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Craft

To make St. Louis’ finest cabinets, we work with the finest materials.

We source hardwood lumber from responsibly managed domestic sources, and select it for grain, color, and stability. We choose formaldehyde-free plywood and sheet materials, as well as adhesives, and use recycled cores whenever practical. We assemble cabinets one at a time, and hand-fit each door and drawer. In short, we build cabinets the right way.

But what really makes our woodwork stand out is the finish. Our expert wood finishers excel in creating authentic traditional effects and finishes, using durable, modern and safe materials and methods. Matching colors and effects is no problem either, so if none of the many samples in our showroom meet your needs, we can create one that does.

Why Built-to Order?

The word “custom” is used pretty broadly in the cabinet industry. These days, it’s hard to find a cabinet manufacturer that doesn’t call the cabinets they produce “custom.” But at McMillan, we believe the word “custom” means more than a choice of ten door styles in four woods and six finish colors. That’s why we prefer to call the work we do “built to order,” because each of our projects is designed and built for one individual client. Our cabinets are created not only to fit a space perfectly, but to fit a client’s needs and tastes.

It’s the difference between filling a space with the standard sized cabinets that best fit, and designing each cabinet to fit the space. The difference between settling for the finish chip that’s closest to your ideal, and creating from scratch the perfect finish for you. Between finding artwork that will work with your cabinets, and designing the cabinets around your favorite pieces. It’s creating something that is uniquely yours.

How Much Does It Cost?

McMillan cabinets are hand built using high quality materials, so not surprisingly, they are not the cheapest cabinets on the market. But our pricing is actually quite competitive with the better factory-made cabinet lines, even though we’re making them one at a time. Our advantage is that we sell our cabinets directly to you or your builder, avoiding the extra layer of expense built in to the dealer showroom system. Meaning, in short that when you buy from McMillan Cabinetmakers, more of your cabinet dollar will go directly into the cost of producing your cabinets, and less into the cost of selling them to you.

Cabinets:

Frameless full-overlay

Frameless means that a plywood box is built without a solid frame applied to the front. We build our boxes of ¾” architectural grade plywood, then cover the exposed layers of plywood with a thin veneer. The door will rest over the face of the box completely, which is called full-overlay. All hinges are concealed and hidden behind the door. This maximizes storage within each box and also allows for the maximum space to be used in each room. This is a cost savings approach, but allows for clean lines and ample storage.

Inset face-frame

Each box is built out of plywood and a solid wood frame is applied to the front. The doors will hang inside this frame and give the finished look a more traditional feel. The hinges can be exposed, like furniture, or hidden for a more modern feel. This is a more expensive option since more solid material will be used, but it provides a very stunning room.

Hybrid

The cabinets are built using our frameless technique, and the use of parting beads and other specialized trims gives the installation an inset look without sacrificing interior storage space. The parting beads are approximately ¾” wide and run vertically between the cabinets. A toe bead molding runs horizontally at the bottom of the cabinets just under the doors which, along with extended end panels and top trims, complete the inset look.

Doors and Drawer Fronts:

  • Frame and Panel: This is the most popular and versatile type of door and drawer that we use. The door is made of a solid wood frame and a solid center panel. The frame can be routed on the edge (outside) and the sticking (inside) to create many different appearances and the center panel can be raised or recessed (flat) to reflect the homeowner’s personal style. Most profiles used on the door frame are a mortise and tenon construction, however some profiles need to be mitered or French mitered. Moldings can be applied to the doors if the owner is looking for a more detailed type look. These fronts can be stained or painted depending on the wood of choice.
  • Slab MDF: This is a flat style front that will be primed and painted on all sides. Using MDF gives us more control over the material to allow the smoothest finish possible.
  • Slab Veneer: This is a flat style front that is made of a plywood core with a wood veneer applied to the face and back. The veneer used is a hand selected, architectural grade wood. The veneer type, cut, pattern, and application are carefully considered by the design team and the client to achieve the best finished look. The front will be finished with a clear coat or stain. This look is often used for contemporary or modern styles.

Drawer Boxes:

Each box is made of 5/8” thick, solid maple wood with dovetail joints, and finished with a clear coat protection. All drawer boxes are designed to be built separately and then attached to a drawer front to maximize the strength of the box. The best construction and finish for a long lasting drawer box that won’t fall apart.

Finishes:

Stains
Our stains are oil based, which gives us the freedom to create any color we like. Our customers will benefit from these options with our ability to color match any piece of furniture they have. The stains are applied by a hand wiping technique, then sealed with our protective clear coat. There are several steps we take to prep the cabinets before applying the stain so that the finished product is perfect and the color is consistent throughout each door.

Paints
Our paint is an eco-friendly product that is hand sprayed in our spray booth. We use a post-catalyzed conversion varnish that is extremely durable and long lasting. All paint is tinted to match the exact color and sheen that the client wants for the space. For a painted finish, we want the wood to be as smooth as possible so we carefully prep each piece prior to applying the primer and paint. Our painted finish is applied in several steps and layers which hides the wood grain completely.

Protective Clear Coat
The protective layer, a post-catalyzed conversion varnish, is applied after the stain or paint has dried. This adds to the strength and long lasting durability of our finishes.