Miss Porters watch out… I recently spent three days in the finishing department at Bentwood’s factory in Lancaster, Texas where I had the honor of experiencing first-hand the amazing work of one of the very best custom kitchen cabinet manufacturers in the country. These folks push the boundaries of the word “Custom” with a manufacturing process that melds old-world joinery and finishing with sophisticated technology. All of us at Kitchen Designs like to test their “YES WE CAN!” philosophy, and we did just that when customizing the “French Elegance” master bath that won the 2010 NKBA Design Competition award with Bentwood cabinetry. Rubin (pictured with me below), head of the finishing department, has the patience of a saint and welcomes the challenge of getting custom finishes just right. In fact, Bentwood offers an incredible service that allows our clients to spend a day working with Ruben if they wish to tweek the custom finish on their own kitchen.
Ken, Randy, Grace
Bentwood Luxury Kitchens began in 1989 when Randy Pittard (pictured left) and Wyman Stewart combined their 30 years of experience in kitchen design and opened a custom cabinet furniture shop just outside of Dallas. Kevin Bryant later joined their team to help manage the company’s explosive growth. Their team of more than 125 designers and woodworkers handcraft thousands of luxury kitchens across the US, and we have the privilege of designing with this line on a daily basis. Bentwood gives us enormous flexibility and complete control over the final result because everything is crafted in house. They allows us to create unique, exquisite furniture-grade cabinetry in catalyzed finishes so durable that a permanent Sharpie pen mark can wipe clean with acetone and not affect the finish (demonstrated at the factory). When I worked with Rubin in the finishing department to create my own custom sample, I nearly fainted trying to decide which color combination and finishing techniques I would use for my cabinet sample. The choices are almost infinite.
Additionally, since Bentwood has an in-house machine shop, they are capable of making a new custom knife that will cut any molding design we create. This capability also allows us (you) to match an existing piece of molding in your home (even if it was from 1812).
Over the next few months, Ken and I look forward to sharing with you some fantastic new photography of our beautiful Bentwood Luxury Kitchens, including the SubZero Wolf East showroom we recently had the privilege of renovating (see photos here).
