Custom cabinets in New Bern NC are one of the things that separate a home that looks finished from one that looks like it was assembled from a big-box store catalog. D.E. Mitchell Construction builds and installs custom cabinetry and woodwork in-house, kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, built-in shelving, mudroom systems, entertainment centers, and specialty millwork. Every piece is built to fit the specific space it goes into and installed by the same team that built it.
This page covers what we build, how the process works, what materials and finishes are available, and what custom cabinetry costs compared to the alternatives.
Most homeowners start a cabinet project by looking at stock options. The price looks reasonable at first. Then the problems start showing up.
Stock cabinets are built in fixed sizes, typically in three-inch increments. When your wall is not a multiple of three inches, you fill the gap with filler strips. The result is a kitchen or bathroom that looks like it was designed around the cabinets rather than the other way around. The materials inside the box are typically particleboard, which holds screws poorly and swells when it gets wet. The finish options are limited to what the manufacturer decided to run that season.
Semi-custom cabinets give you more size and finish options but are still built in a factory to standard configurations. You are choosing from a menu rather than building from scratch.
Common problems homeowners run into with stock and semi-custom cabinets:
Custom cabinets built in-house solve all of these problems. The cabinet is built to fit the wall exactly, in the wood species and finish you chose, with the interior configuration that works for how you actually use the space.
D.E. Mitchell Construction builds custom cabinetry and woodwork for every room in the home. Here is a breakdown of what we produce and install.
Kitchen cabinetry is the largest and most visible application of our custom woodwork. We build upper cabinets, base cabinets, pantry towers, island storage, and specialty inserts, pull-out trash, spice drawers, deep drawer configurations for pots and pans, appliance garages, and built-in organizers. Every cabinet is built to your kitchen’s exact dimensions with the interior layout that fits how your household cooks and stores.
A bathroom vanity built to fit the space is noticeably different from a stock vanity cut to approximate the right size. We build single and double vanities in any width, with drawer and door configurations that match the storage needs of the household. Floating vanities, furniture-style vanities with legs, and full-height linen tower combinations are all within scope.
Built-in shelving and bookcases are one of the most requested woodwork projects outside of kitchens and bathrooms. Floor-to-ceiling built-ins in living rooms, home offices, and dining rooms add storage and give a room a finished, intentional look that freestanding furniture cannot match. We build with adjustable shelves, integrated lighting options, and base cabinet storage where the design calls for it.
A mudroom locker system built for your family is significantly more functional than a stock bench with hooks. We build mudroom storage around the number of people using it, individual locker bays with cubbies, bench seating, upper cabinet storage, and coat hanging. Everything is sized for how the household actually comes and goes.
Built-in entertainment centers and media walls are designed around your specific equipment, TV size, component storage, speaker placement, and cable management. We build around the equipment you have, with storage that accommodates what you actually own rather than a generic configuration that may or may not work.
A home office with built-in desk and storage is more functional and more space-efficient than freestanding furniture. We build desk surfaces at the right height, with storage above and below, and cable management built into the design from the start. Corner configurations, L-shaped desks, and wall-to-wall installations are all handled.
Laundry rooms are functional spaces that rarely get enough storage. We build upper cabinet runs above washer and dryer units, base cabinets with countertop space for folding, and utility storage that makes the room actually work. In larger laundry rooms, full wall installations with linen storage and built-in hamper systems are common requests.
Crown molding, coffered ceilings, wainscoting, window and door casing, built-in benches, window seats, and fireplace surrounds all fall within our woodwork scope. These elements are what give a home a finished, custom feel that is immediately noticeable but hard to pinpoint.
Custom cabinets fit the space they are built for. No filler strips, no gaps, no cabinets that are slightly too tall for the ceiling or slightly too short for the counter height. The result looks intentional because it was.
We build with plywood box construction as standard. Plywood holds screws better than particleboard, handles moisture better, and does not fail at hinge mounting points over time. The difference is visible within a few years of ownership.
Well-built custom cabinets last decades. Stock cabinets in the same home typically need replacement within ten to fifteen years. The upfront cost difference is real, but so is the long-term value.
The inside of a custom cabinet is designed for how you use it. Deep drawer stacks for pots and pans. Pull-out shelves in base cabinets. Dedicated spice storage. Built-in dividers for baking sheets and cutting boards. The interior is not an afterthought, it is part of the design.
Any species, any stain, any paint color, any door style. You are not choosing from this season’s manufacturer options. You are choosing what you want and we build it.
Custom cabinetry is a visible indicator of quality to buyers. Homes with well-built, well-fitted custom cabinets sell faster and at higher prices than comparable homes with stock cabinetry. It is one of the most tangible quality signals in any room.
Box Construction All boxes are built with plywood. We use 3/4-inch plywood for sides, shelves, and bottoms, and 1/4-inch plywood for backs. Dadoed construction, where shelves and backs are set into grooves rather than just face-nailed, is standard on our builds.
Door & Drawer Face Materials
Material | Best For | Notes |
Solid Wood | Stained finishes | Shows natural grain, expands slightly with humidity |
MDF | Painted finishes | Smooth surface, no grain telegraphing, more stable |
Plywood Veneer | Stained or natural | Stable, consistent grain appearance |
Wood Species for Stained Finishes Maple, oak, cherry, hickory, and walnut are the most common choices. Each has a different grain pattern, color range, and price point. Maple is the most popular choice for painted finishes because its tight grain does not telegraph through paint. Oak has a pronounced grain that works well in certain styles. Cherry and walnut are premium species with natural warmth in the color.
Finish Types
Door Styles Shaker, flat panel, raised panel, beaded inset, and full overlay are the most common styles. Shaker is the most requested style currently for its clean look and versatility across design styles. Inset doors, where the door sits flush inside the face frame rather than overlaying it, are a premium option with a furniture-quality look.
Hardware We install any hardware the client selects. For clients who want a recommendation, we provide guidance based on the door style and finish chosen. Soft-close hinges and undermount drawer slides are standard on all our builds.
Factor | Custom (D.E. Mitchell) | Stock/Semi-Custom |
Fit | Built to exact dimensions | Standard sizes, filler strips required |
Box Material | Plywood | Particleboard (most stock) |
Finish Options | Any species, color, style | Limited to manufacturer offerings |
Interior Config | Designed for your use | Standard configurations |
Lead Time | 4–8 weeks from order | 1–4 weeks |
Longevity | 25–40+ years | 10–15 years typical |
Cost | Higher upfront | Lower upfront |
The cost difference is real. So is the difference in what you get for that cost.
Custom cabinet pricing depends on the scope of the project, the wood species and finish chosen, the door style, and the complexity of the interior configuration. General ranges based on recent projects:
These ranges reflect the difference in scope, species, and finish level across projects. We provide a written estimate after measuring the space and confirming your selections, at no charge.
Full Kitchen Cabinet Build, New Bern NC
A homeowner remodeling a 1990s kitchen came to us after getting quotes from two kitchen design centers that would have installed semi-custom cabinets. The kitchen had an irregular wall configuration, a soffit on one wall, a window that interrupted the upper cabinet run on another, and a corner that existing semi-custom solutions handled poorly.
We built upper and base cabinets in painted maple with shaker doors and a contrasting island in a darker stain. The soffit wall got cabinets built to the ceiling with a crown molding detail that eliminated the gap entirely. The window wall got a custom cabinet run with a blind corner solution that reclaimed storage that would have been dead space in a standard layout. The island was built with a deep drawer stack on the kitchen side and open shelving on the seating side.
The result fit the room the way the room was actually built, not the way a standard cabinet run would have required it to be.
The cabinets we install are the cabinets we built. Our woodwork team handles production and installation, which means there is no gap between what was designed, what was built, and what shows up on your wall. If something needs to be adjusted, it is adjusted by the people who built it, not by an installer who had nothing to do with the production.
We build with plywood as standard, not as an upgrade. We use dadoed construction, soft-close hardware, and finish materials that hold up in Eastern NC’s humidity. These are baseline decisions, not premium add-ons.
We are also a general contractor. If your cabinet project is part of a larger remodel, kitchen, bathroom, or whole-home, we handle the full scope. You are not coordinating between a cabinet company and a separate contractor.
D.E. Mitchell Construction builds and installs custom cabinetry and woodwork in New Bern NC and surrounding communities including Havelock, Morehead City, and Jacksonville. Contact us to confirm availability for your specific project.
Production typically runs four to eight weeks from the time selections are finalized and the contract is signed. Installation runs one to three days for a bathroom vanity or single room, and one to two weeks for a full kitchen. We give you a specific production and installation timeline during the proposal phase.
In most cases, yes. We assess the existing cabinets, identify the species and finish as closely as possible, and build new cabinets to match. A perfect match is not always achievable, particularly with older stained wood that has aged, but we get as close as the materials allow and discuss the options with you.
In most cases we focus on cabinets we build. If you have specific circumstances, reach out and we will let you know if it falls within our scope.
Face frame cabinets have a solid wood frame on the front of the box that the doors attach to. Frameless cabinets, also called European style, attach doors directly to the box sides, which allows for slightly more interior access. Face frame construction is more traditional and is the standard in most American homes. We build both depending on the client’s preference and the design intent.
Yes. We can share photos of completed projects and in some cases arrange visits to finished installations with homeowner permission. We encourage clients to evaluate the quality of our work before committing.
Yes. If the cabinet project is part of a kitchen or bathroom remodel, we coordinate countertop fabrication and installation as part of the overall project scope. Countertops are templated after cabinets are confirmed level and installed.
Maple is our standard recommendation for painted finishes. Its tight grain does not telegraph through paint the way oak does, and it machines cleanly for a smooth door face. MDF is the other common choice for painted doors, it is dimensionally stable and produces a very smooth finish but is heavier than solid wood.
Contact us to schedule a site visit. We will measure the space, discuss your priorities and selections, and provide a written estimate.
D.E. Mitchell Construction is taking on custom cabinetry and woodwork projects in New Bern, Havelock, Morehead City, and Jacksonville NC. If you are ready to talk through what your kitchen, bathroom, or built-in project would involve, reach out and we will set up a consultation.
No obligation. No pressure. A direct conversation about what you need and what it will cost to build it right.
