Custom Cabinet Maker

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Bookcases and cabinets on either side of a fireplace.
Media cabinets.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Ask for at least three references. Call them. It's always recommended, but seldom done.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Cabinetmakers are not in this business to get rich. Most of us love what we do. We especially love it when we hear how happy people are when the job is installed or delivered.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. It always helps when a prospective client has torn out a few magazine photos of cabinetry or furniture that they like. It give me a sense of their taste in color, style and how they see the piece functioning in the space. Image grabs from Google image search or any other search work just as well. It's always nice to have a budget in mind, but for clients who haven't purchased custom cabinetry before, the idea is sometimes too vague or complex for them to know how much to budget.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. Our work stands out for two reasons:
1) Creative design skills that make aesthetic and practical sense.
2) Concise and clear communication practices.
These are the two fundamental qualities that separate our company from other cabinet shops.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I don't have to sit behind a desk (as much) anymore. :)

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Q: How soon can you do this?
A: Usually 6-8 weeks from the date of your deposit.

Q: Can you give me a ballpark figure on this project?
A: Let me take some measurements, ask a few questions, and in most cases, I can present you with a fairly accurate estimate of cost before I leave your home.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. My experience in design has evolved from my prior career as an art director for graphic design and advertising firms in New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC.
In 2001, I formed Jed Dinger Design by creating a line of one-off studio furniture shown at shows and galleries in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC. As I began to deliver orders for custom furniture, my business grew into designing and fabricating custom cabinetry for residential clients. For the last 10 years, I have been specialized in serving clients who enjoy having their homes serve them in way that reflects their sense of style and organization. Personal experience has shown me how much even a simple piece of furniture can organize, beautify and distinguish a room.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. I was asked to create a storage cabinet for a large collection of women's shoes. The husband was doing this as a surprise gift. The requirements were that it match the existing, country French style bedroom set and be located at the foot of the bed. It should take the form of a bench, but be completely enclosed. The doors had to open in a way that would allow his wife to sit on the bench and open them easily.
I designed and built a bench with hand-carved legs that matched the bedroom set. The doors were done in a tambour (think appliance garage door in a kitchen) style, that retracted into the left and right sides of the cabinet.
At a capacity of only 28 pairs of shoes, it was only able to contain a small portion of the collection. The client was still very happy with the result.

Q. What is your greatest strength?

A. Communication. I get all email on my phone, and usually respond within the hour, up until about 9pm. Communication also extends to the detailed 3D CAD drawings that I submit with every job. If there are changes or unresolved details, you can depend on me to submit a written quote or record of the discussion, so that when the piece is delivered the only surprise is seeing it exactly as you had expected to, only better.