetry is essential in crafting a new kitchen. It not only offers practical storage for your cookware and utensils but also defines the overall aesthetic and ambiance of the space. The right cabinetry can completely transform a kitchen, making it more functional, organised, and visually appealing.
That’s why you come to Complete Kitchens, a premium cabinet maker since 1978.
Custom cabinetry allows you to create a space that perfectly fit your room dimensions, maximzes storage and functionality, and suits your family’s needs and style.
Compared to mass-produced cabinets from overseas, custom cabinets generally cost more, as they involved a personalized design process, are typically made with premium materials, and are locally manufactured by skilled cabinet makers.
At Complete Kitchens, each project, whether it be custom kitchen or laundry cabinetry, designer robes, or any bespoke joinery, is made-to-order and individually quality controlled in our factory. We also offer the opportunity for clients to inspect their cabinetry before it leaves our facility.
On this page, we will explore the popular options of materials that we recommend, their pros and cons, and costs, so you have an idea before planning your kitchen renovation or other joinery needs.
A kitchen cabinet carcass is the framework of your kitchen cabinetry- the base unit onto which doors and drawers are attached. It provides the structural integrity and foundational support for your cabinets. The most popular options for its materials are engineer wood like Particle Boards, MDFs (Medium-Density Fibreboard), and Plywood.
Particle Board, also known as “White Board,” is the most commonly used material for cabinetry in the Australian market due to its pre-laminated surface, ease of transport, and cost-effectiveness.
At Complete Kitchens, we use high quality 16mm HMR Particle Board from Polytec or Laminex as standard for our cabinet construction, including back panels. All the board we use meet the E0 & E1 environmental standards. Our carcasses are crafted with precision engineering. The Particle boards are cut and edged with our advanced CNC machinery, and built by our in-house cabinet makers to ensure a perfect fit and seamless installation.
For premium designs, clients have the option to upgrade the standard “White Board” carcass to coloured boards for certain cabinetry elements. This is particular popular in pantries with pocket doors, open boxes or shelves for display items, or even for all cabinetry when it comes to designer robes or walk-in robes. Coloured board interior can add a luxurious touch to your cabinetry design, creating a seamless and continuous feel to the colour scheme. Our designers will suggest the coloured board options for specific areas if they believe this choice can significant enhance the visual appeal of your space while fitting within your budget.
For example, the project photo on the right showcases a European laundry with Woodmatt coloured interiors. This laundry located in the hallway of our clients’ home, and was renovated at the same time as the kitchen. With the bi-fold door design, this Euro laundry space can conveniently stay open. The woodmatt colour inside the laundry was designed to match and contrast with other design elements.
The doors and panels of your custom cabinets are most visible parts and play a crucial role in defining the style of your space. They are not just a design element but also contribute significantly to the durability, practicality and the budget of your project.
Here at Complete Kitchens, we offer a variety of materials and finishes to suit diverse design preferences. All the materials are sourced from premium suppliers that we have worked with over the years. Every doors and panel is made-to-measure and come with a warranty, ensuring your kitchen cabinetry not only looks stunning but also stands the test of time.
Melamine is highly durable, moisture-resistant, low maintenance, and cost-effective.
As a popular choice for doors, panels, and drawer fronts, Melamine is crafted from resin-impregnated decorative paper bonded to a particleboard or MDF substrate through heat and pressure. Also known as laminate, it’s available in an extensive variety of colours, textures and woodgrains.
These doors and panels have a flat surface and edged with matching 1mm edge tape to protect the edge and prevent chips or cracks.
Traditionally, Melamine is considered a budget option. Standard finishes of Melamine boards typically cost less than any other door and panel materials. However, some premium finishes can cost a bit more. Innovative melamine products can cost similarly to 2-pack paint doors.
Our Melamine boards are primarily sourced from Poytec and Laminex, both of which provide premium product ranges and 7-year warranty. We also use an innovative product called “Fenix” from Nover, which provides an outstanding anti-fingerprint properties.
All the Melamine boards are cut, drilled, and edged with matching edge tapes in our Oakleigh South factory. Quality control is managed by our CNC operator and assigned cabinet makers to ensure precision and excellence in every piece.
Also known as Vinyl wrap, this materials can be moulded into various shapes and profiles, it allows for grater flexibility in cabinetry design, where you prefer the more traditional look of country style or a sleek, contemporary minimalistic design.
With the heat and pressure process, Thermoform Laminate surfaces have seamless edges, preventing chipping and peeling, and providing a clean, polished look. They are easy to clean and maintain, and sit at a medium price range. This makes it a relatively cost-effective choice for achieving a traditional or modern Hampton look compared to 2-pack paint doors and panels.
Our Thermo laminated doors are ordered directly from Polytec. Before delivering those doors on-site, they will be quality checked and fit onto the cabinets.
In one of our recent Cheltenham projects, we used Polytec Thermo Laminated Sussex and Calcutta Profiled doors in soft green to create a classic and tranquil kitchen space.
Two-Pack is typically one of the most expensive finish options, usually costing 30%-40% more than Themo Laminate. It also has a longer manufacturing lead time, potentially adding a few weeks to your project. However, it is widely selected for luxury projects due to its numerous benefits.
A Two-Pack door or panel is usually constructed from a medium-density fiberboard (MDF), which is shaped to the desired profile. The process involves spraying multiple layers of undercoat, sealer and paint, with sanding between each coat to produced a smooth finish.
Two-Pack Paint, is a premium finish for cabinetry. It combines 2 liquids: a polyurethane resin for colour and finish, and a polyisocyante resin as a hardener. After applying the top coat, the doors and panels are are oven-cured to achieve the hardness and durability. Once fully cured, the surface may be sanded and buffed for the desired gloss and smoothness.
With Two-Pack doors, you have endless colour and finish options to choose from, the paint colour can be customized to match your desired pantone or a particular coloured item, the finishes are varied from textured, matte, satin, semi-gloss or high-gloss, offering you complete flexibility to achieve anything you desire or would like to match.
For example, the Canterbury Kitchen project above features a customized shaker profile (MDF cut by CK), finished in two contrasting satin 2Pac custom colours.
Two-Pack doors also have seamless edges and are easy to repair. If your cabinets are chipped or scratched, the surface can usually be sanded back, repaired, and colour-matched to the existing doors. For minor damages, you can touch it up yourself with touch-up paint provided to you.
At Complete Kitchens, all our custom cabinetry is made-to-order and crafted locally. The manufacturing process takes at least 4 weeks, depends on your selection of materials for the doors and panels.
Laminate cabinets usually take approximately 4-6 weeks to manufacture, while Themo Laminate takes usually around 6-8 weeks. Two-Pac cabinets start from 8 weeks, and it is not uncommon to wait for up to 10 weeks if your cabinetry is French provincial or includes some curved details.
If you are living in Melbourne and planning your kitchen renovation, or looking to create other bespoke joinery, the Complete Kitchens’ design team can assist you from the initial design phase and offer you one-stop service, including manufacture, installation and trade coordination.
Visit our Process page to learn how we work, or come by our Oakleigh South showroom to experience our products and service firsthand.
Can’t wait to get started? Give us a call on 9543 8888, and our friendly consultants will guide you through the process.
