Custom for the obvious reasons that they don't need to be fiddled with to make fit and there's no wasted space.

The issue comes down to VALUE, and how you define that. If there is a time element (and I believe there is), no question that semi-custom or full-custom is a better value. Knowing something about joinery myself, I seriously doubt the majority of Ikea or other RTA cabinets will hold up over time in a comparable way to cabinets made to standards specified by the Architectural Woodworking Institute (AWI). Especially when you consider the average homeowner does not know when a cam-lock fastener is not fully engaged, or is over-torqued and has begun to split the particleboard. For those who define VALUE as "it looks good, and I'm only planning to live here 2 years, I don't have kids, and nothing heavy is in the wall cabinets," go with RTA. It'll be the next owner's problem. If you've made a true investment in your home, treat it as such and buy quality!

By the way, many cabinet lines are referred to as semi-custom or full-custom. Semi allows the purchaser to specify features and finishes, within specific size ranges. Full-custom allows the purchaser to specify every/all characteristics. Most custom cabinet shops design and produce using standard cabinet dimensions. Many factory lines offer choices of styles and finishes. Some higher-end factory lines offer true custom work, where the purchaser can specify everything for 1 or all the cabinets. Don't assume "custom" always means commissioned or "bespoke." It may, or may not. And some custom shops can turn out sub-standard work, so shop wisely!

If you can afford custom, it's clearly a great option- no wasted space and you can really play with the design and proportions. Sometimes however, if the budget doesn't allow, working with ready to assemble or a company that has very limited sizes will leave you enough room financially to afford the other elements in the kitchen that make a huge statement too- like lighting, a great counter top and a nice backsplash. Don't even get me started on the range of prices in the appliance department. The color/finish choice can make or break this lower end cabinet option and so can the installation. If you choose a good finish and color, get a skilled installer and design the layout appropriately, it's certainly a viable option that can yield some pretty killer results. It's not always easy! But we've made it work on many occasions.

Custom made is my choice,but i have seen some fantastic flatpack kitchens tweeked with custom finishes.

This is not a simple thing to vote on because there are too many variables in what is a "custom cabinet" and for that matter ready to assemble. I am not a pro, but I have probably spent more time thinking about the purchase of kitchen cabinets than any other purchase in my life. Crazy, maybe. Ultimately, if I had a small budget for cabinets, and/or was handy at adding value to cabinets, or had a kitchen with pretty ideal dimensions, then I would vote for Ikea, as long as the new cabinets seem as good as the old line. In this circumstance, I might also try to find salvaged cabinets from someone who is wealthy and remodels their kitchen somewhat regularly. With a very large budget, I would vote for a high end national or regional custom line, or outstanding local custom company. This would be to save time, kind of like buying Tiffany jewelry, instead of spending time researching something of equal quality for less money. With my budget, I chose to go with a semi-custom line that offered a lot of flexibility, associated with a good designer, that also had custom options that could be mixed in for more money and that option was not one of the candidates to vote on.

I have lived in homes/apartments with old custom cabinets and semi-custom cabinets both all plywood and furniture board construction, 5 to 7 year old Ikea Akrurum cabinets. (I have not seen or used there current Sektion cabinets), and terrible RTA cabinets and have now purchased a combination of custom and semi-custom cabinets for my current home, though they have yet to be installed.

My more particular thoughts: I would not generally go with RTA cabinets because many of the ones I have used were poorly constructed an fell apart easily, but I would not hesitate to purchase a home with Ikea cabinets, as long as the kitchen was well designed for cooking. The Ikea cabinets were thoughtfully designed and reasonably well put together. The white, I think thermofoil doors yellowed in the sun, so I would use only paint or stain on the exterior. The interior melamine finish was easy to clean. They are a very reasonable budget choice for cabinets. It is possible to do a hack and upgrade the doors yourself or have someone custom make them. I have not priced it out, but I suspect that may push you into semi-custom pricing and allow for cabinets that come in smaller increments, so you do not waste valuable kitchen space with a lot of fillers. You may also end up with a heartier finish. I have little kids and they are hard on things. I swear, all it takes is one 5 minute stretch of adult alone time for even well meaning, but curious children to cause serious damage to a home. Many small custom cabinet makers cannot provide as good of a finish as many larger semi-custom lines, but without kids I suspect any place that produces a finish that looks good to you will be adequate for the purpose.

When it comes to the cabinet box or carcass, I decided to go with a line that I believe is composed of 3/4" M2 furniture board, with dowel joinery, and melamine interior. Cabinets do not move, so I suspect that anything 1/2" or thicker and joined with pocket holes is going to last decades. This is based on seeing decades old 1/2" pocket holed cabinets that are still in good shape and how much easier I find it to clean the melamine interiors. Had I decided to go with glass doors, I would have chosen a plywood veneer interior. I almost went with all-ply construction despite the recommendations of my kitchen designer, so the cabinets would all have matching interiors and because I worried about the particle board falling apart from a leak under the sink. When I eventually found out the type of plywood that was used in the custom and semi-custom line I went with, I found out that it is composed of plywood veneers on a particle board veneer. (I understand this is to allow for a smoother finish.) So, I decided to save a grand or two by skipping the plywood, except for a custom cart I had made. I suspect there are some local custom cabinet makers that would be willing to make true all-ply cabinets, but that decision comes with other trade offs.

I use a creative Kraftmaid designer and a custom cabinet builder. This gives my client to explore different designs and budgets. The custom guy can build widths and features that aren't typically done with Kraftmaid. Both seem to price out rather similar.

I have to say that I think the answer to this question is entirely subjective.

My RTA cabinets from Conestoga Wood Specialties are customizable to 1/16th of an inch for height, width and depth. All plywood, choice of many species (I chose maple), 3/4" plywood shelves, maple or birch drawer boxes and ROTs, choice of full overlay, partial overlay or inset; twin I-beam construction for base cabinets instead of plastic corners; optional solid wood shelves for uppers; more door styles than Kraftmaid, Diamond or Schuler; Blumotion full extension soft close drawer glides, Blum 6-way adjustable hinges, pantries whose ROTs can be adjusted vertically without tools, available extended stiles, available top and bottom finish panels for uppers, more types of cabinets than most major brands.

They have sliding dovetail joints and are assembled with glue and a finish nail gun; cabinet backs are 1/2" thick and have scribe lines on the back where you nail the back to the top, bottom and any fixed shelf.

Oh, time and price. My 18 cabinets took an average of 30 minutes each to assemble the box. Doors, drawer glides, ROTs, drawer fronts and handles 11 hours tops. So about 20 hours all told

Compared to all plywood version of Schuler, I saved about $13,000 using CWS. So if you make $650 an hour, the time you work to earn the extra $13,000 is a wash with the time to assemble CWS.

Installation is identical for preassembled cabinets and is a wash.

Excellent Hal, you are fortunate to be an expert DIYer. Some of us aren't, don't have the tools, time or strength. My customs were worth every penny to me. The go to the ceiling, are the depth I wanted, the exact stain and configuration, and they are made exceptionally well. From demo to cooking dinner in my new kitchen took one month and came in at budget. I don't get the pride of a DIYer, though. Your kitchen is lovely.

As a custom cabinetry manufacturer we specialize in creating dream kitchens. Custom cabinetry allows our clients to utilize their kitchen to its fullest potential. For a local, high quality product our prices are actually quite competitive with RTA. When looking to add customized storage solution and high end looks, custom cabinetry is the best way to go.

Here is my customized interior storage solution achieved with CWS RTA cabinets:

I had a 69 1/2" wide wall cavity that had been twin closets 24" deep. To provide a little wiggle room where I had jack studs at either end, I ordered twin 34" wide pantries.

I chose all plywood construction with paint grade hard maple face frames, doors and drawer fronts. The cabinet backs came standard 1/2" thick. I chose flush sides to make the sides 3/4" thick and to make the two cabinets fit better together (typically only the face frames are flush, with a small gap between cabinet sides).

I chose one door style for the lower doors and an arched style for the upper doors, so the door styles matched the upper and lower door styles of my other cabinets. I had a choice of more than 100 door styles, each available in full overlay, partial overlay or inset.

I chose to have a recessed toe kick but had the option of a flush base with no toe kick.

Inside I had the choice of shelves or rollout trays. I chose shelves for the top and ROTs for the bottom.

My ROTs were sized to fit the door opening. Each came with Blumotion full extension glides with soft close, rated for 100 lbs. A quick release mechanism allows each ROT to be removed from the pantry.

Unlike most pantry systems, the vertical space between my ROTs can be adjusted WITHOUT TOOLS to best use the space. So I can have narrow spacing between ROTs containing canned goods, more space for cereal and even more for bulk items like paper towels.

Because of that vertical versatility I ordered an extra ROT for each pantry, for a total of 10.

It took less than a day to assemble and install.

With this kind of flexibility with RTA cabinets, why would I want custom? (I understand for people who may not want to DIY, who may not have the skill set or time).

I don't see how any "custom " shop could better utilize the space.

Custom isn't always best. Some custom work is high quality but so are some RTA brands such as CWS (BTW, many "custom" shops use CWS cabinets as a private label cabinet line; and some brands of cabinets have their doors and drawer fronts manufactured by CWS).

People who think RTA cabinets are all made of poor quality materials and have limited size offerings haven't done their homework.

Ark Design home INCLUDES the fees of a Professional Interior Designer and team to assist our clients to their final best choices. At less than $210/sq.ft construction costs on their property. Definately go custom!

Most definitely custom

Would love to know the results of your poll on RTA vs Custom? What are people buying?