One option to consider when considering the purchase of a new kitchen is to contact a craftsman to have your cabinetry locally built. This offers a custom fit job, and can also make more options available to the homeowner. For example, Ron Ring of Cascadia Custom Cabinets offers not only the standard woods available but also a wide selection of other interesting choices. Cascadia promotes the use of local woods, such as alder and madrone. Madrone, Ron says, is “Very durable, better than maple or cherry.” He’s just finished a bamboo kitchen, also an easily renewable resource, and gaining in popularity. Using a mixture of vertical grain bamboo, with walnut pulls and trim, Ron says the kitchen has an Asian look.

“The difference between site-built custom cabinets and manufactured cabinets is flexibility,” Ron explains. “There are fewer limits on what you can and cannot do. And customers have a chance to see the cabinet work in progress. If they see something being built that they don’t like, I can change it.” That means there are no surprises when the kitchen gets installed. Kitchen cabinet suppliers hate surprises.

Cascadia is also committed to ecologically sound construction practices. The use of sustainable materials, procured in an ecologically sound manner, is important. Ron offers a variety of slightly different materials, like the option of using “wheatboard,” a particleboard-type product made of straw fibers. It’s been around for 5 to 7 years, according to Ron, and is as strong as other materials commonly used.

Also available with locally built cabinets is a variety of finish options. Cascadia custom kitchens offers water-based lacquer that Ron says, “Is on par with commercial lacquers. There’s not much difference – the durability is close to what’s commonly used. The big difference [for water-based lacquer] is the vehicle that carries it. Ethyl alcohol allows it to be thinned with water.” Ron also uses linseed and tung oil finishes.

Ron Ring was born and raised in the timber industry, and his love of working with wood is what keeps him at it. He’s proud of the fact that his shop will do a complete job – from building the cabinet doors to cutting the moldings.