In short
- Establish the building's rules before the design, not before the installation.
- Concrete ceilings and post-tensioned slabs limit what can be fixed and where.
- Plumbing and ventilation positions are usually fixed by the building.
- Storage, not style, is the problem custom cabinetry solves in most condos.
Condominium cabinetry is some of the most rewarding work we do, because the constraints are real and solving them properly makes a visible difference to how a unit lives. But the constraints have to be established at the start. A design that assumes something the building does not permit is a design that gets rebuilt.
Establish these before designing
Questions for your property manager or board
- What are the permitted working hours, and are weekends allowed?
- How far in advance must the service elevator and loading dock be booked?
- What certificate of insurance does the contractor need to provide, and for what amount?
- Are there restrictions on drilling into ceilings or structural walls?
- Is there a minimum acoustic rating for hard flooring, and does the declaration specify an underlay?
- Does any work require board approval or an alteration agreement?
- Can water be shut off to the unit, and what notice is required?
- Are there restrictions on altering plumbing or ventilation?
- Where can waste be placed, and is a bin permitted on site?
The physical constraints
- Concrete ceilings and slabs
- Fixing into a post-tensioned slab is restricted or prohibited in many buildings, because the cables inside must not be hit. Where ceiling fixing is limited we design units to be floor-bearing and wall-restrained instead. This changes the construction but very little about how it looks.
- Fixed plumbing positions
- Kitchen and bathroom stacks are shared building services and rarely movable. The sink and the drain stay where they are, and the cabinetry is designed around them rather than the reverse.
- Ventilation
- Many units use a recirculating hood because there is no exterior duct. That affects what the cooktop can reasonably be, and it is worth knowing before choosing a range.
- Window walls
- Floor-to-ceiling glazing means very little usable wall. What remains has to work harder, which usually means taller cabinetry and more considered interiors.
- Bulkheads and building services
- Sprinkler mains, fan-coil units and risers frequently intrude. Access to them must be maintained, so cabinetry over them uses removable panels rather than fixed fronts.
Where the value actually is
In a house, custom cabinetry is often about fit and appearance. In a condo it is almost always about storage — and the returns are unusually good, because the baseline is so poor. Developer cabinetry is specified to a price, and the gap between it and a properly planned interior is larger in a small unit than anywhere else.
- Go to the ceiling. The 400 millimetres above standard uppers is the single largest piece of wasted volume in most condos.
- Replace doors with drawers. A base cupboard in a small kitchen is nearly unusable at the back. A deep drawer is not.
- Use the full depth. Stock units leave dead space at the back of corners and beside appliances. Custom does not.
- Fit out the entry closet. Often the only storage in the unit, and usually a single rail and shelf. A fitted interior with hooks, a bench section and boot storage transforms it.
- Treat the den seriously. A shallow desk with proper vertical storage above turns a windowless nook into a genuine workspace.
Craft Mill Works
Design and project coordination
Written and reviewed by the Craft Mill Works design team, based on the cabinetry and millwork projects we coordinate across North York and the Greater Toronto Area. [Add a named author and a short professional biography before launch — see README § Adding articles.]
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