An Old Wardrobe Makeover with Cutshop®
Bespoke cabinetry specialist Carl Steward has worked on a wide range of projects in his career: restoring church organs, designing kitchens and managing shop fitouts - just to name a few. After gaining extensive experience and honing his skills, he launched Get Tuit Cabinetry: a bespoke cabinetry company that designs and installs unique custom cabinetry. Because all of Carl’s projects are bespoke and typically don’t use standard unit dimensions, he’s been ordering his cut-to-size materials through Cutshop® for over three years.
“Cutshop® are really helpful and I always use them.”
- Carl Steward
For this project, Carl’s client had asked him to makeover an old built-in wardrobe within their 100-year-old villa. They wanted to convert it so that it would create a relaxing space that could be used as a TV and reading room - that would also provide ample storage. Specifically, they wanted a modern unit that would include soft-close hinges, no handles and a distinct colour scheme.
“It was a combination job. The cabinetry part of the job involved creating a space for the client. The other part I did was the additional detailing and painting - that’s the part, I find, that people really want.”
Working with Cutshop®
Carl put together a design, based on his client’s brief, and sent it through to the Cutshop® North Shore team - who then provided product solutions based on Carl’s detailed specifications. Carl’s final order included white Melteca units with specialised dark edging.
“The staff are very helpful, they accommodate my quirky one-off designs, and the process of working with them is smooth. For most of my work, I ask Cutshop® to assemble the units and deliver them. But this one was a special request that Cutshop® made. They built the bookshelves, screwed them together and then dismantled them.”
This meant that, once Carl had sanded and painted the bookshelves, he could easily put them back together again before installing them.
“Because I do small-to-medium, bespoke bookshelves, laundries, kitchen adjustments and audio units, etc., working with Cutshop® is great - they enable my designs to fit into someone’s house and enhance their environment while adding value to their house and their life.”
Logistical Challenges
“Because I was taking panels off a very old built-in wardrobe, I didn’t quite know what to expect. I had to anticipate how to fill gaps, scribe and utilise the extra panels for this job. As you can see from the photographs, there was a gap above the unit - and the top of the cupboards weren’t usable - so we put the cabinetry in, put the extra filling pieces in and then put a piece of ply over it, but reflecting the shaker door style with shaker beading as a feature. We were trying to make a feature unit, as well as something modern that could seamlessly blend in with an old villa.”
The Finished Unit
“I was very pleased. The client was very happy because they were on holiday. I did all the work while they were away, and gave them progress photographs, and then they came back to the finished project. The panels were great, Cutshop® did a good job, they helped me with my process, everything was ready to pick up, the fitting of it was good and the client was really, really happy.”
To learn more about Carl’s bespoke cabinetry services, visit: gettuitcabinetry.com.
