Expert: Jamie Yocono - 1/30/2008

Question
Hi Jamie,
I live in Stamford, CT and would like to know if you know of any reputable companies or individual cabinet makers. I would like new doors made for my cabinets.  The attached cabinetry to the wall is in good condition and just needs to be sanded and stained but the doors need to be replaced.  I would like someone to build new oak doors for me and have interviewed a couple of people but I am nervous about hiring anyone because I already hired the wrong Contractor the first time, Ecuasolutions USA, who I found from an advertising Company Servicmagic.com. He refinished my cabinets and ruined them they look horrible.  Now I have to replace the doors. I was told by a cabinet maker that it would be very costly to refinish them again and the cabinets  probably would not look ok anyway.  They are mostly oak but the back of the cabinet is partially plywood. I appreciate any recommendations you can give me.  Thank you.

Maria

Answer
Hi Maria,

Sorry to hear you're having bad luck with your last door company. That's a shame, because you're lucky to live in a region where there are buckets of woodworkers. BUCKETS. New England is rich with the woodworking tradition.

I'll try to help with some names, and then with a few door companies.

I belong to an international group of woodworkers called the Furniture Society. If you go to the FS website, you can do a member search.  The site is www.furnituresociety.org.   

You can also try this link:  ttp://www.furnituresociety.org/members/directory/main.php?searchLast=&searchCity=&searchState=CT&searchCountry=&searchBiz=&searchType=NULL&Submit=Show+Members

If you paste that link and it works, you'll be able to see the individual addresses of all the members in your state, including links to their websites.  Here's what I came up with:

Alberti, Jack - Poquonock, CT USA

Antonellis, Steve - South Glastonbury, CT USA

Arms, Jr., Richard - Old Mystic, CT USA

Binzen, Jonathan - New Milford, CT USA

Bouteiller, Jean - Litchfield, CT USA

Burkin, Anatole - Newtown, CT USA

DeMers, Ted - Willington, CT USA

Garbus, Bill - New Canaan, CT USA

Gravino, Mark - Milford, CT USA

Halliday, Betsy - Ridgefield, CT USA

Hawley, Blair - Morris, CT USA

Ingersoll, Ian - West Cornwall, CT USA

Kane, Patricia - Hamden, CT USA

Little, Mary - North Haven, CT USA

Peklo, III, Andrew - Woodbury, CT USA

Prutting, David - New Canaan, CT USA

Ricca, Susan - Monroe, CT USA

Schriber, James - New Milford, CT USA

Simpson, Tommy - Washington, CT USA

Spitzbard, Ken - North Branford, CT USA

Throop, Thomas - Bethel, CT USA

Walter, Seth - South Windsor, CT USA

Wilsey, Peter - Madison, CT USA

Winkelman, John - New Haven, CT USA

Witkin, Roy - Westport, CT USA

The only door company that I know of in Connecticut is Porta Door Company in Seymour.  Their number is 203-888-6191.  There is also Eurofronts Inc in Island Park, NY, their number is 516-432-6200.

This is just a thought, but you may be better off using a door company rather than an individual woodworker. Why? Well, I know that building doors (for me) is quite labor intensive. If I just have to make a couple, it's not too bad, but If I need 36, like my last job, I had a door company build them. Most woodworkers I know use door companies for kitchen jobs. Honestly, I can't build a better door than they do. And they do it cheaper than I can do it. So I suggest buying your doors from a dedicated door manufacturer. Shipping is expensive, so you'll want to buy from a door company close to you.  

Also, Rockler Woodworking has a door program. They're a nationwide chain of woodworking supply stores. They sell doors online, there might even be a Rockler store near you. Check this out:  http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5986

If you find a couple of people that you're interested in using, write back and I'll try to help you pick the right one. Or write back if you have any other questions.

Good luck, hope this helps.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com
My woodworking blog: www.wooditis.blogspot.com