(Long reply, sorry in advance)
I’m going to answer your questions as best I can. I am a kitchen and bath designer (10 years), I have designed and installed many dozens of entertainment centers, including Val Cucine, Poliform, Poggenpohl, and Leicht as well as many US companies. I will start with the big cabinet companies, its been quite a few years since I owned my own shop and Forbin is much better equipped to let you know about small custom shops and their pricing structure.
Now for the questions;
- 2-3K is not in the ballpark. Sorry, but that’s about as easy as I can put it. 11’ of Poliform or similar will start at around 15K and go up to as much as 30K depending on the finish, wood species (cherry is nice but the Europeans go for more Birch and alder), number and type of pullouts, accessories, and mouldings. In point of fact, I generally estimate the labour alone for a project like yours at around $1-2,000 depending on the amount of moulding and the amount of electrical work involved.
Note that I am basing these prices on German and Italian manufacturers as that is what you mentioned. A semi custom entertainment center of those dimensions from an American cabinet company like WoodMode, Grabill, Dynasty/Omega, Craft Maid or similar quality will set you back starting at the same price but perhaps not as high, maybe they would top out at around 20-23K.
You can get stock cabinetry that may fit your budget and design from some manufacturers. Check with some of your local kitchen design centers, I know Amera and Brookhaven have Entertainment center products, as do most of the stock lines such as KraftMaid, Merillat, etc. You could probably get down to ~3-5K at this price point but it will be a more traditional look or laminate doors. Look for Shaker style doors with perhaps a laminate contrast to get a contemporary look from a mainstream company
- How to start? Make a measured drawing of your space that includes the locations of windows, doors (measure from outside of trim to outside), precise location of electrical outlets, width height and depth available of space, and what the floor and ceiling are made of.
Gather together what your storage needs are going to be. By this I mean take a look at your library, do you have all paper backs or do you have lots of big art books? Do you need closed storage (glass doors) for rare books, will you want knick knack space and if so, will you need lighting? Are you planning on putting any TV or stereo components in this center? That will drastically change the design from a strictly bookcase like storage center. If so, have the model numbers and dimensions of the equipment you want or own.
Are you going to install it yourself? If so, make sure whoever you work with knows this so they can design accordingly. There are things we can do with fillers and corner blocks that will make it easier on the DIY’er.
As for how to pick a cabinetmaker, references, references, references. Look for a place that does a lot of entertainment centers, ask your local high end audio video shops if they have a list of local cabinetmakers, ask friends for recommendations. But CHECK the references. I like to look for a place that has been in business at least a few years and I like to get references that are both new and at least a year or two old. This lets you know how their products hold up
- I covered most of this in #1 but I will touch on a few other salient points.
IKEA actually has some decent quality stuff if you look at what you are buying. The Bonde stuff is pretty nice for what it is and I would happily put it in my house. I have in fact spec’ed IKEA for some condo rehabs in Wicker Park and three years later the builder has not had any problems with them. The thing to stay away from is where they try to go super chap, painted pine (DIY), the lowest two levels of their lines basically. Maybe nachoforsara can offer some advice as she works or worked??) at IKEA. It is not in the same league as any of the Italian or German Mfr’s, and I would not expect it to hold up as well as a locally custom made piece.
Don’t be afraid of engineered lumber. By this I mean MDF, medium density fiberboard. This is what all that expensive Euro stuff is made out of and the IKEA stuff is as well, if a slightly coarser grain of material that won’t hold up to repeated disassembly but is still quite stable. In fact even if I was designing a plywood construction entertainment center, for any shelf over 30” I would spec veneered MDF with a wood facing as plywood will warp and sag more than the MDF and the MDF is more stable and resistant to humidity.
Another option is to call a local Vocational tech school or similar program at a community college if you are looking for cheap. Sometimes the instructors will give you the name of a student and have the work count towards a grade. If you do this, make sure you have a GOOD design. I would recommend taking that drawing you made and splurge for a design center to get a design you can take with you. I know Home Depot and other Borg like entities have seminars on design that are often run by the manufacturers’ reps and can be very informative.
If I were in your shoes, with 2-3K to spend, I’d go for the IKEA, spend the rest on new books and stereo stuff! Another reason to go with them is your living arrangements, is this a permanent home or will you be leaving in a few years? The modular design of IKEA means you will most likely be able to fit into whatever new space you are in, you may have to omit or add a cabinet or two, but you will most likely be able to reuse most of the entertainment center.
I’m sorry if this isn’t what you wanted to hear, but cabinetry is mighty darn expensive these days! Feel free to email me if you have any questions re: design or specific manufacturer info.
