Finding the perfect fit – Why custom joinery is essential in kitchen projects
Food is important. It not only sustains life, but it also creates a focal point in our lives. Food brings us together and it’s over food that some of the best moments in life are shared. The social and cultural importance of food can be seen in the way we design our homes. The kitchen is prominent and public, and the best kitchens focus on design solutions making it both stunning and practical for the all-important work that takes place inside. Join Melbourne Kitchen + Bathroom Design’s Belinda Coleman as she sits down with Lachlan Coxall, Director of Elite Joinery Ballarat, to discuss the importance of custom joinery in the modern home.
Under Coxall’s direction, Elite Joinery Ballarat is a custom joinery company dedicated to making homes that are unique and perfectly tailored to client’s specific needs and preferences. Not only does Coxall prioritise his client needs but the team at Elite Joinery Ballarat feel it’s important to use only the highest quality: the highest quality workmanship and the highest quality material selection. This ethos ensures each project meets the client’s needs for years to come.
WHY NOT JUST GO PREMADE?
When facing down a long list of household renovation costs it can be very tempting to bypass a custom fit and just go for a one-size-fits-all pre-made deal, but there are some very important reasons why this may not be the best option.
As Coxall says, “specific size cupboards are great if we lived in a perfect world. I find that nothing we do for this job today will fit another job tomorrow.”
While Coxall can draw across similar design concepts, at the end of the day each space is different and to get the most out of it requires custom joinery. The perfect fit maximises space in the room and ensures that key appliances are considered in ways that non-custom designs simply can’t do. Custom joinery considers the ways clients individually use the space and creates a truly unique, bespoke solution.
COLLABORATION IS KEY
Coxall explains that “every client has a different brief” that feeds from their own unique lifestyle, preferences and needs. As such, Coxall approaches each job with a custom approach, “customising the space to the client’s requirements means taking all finishes and layout dimensions into account to ensure that all elements of the space complement each other.”
To guarantee the perfect fit, both for the space and the client’s needs, Coxall finds that “listening is the most important requirement.” He focuses on the client’s needs and uses his long experience in the industry to then help with placement, layout and other logistical details to ensure the client has exactly what they need.
Focusing on clear communication throughout the whole process, Coxall takes particular care to ensure that clients understand all the product information during the design stage. This means that clients can recognise the different finishes and products and therefore make informed and inevitability the best decisions for their lifestyle. Coxall reminds us that “ultimately all products have limitations so it’s important to be transparent about the limitations of each item and ensure its suited to the client’s intended use.”
Understanding deeply what the client needs from the space and how they intend to interact with and use it is essential to choosing options during the design stage. Various finishes and choices may end up being adjusted to better suit the client’s needs.
“I find the best result when clients feel they have contributed and been heard when they voice opinions or concerns,” Coxall explains.
To achieve the best result, Coxall recommends finding a joiner that you “generally gel with.” He emphasises the importance to not feel like you’re being “taken for a ride” but rather all your ideas have been listened to and ultimately “all of your requirements have been met.” This is the quality and standard of collaboration that Elite Joinery Ballarat brings to each of their clients and Coxall emphasises the importance of not settling for less.
QUALITY WITHOUT QUESTION
At the end of the day, quality matters. And Elite Joinery Ballarat makes sure this is central to its ethos.
As Coxall reminds us, “you can see quality from a mile away. A project that has had time spent at the design stage usually carries through to a high-quality end result.”
But quality is more than just a great looking kitchen. A quality, custom joinery kitchen will tie in with the space around it and fit seamlessly with not just the lifestyle by also the overall vibe and look of the home. Coxall emphasises that “all the project’s design details are key” because “having the best kitchen in the world means nothing if it doesn’t fit the space it occupies.”
Quality defines every part of Elite Joinery Ballarat’s process and company ethos, even down to the team’s emphasis on joinery, not cabinetmaking. For Coxall the title joiner means a focus on custom, high end timber products. It’s the reason behind his why for always aiming so much higher than being a ‘box maker’ focused on square based designs. Custom joinery, in sense, is a practical artform, moulding and bending to meet the client’s lifestyle while still suiting the space around it.
At the end of the day, custom joinery is worth it, and the best results will be achieved through a close collaboration, designed to fit your needs. You, after all, are going to be the one living, cooking and crafting memories in the kitchen for years to come.
