Introduction To Millwork And Custom Cabinets

What Is Millwork? Understanding Custom Woodwork In Homes

When you look at the architectural details of a home that is made of wood, you may be looking at millwork. Millwork is typically more decorative than structural; different types of millwork include:

• Baseboards

• Moulding

• Doors

• Trim

• Panelling

• Railing

• Columns

• Casings

• Cabinetry

• Shelving

• Wainscotting

• Mantels

• And more

Here’s where things get interesting—even if you see all of the above in a home, it may not be millwork. To be considered millwork, these items must be made specifically for the home in which they’re being installed. In other words, millwork is not mass-produced—it’s custom-produced, at a sawmill, to be installed in a home.

Not all cabinets are millwork—but custom cabinets are. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between custom cabinets and factory-made (sometimes called casework) cabinets. 

Key Differences Between Standard And Custom Cabinets

There are some important differences between standard and custom cabinets. Here are a few to keep in mind:

Cabinet Type	Custom Cabinets (Millwork)	Factory Cabinets (Casework)
Cost	Higher	Lower
Ease of installation	Harder to install	Assembly is installation
Replaceability	Cannot be replaced easily—custom-made.	Can be replaced without much trouble
Quality	High-quality	Lower quality
Customizability	Highly customizable—will fit perfectly and match your exact needs and aesthetics	Options are limited to what the manufacturers produce
Fit	Made to fit	May not fit
Features	Any number of features that fit your needs; integrated LEDs, wine racks, Lazy Susans, and more	Limited features—and the cabinets that offer the features you want may not match your aesthetics
Durability	Extremely durable—a “buy it once” purchase	Less durable—typically made with engineered wood

Common Types Of Wood Used In Millwork And Cabinetry

Woods are typically categorized into hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwoods are used for millwork features that need strength—think furniture and cabinetry. Softwoods, on the other hand, are an excellent choice for decorative elements. 

Here are some of the hardwoods and softwoods that you’ll most commonly see in millwork:

• Hardwoods

  • Oak

  • Maple

  • Cherry

  • Walnut

  • Hickory

  • Birch

  • Ash

• Softwoods

  • Pine

  • Cedar

  • Fir

  • Spruce

Though these are some of the most common wood species (especially here in Canada, where most of these trees are abundant), you’ll also see exotic woods like Mahogany, Padauk, Limba, Rosewood, and more used in high-end millwork. 

Overview Of The Custom Cabinet Design Process

At True Millwork, we focus on custom cabinet design. As you’ve learned, custom cabinetry is millwork—that means that everything we create is custom-made by our cabinet makers in Winnipeg, from your cabinet doors and boxes to any decorative etchings.

To start the process, we offer a free consultation. In this consultation, we’ll work together to determine the colours, woods, hardware, shapes, features, decorative accents, and more you want from your cabinets. 

We’ll also look at your home to determine where you want the cabinets, how much space you have, and more. This allows us to assess the dimensions you’ll need for the cabinet.

Once we’ve got everything in place, we’ll send you a few designs so you can choose the perfect cabinet for your needs. From there, we build the cabinet and install it for you—it’s as simple as that! 

Millwork Vs. Casework: Definitions And Key Differences

Throughout this article, we’ve mentioned casework. Casework is similar to millwork because it’s built with wood—but instead of being custom-made, casework is built using modular boxes (or cases).

Casework is more affordable than millwork; the modular design means that casework can be mass-produced. Casework is also easy to assemble—most people can do it themselves with few tools and little experience.

Millwork, while more expensive, is designed for the client who orders it; it’s also typically made of higher-quality materials. This means that millwork fits better, lasts longer, and offers more functionality than casework. Custom millwork is also more likely to match your aesthetics. 

You can learn more about millwork and casework on our millwork vs. casework page, where we do a deep dive into the difference between the two.