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Gil Avivi designs & builds Handmade, Custom wood furniture & cabinets in Toronto. Gil avivi specializes in high end solid wood furniture, reclaimed wood furniture & custom cabinets.

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Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Cabinet Organization

We use our kitchen more than any other room in our home, it’s the lynchpin of every household. And yet it’s almost always the most chaotic and least organized of them all.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a perfectly organized kitchen, to know exactly where everything is at all times and to have a clear, uncluttered counter top?

Given that we spend most of our time in this room, can you imagine the domino effect this would have on the rest of your home and your life?

Sounds like an impossible dream? Well it really isn’t. A gloriously organized kitchen is well within your grasp. All it takes is a little time, patience and knowledge of your habits to get started.

For 30 years now, we’ve been making custom cabinets for Toronto kitchens, and we like to think we know a little bit about how to organize them.

So what follows is a distillation of the organizational knowledge we’ve gained in our many years crafting custom made furniture.

Table Of Contents

A Cabinet Maker’s Tips for Easy Kitchen Organization

Though we’ve seen many constants in peoples’ kitchen preferences, everyone’s perfect kitchen is slightly different. A good kitchen needs to be molded uniquely around you and your lifestyle.

But before you do anything, our advice is to de-clutter and get rid of what you don’t use or need first. Even if you think your kitchen is organized, you may be surprised (or not) at how much you have to throw away.

And perhaps what you once thought was a storage-poor kitchen will have ample space for all you have left. You might find that you don’t actually require as much storage space as you first thought. Or you may come to the conclusion that you need more storage solutions.

Either way this is an important step because, by doing this, you become aware of your space and what you’re using it for, which will give you insight into what a uniquely perfect kitchen would look like for you.

What are your pain points? How would better kitchen cabinet organization solve them? We’ve put together a few ideas to get your juices flowing:

Organize Your Kitchen into Usage Areas.

This is a game changer. It’s amazing how much time we waste going back and forth from cabinet to cabinet when we don’t think our kitchen setup through. Above all, your kitchen must be built around you and the way you use it, which requires a bit of forethought. That’s why we’d recommend organizing your kitchen space around three distinct areas for maximum efficiency and convenience.

Firstly, your Cooking Area should have pots, pans and cooking utensils readily available around the stove, whether hanging or in a cabinet. Keep your spices, herbs and oils nearby, arranged from most to least used, ready to be grabbed mid-stir.

Cabinet Makers TorontoWe all know how annoying it is to have to pace back and forth about the kitchen when cooking, madly opening and closing cabinet doors searching for that missing ingredient. Keeping everything in one small area will save you so much time, believe us.

Then create a Dish Area for your bowls, dishes and glasses—everything you use on a daily basis. These should be located near the kitchen table or dishwasher (both if possible) for easy serving and clearing. Keep rarely used, fancier, dish ware in less accessible spaces, and everyday dishes easily accessible on the lower shelves or in drawers.

Thirdly, have a Storage Area where all reusable containers, plastic wrap and tin foil can be found, ready for wrapping leftovers.

Need more information about Custom Cabinets maker in Toronto contact Gil Avivi Ant Man Woodworking & Design

Once you start to think of your kitchen in this way, and build it around your habits and specific uses, it’ll take you a fraction of the time to get dinner on the table.

Your Counter is Not a Storage Space.

We all start off with such good intentions, but sometimes and little by little, extra items and foodstuffs make their way onto our work surfaces. And before we know it, what was once a temporary solution becomes permanent. Our once-pristine counter becomes a messy nightmare.

These are the many jars, kitchen utensils, spices and cooking books that often obscure the surface of our kitchens. They belong in well-made, organized kitchen cabinets and drawers, not the counter. Keeping it clear means it can be used as it’s meant to be—for cooking and serving.

custom cabinetsSo why does this keep happening? Is it because we’re lazy? No, it isn’t. It’s because we don’t think to give proper homes to the items we accumulate in our kitchen. The Cardinal Rule of kitchen organization is that everything needs a home, no matter what it is.

Hopefully this rule, together with a strict No Clutter counter policy will force you to use your cabinets more efficiently. If nothing can sit on the counter, then it will have to be stored away in its cabinet home.

But what to do with those hefty and ubiquitous appliances—the juicers, blenders, mixers, coffee machines, steamers, toasters, microwaves, pressure cookers etc.? Well that’s what appliance garages are for. Appliance garages are a wonderful piece of custom furniture specifically created to keep appliances accessible, plugged in, but conceal them when they are out of use.

Another nifty gadget is the mixer lift, which your back will thank you for. Install this in a floor level cabinet to lift your heavier appliances like mixers from below to counter top level. And when you’re done, simply stow it back below again.

Containers are an Organized Cabinet’s Best Friend.

We’re all too familiar with that post-spring clean feeling—if we haven’t properly organized and compartmentalized what’s left, it soon descends into chaos.

Again, this most often stems from not giving each thing its own home and place to perch. There really is no better way to do this than with containers and labels. Once you’ve gone to the trouble of sorting and clearly labelling your containers, there’s no way you’ll forget where anything goes again.

Organize your food into intuitive groups tailored to your usage and you’ll never waste precious cooking time searching your kitchen for missing items again. Better still, you’ll actually have room to cook.

Get a Free Estimate for your Toronto Built In furniture @  416-746-3204

Store pulses, beans, rice and other grains in labelled jars. Transparent baskets and bins will help organize snack bars, breads, chips, vegetables and other foodstuffs that would otherwise clutter your counter-top.

You’ll be amazed at how organizing everything into its own labelled container and home will go a long way to creating a blissfully calm and organized kitchen. It’ll look and feel so good, you’ll actually look forward to placing items away in their own proper place when you’re done (we promise!).

Easy Access—Using Pull-Out Shelves and Lazy Susans.

Tired of searching the netherworld at the back of your cabinets for that can of soup or beans? Now you’ve spent all that time organizing your culinary goods, it’d be nice to be able to access them freely, wouldn’t it? Pull-out shelves and Lazy Susans have been created to solve just this problem.

Cabinets with pull-out shelves come in many shapes and sizes depending on your needs, and can be used to store anything—pots and pans, spices, utensils, glasses, vegetables and even trash cans. Simply open the cabinet door, and out the shelves slide for easy access to whatever you require.

The Lazy Susan is a simpler but popular solution for those tricky corner cabinet spaces. Like pull-out drawers, it gives easy access to condiments, jars and other food items, rotating so you don’t have to delve deep into the cabinet’s recesses.

And corner drawers, specially made for your space is another example of Modern furniture that gives you full access to everything in the corner of your kitchen.

Divide up Your Drawers.

Now we’ve got your cabinets organized, let’s take a look at drawers. Often overlooked, they’re actually a source of enormous organizational potential. For one, we don’t need to worry about our food languishing forgotten at the back of them.

But, maybe for this very reason, we often neglect to realize their full storage potential. Usually drawers are the repository of haphazardly placed oven mitts, dishcloths, silverware and all sorts of utensils that just make no organizational sense together.

This is where dowel drawer dividers come in useful. Whatever you’re using your drawers for, divide them up accordingly using dowel dividers to give each item its own home. You’ll never have to rummage aimlessly through your drawers again!

And, if you have deep drawers, you don’t have to use them just for the usual suspects—silverware and utensils. Deep drawers are ideal for dishes, glasses, pots and pans—just make sure they are of sturdy construction and won’t buckle under extra weight.

If they prove strong enough you can go wild—use racks to create varying levels on which to stack them pots, pans, dishes and plates, making the best use of your deep drawer’s ample vertical space.

Use Every Bit of Space You Have for Ultimate Efficiency.

Another often-overlooked piece of kitchen real estate is your cabinet doors. Put them to work by attaching racks, hooks, railings and boxes in which you can store chopping boards, spices, pot lids, foil and plastic wrap dispensers, storage containers, plastic bags, measuring spoons, cleaning bottles…the list really is endless.

And don’t forget your kitchen’s vertical space. Use hooks to hang pots, pans, kitchen utensils, towels, gadgets, and cups.

Hanging may be fun, but try not to over-crowd your kitchen—you don’t want it to look too cluttered. Our aim here is always to make your kitchen the most efficient and organized it can be in the space available.

When it Comes to Custom Furniture, No Space is Too Small or Unusual.

Any cabinet maker worth their salt will always be able to find a practical and aesthetically pleasing solution for unusual spaces and specific storage needs. Never think that a space is too small or too weirdly shaped. Just because you won’t be able to find a cabinet in a store that fits, doesn’t mean it’s an impossible task.

Wall or base fillers, for example, fit storage into a narrow space that most would deem too small. And whether it’s a pull-out ironing board, footstool, paper towel holder or just transforming a redundant space into a useful one, custom cabinets can be fitted with nearly every kind of hardware you can imagine to suit your every need. If you have a vision, don’t give up on it, just ask an expert!

So that’s it—a handful of the organizational nuggets we’ve picked up in our years creating dream kitchens for our customers. We hope this has given you some great ideas on how to organize your cabinets for a better functioning kitchen.

Uniquely Custom Made Furniture

Of course, there’s so much more to reorganizing and having uniquely custom made furniture for your kitchen than can be conveyed in this short blog post.

There’s a lot to think about and consider when designing a kitchen that fits you like a glove. And that’s where we come in.

For three decades, Gil Avivi Ant Man Woodworking & Design has been designing custom cabinets for Toronto based homes and businesses. We’ve helped thousands of people transform their kitchens into a unique expression of their needs and lifestyle.

But no two clients or kitchens are the same. And that’s why we provide our customers with thorough private consultations before creating custom furniture that’s unique to them, their vision, space and existing decor.

We take the time to get to know our customers and what they need from their custom cabinets, crafting unique solutions from scratch in the finest quality, durable hard and softwoods.

No off-the-shelf mass-market cabinet can compete with the unrivalled durability and uniqueness of custom furniture tailored to you and your family.

Want to find out if we can make your dream kitchen a reality?

Talk to a Toronto based cabinet maker at 416-746-3204 to book your consultation today.

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The Difference Between a Cabinet Maker and a Carpenter

In Toronto and up and down the country, buying custom furniture is a trend that looks like it’s here to stay, as people strive for unique and original pieces of furniture to help their décor stand out. With that in mind, if you’re looking for custom cabinets & Modern Furniture , make sure you go to a cabinet maker instead of a carpenter – here’s why.

Isn’t a Cabinet Maker the Same as a Carpenter?

It’s easy to see why some might think they’re the same thing – they both work with wood to make furniture after all. However, they’re actually very different. Whereas a carpenter may use their expertise to work with larger scale structural projects and lean more towards the building side of things, a cabinet maker is more specialized in a certain area – cabinets. They tend to focus on finer details and the more artistic, artisanal side of the trade than their carpenter counterparts.

Reasons Why You Should Use a Cabinet Maker

Increased Specialization

Both cabinet making and being a carpenter are highly-skilled jobs that require an understanding of angles, wood and tools that go way above and beyond what the average person can do with a hammer and nails. However, those who make cabinets take their craft a step further when it comes to attention to detail and preciseness.

Cabinet making is an art form and requires a certain degree of mastery for someone to even identify themselves as a cabinet maker. Often involving years of training and dedication to one specific trade, they are highly specialized workers with a wealth of experience and a depth of knowledge to draw from when it comes to crafting the perfect cabinet for you.

It’s this increased level of specialization and expertise that makes the cabinet maker the obvious choice over a carpenter when it comes to choosing whom to build your custom cabinets. They’ll have made hundreds before and can offer advice on the design, functionality and the specifications of your cabinet – priceless advice that a carpenter can’t offer.

Access to the Right Tools

Cabinet making requires more than just a hammer and nails. Any cabinet making project will require a series of different drill bits, jigsaws, finishing staples and many more specialized tools that a carpenter in Toronto simply might not have access to.

Without having access to the appropriate tools, it’s unlikely that your cabinet will be made to the high quality and finish you might expect from a custom piece of furniture. That’s why you should look to a cabinet maker to make your custom cabinets – they’ll have all the tools ready at their disposal, and so will be able to produce a cabinet of the highest level of quality for you.

A Higher Quality Product

There’s no denying that a cabinet maker will produce a higher quality product. Fluent in the art of joinery, a cabinet maker can make the joints and edges of your cabinet fit seamlessly, not using obvious nails and screws like a carpenter might. They’ll ensure it’s correctly stained, that it comes adorned with beautiful handles and that’s it’s functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. Whilst it may be more expensive than using a carpenter, you’ll certainly get what you pay for.

Carpenter
Modern Furniture by Gil Avivi Custom Furniture

Cost vs Quality

If you want a high quality piece of custom furniture, you’ll have to turn to cabinet makers for it – and you’ll probably pay more for the privilege. But the product will be second to none. Whilst a carpenter will invariably be cheaper, so will the cabinet itself. Custom pieces are show pieces in a home, and we feel they’re more than worth the few extra dollars to have a truly unique and beautiful piece of furniture.

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Custom Cabinets: A Guide to the Most Common Handle Types

With the housing market what it is in Toronto, an increasing number of people are turning to redecorating their own homes instead of moving. A great way that people have chosen to spruce up their rooms is through the use of custom furniture, such as custom cabinets. However, it’s not just as simple as asking for a custom cabinet – there are a number of fine details to consider, and perhaps none more important than the handle type.

Custom Cabinets – Why the Handle Matters

It might seem silly to think that such a small thing will have such a profound effect on the aesthetic of your room, but it really does. Handles can either work to tie in the existing look of a room and blend it together – or they can be an important feature, a showpiece and focal point to give your room some extra sparkle and pizazz. Here are some of the most common types of handles available.

Custom cabinets Toronto
Custom cabinets

Knobs

  • Knobs are without a doubt the classic option when it comes to a handle for your custom cabinet. A throwback to the past, knobs may look simple but it’s their understated nature that makes them far more important than you might think. They can really say a lot about you, and their rustic charm really is quite appealing.
  • Knob handle types are available in two forms – solid and hollow. Solid knobs are sturdier and heavier, giving your cabinet an expensive and antique feel. Hollow knobs, on the other hand, may be lighter but their hollow nature means that it’s possible to print textures or patterns on their surface, helping them to stand out even further.
  • Perhaps not the most ergonomic of the handle types on offer, they’re certainly bold and can make a statement.

 Pulls

Where knobs might have been a nod to the past, pulls are certainly the future. Much sleeker and usually shinier, pulls are a popular choice due to the large number of options available.

  • Pull-type handles are available in several styles. Handle pulls are the classic option – connected on either side to the cabinet to ensure ease of use. Bar pulls are similar, yet their ends extend past the connection to the cabinet, and are increasingly popular in modern homes. Cup pulls and finger pulls are somewhere in between knobs and pulls – more substantial than a knob and longer, yet they’re a solid handle which you use by placing your fingers on, rather than around. Perhaps the most stylish of all is the bail pull, a pivoting handle, which is used almost exclusively for drawers.
  • Whilst pull handles are certainly easier to use, some can look a little too simple and it’s argued they don’t do enough to stand out.
Custom made furniture Toronto
Custom made furniture by Gil Avivi Custom Furniture

Materials and Finishes

Depending on the finish and the colour of your custom cabinet, there’s a wide range of materials and finishes available for your custom cabinet. From an old-school style brass handle to a modern, sleek aluminum, it really depends on how the cabinet itself looks. If you favour a rustic, classic knob handle, then pewter or brass might be best for you, but if you’re looking towards the future then aluminum is a timeless option for you.

Pulls or Knobs? You Decide!

In this day and age, both pull and knob type handles are comfortable, stylish and easy enough to use, so it really comes down to your preferences. Whilst knobs might be best for a rustic look, it’s not always the case as a bail pull can also achieve this effect. Similarly, you could get an aluminum knob and still have a modern kitchen. The best advice is to visit your local cabinet maker in Toronto to get an idea of what will work and what won’t.

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5 Red Flags to Watch Out for with Custom Furniture Suppliers

With the housing market not what it once was and more and more people turning to renting, many are looking towards changing the inside of their homes, rather than changing their home completely or its appearance. As a result, custom made furniture is on the rise in Toronto, with people keen to own their own unique product. However, with custom furniture comes cowboys – here’s what to look out for if you’re going custom.

Custom Furniture Suppliers – 5 Red Flags to Look Out For

Reclaimed wood Toronto

1. They Don’t Provide Drawings or Details

When buying anything custom, you’re placing a certain level of trust in the supplier as to whether or not they can provide exactly what you’re looking for or near enough. With that in mind, detail is key when it comes to reassuring a customer that the brief is understood and that they’ll get what they’re asking for. Drawings are a great way to do this. Any furniture maker worth their salt will be more than happy to provide a drawing with enough details to give you an idea of what the product will be like. If they won’t do this or don’t reassure you with details, then find someone else – there are plenty of suppliers in Toronto who’ll be more than happy to oblige.

2. They are Reluctant to Give a Final Price

Some people are naturally shy and feel uncomfortable when it comes to asking a price – especially if the supplier is reluctant to give one – but it’s essential that you do. Not only will this help you to budget, it can help prevent any nasty surprises you didn’t plan for, such as not knowing that the accessories and handles weren’t included or whether or not you were overcharged for anything. Get a quote and get it in writing – you’ll be thankful for it later.

3. They Don’t Want to Give a Timeframe or Schedule

Custom Furniture Suppliers isn’t flat-pack furniture and so you need to be aware that it might take a little while to be completed. However, you should always be told a rough timeframe of when it will be ready. By not knowing this, you could be overcharged in terms of labour costs or be waiting far longer than you might have expected.

4. They Won’t Allow Any Form of Payment Plan

As we’ve already mentioned, it can be quite daunting to get furniture built from scratch – not to mention quite expensive. That’s why payment plans are common in the industry – not only do they allow you to pay in installments – making it easier on your finances – but it gives you more control over production, moving along once you’re happy with the progress. That’s why you should be skeptical about a company who doesn’t offer this – are they open to changes along the manufacturing process? Will they give you money back if you’re not satisfied? Approach them with caution, or avoid if you have your worries.

5. They Won’t Let You Visit to Check on Progress

This is a big one. If you’re paying for it, you should be able to check up on it to see if it’s what you asked for. Those who don’t allow this clearly have something to hide, or don’t care about satisfying your needs.

 Buying Custom Furniture Suppliers

Be Excited, Not Scared,  because of excitement – not trepidation. Whilst there can be pitfalls along the way, look at for these five red flags and before you know it you’ll be the proud owner of a beautiful piece of custom furniture, and the envy of the town.

To know more about Custom made furniture in Toronto and Custom Furniture Suppliers Contact Gil Avivi Custom Furniture Today!

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5 Reasons Solid Wood Furniture Beats Flat-Pack Hands Down

Whether you’re moving into a new house in Toronto or simply changing the décor of your existing one, spending hours looking for and buying the right furniture is definitely one of the more exciting domestic tasks. Yet when facing the dilemma of what to by, there’s two prominent schools of thought – flat-pack versus solid wood furniture. Here’s why you should only pick solid wood furniture (Check Custom Furniture Toronto Portfolio) and wave bye-bye to your flat-pack days.

Five Reasons Solid Wood Furniture is the Type for You

1. Longevity of Solid Wood Furniture

When visiting your grandparents’ house or beautiful stately manors, it’s not often that you hear someone remarking how the bedside table is actually an antique flat-pack model from a warehouse store. The reason? Flat-pack simply doesn’t last that long. Whilst its cheap price might be attractive, by the time you’ve replaced it for the fourth time the penny might drop that actually, if you’d bought a solid wood version of the same piece of furniture, it would still be standing strong and you might have saved money. They come from a time when furniture making was an art form, and there’s a strong chance that they’ll end up outliving you – the same can’t be said for flat-pack furniture.

2. Value of Solid Wood Furniture

Flat-pack furniture is cheap when you buy it and even decreases in value once you wheel it out of the store – I bet you didn’t even think that was possible. Solid wood furniture on the other hand will not only retain its value, but it will increase in time too. You’re not just buying a piece of furniture – you’re making a sound investment. Well worth paying they extra cost at first!

3. Durability of Solid Wood Furniture

Well, what did you know, that cheap flat-pack piece of furniture made from cheap MDF boards, held together by wooden dowels and glue and assembled in thirty minutes has collapsed once you tried to keep your DVD collection on top. Surprised? We didn’t think so. Solid wood furniture – the clue is in the name – is a strong, durable product that certainly won’t be breaking any time soon, so you don’t have to worry about what you put on or in it – or whether you can build it.

4. Uniqueness  of Solid Wood Furniture

Not all pieces of solid wood furniture are priceless antiques, but they will be less common than those flat-pack pieces of furniture that every university student puts up in their dorms. If you’re wanting to stand out from the crowd a little bit in Toronto, than pay the small premium and get buy a piece of furniture that you know your friends won’t have. Not only will you have a rarer, superior product but you’ll get a reputation amongst your peers as “that person with the nice furniture” – and there are certainly worse monikers to have.

5. It’s Ready Made of Solid Wood Furniture

Whilst we all like to imagine a simple life as an artisanal carpenter, it’s certainly different from following tiny, hard to follow directions in languages you don’t understand – which is what you’ll be doing if you choose to go flat-pack. Don’t waste your precious weekends fiddling around with a tiny screwdriver and easy-to-lose pieces – pick solid wood furniture and save yourself a potentially massive headache.

It’s a No Brainer

We’ve all gone through stages in our life where we swore by flat-pack furniture. It was a quick, easy fix at the time, and we didn’t plan on using it forever anyway. However, we’ve all matured now, and some things are best left in the past. For a classy, high-quality, strong and fuss-free product, the only way to go is solid wood.

Contact Custom Furniture Toronto to know more about Solid Wood Furniture Toronto

 

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5 Tips to Help Ensure Your Cabinet Maker Produces EXACTLY What You Want

Custom made furniture is a great way to add your own signature style to the décor of your home, and so more and more people are turning to it. In order to correctly transfer the picture in your mind to a piece of custom furniture in your home, here are some tips to make sure you get exactly what you want.

5 Tips To Get What You Want From Your Custom Cabinet Maker

1. Find the right Custom cabinet maker

  • If you’re looking for a custom made cabinet, the most important thing is to find someone who has both the tools and the knowledge to make it a reality.
  • Luckily for you, there are more than a handful of people in Toronto who can do just that for you. Search online and through word of mouth to make sure that the one you pick is equipped to produce exactly what you’re looking for to avoid any potential disappointment in the future.

2. Know what you want

  • Getting a custom made cabinet from a  cabinet maker isn’t cheap, which can sting if the end product isn’t what you had in mind.
  • That’s why it’s extremely important to know what you want. Take some time to consider the style, design and features of your cabinet, and then you should be able to relay this information accurately enough to ensure you get what you’re looking for at the first time of asking. They’re not mind readers, so make sure you tell them everything you’re looking for.

3. Give them a visual cue

  • Even if you know exactly what you want, it can still be difficult to articulate this information over to the person who will be making your cabinet. For example, you may not know the correct technical term for what you’re asking for or you may simply forget to mention something.
  • To get around this issue, try to find pictures of what you’re looking for and present them to your cabinet maker. Whether it’s a certain style of draw, handle or feet, the more details you provide, the better the chance of you getting exactly what you want.

4. If it’s possible, pay them a visit

  • Once they have the brief and have begun to make your cabinet, don’t be afraid to pay them a visit if it’s possible. By making a visit or two to check the progress of your cabinet, you will have the opportunity to say whether or not it’s what you had in mind.
  • This gives you the chance to ask for changes before it’s too late, something that both you and your custom cabinet maker will be thankful for as it increases the chances of you being happy with the end product.

5. If you’re not happy, speak up!

  • The last thing anybody wants is an unhappy customer that might tell others in Toronto, and the last thing you want is a big bill for a cabinet that you’re not entirely satisfied with.
  • If you’re not completely satisfied with it, don’t be shy – speak up and tell them. Nine times out of ten it could be something that’s easy to fix, so it’s definitely worth mentioning it no matter how big or small. After all, the customer is always right, and you should get what you paid for.

Get the Cabinets You Deserve

The decision to go from flatpack furniture to custom pieces isn’t an easy – or cheap – one, so follow the above advice to ensure you get exactly what you are paying for. By giving them whatever information or pictures you can muster and by keeping in touch, you can make sure that you have the cabinet of your dreams.

Check our new article on Trends in Custom Cabinets for 2017

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Trends in Custom Cabinets for 2017

2017 is definitely the year of custom furniture, with people seeming to shun flat pack furniture in favor of furniture with a more personal touch and a chance to show off their creative flair and style. Cabinets are proving to be a popular choice when it comes to going custom, so here are some of Toronto’s top trends for custom cabinets in 2017.

4 Top Custom Cabinet Trends

1. Minimalist and monochrome

  • Gone are the days when people used to decorate their homes in weird and wonderful color schemes in order to look unique – one popular trend in today’s world is all about minimalism and monochrome palettes.
  • Black and grey cabinets were once unheard of in the home but now offer the chance to be seen as statement pieces and something a little more “out there.”
  • By keeping the colors and the lines simple and seamless, you can really tie the whole aesthetic of the house together.
  • White, minimalist cabinets are a simple and classic choice for any style of décor; from a rustic, homely cottage look to modern chic, they still look great, which is why they’re a key trend in 2017.

2. custom cabinets can cater to your specific needsFunctional furniture

  • When looking at trends of custom cabinets, it’s clear that people are choosing to buy a piece of furniture that’s just as functional as it is beautiful.
  • From built in appliances to sections that fold in and out to save space, modern cabinets are very much focused on making life easier for you and making the most of whatever space you have.
  • With photos of cabinets of this style adorning the pages of social media, it’s clear that functionality is a key trend of 2017, and one that’s unlikely to go away any time soon.

3. Homage to the old days

  • You only have to look in furniture catalogues to see that designers are increasingly looking towards the past to create trends of the future, and it’s certainly true with cabinets.
  • Many custom cabinets in Toronto and elsewhere are utilizing features of cabinets from yesteryear; whether it’s through the use of heavy handles, darker woods, gold or other subtle design features, looking to the past is definitely on trend.
  • Not only can this give you more of a unique look, it can also help your home to feel cozier, warmer and more rustic, making it definitely a trend that you should keep your eye on and something to keep in mind when it comes to designing your cabinet.

4. Embellish, embellish, embellish!

  • Say goodbye to the box-looking cabinets that grew popular in the 80s and 90s and hello to the new, embellished designs that are slowly taking over and revolutionizing living spaces.
  • Whether it’s an intricate or simple carving, a sunken or raised finish on a panel, a colored accent on a handle or a cut out, modern custom cabinets have definitely borrowed from traditional architecture with their embellished features and look more beautiful than ever before.
  • If you’re going custom, you’ve got more of an opportunity than ever before to really let your personality shine through your cabinets with the use of embellishments, allowing you to produce a cabinet that’s truly unique in both Toronto and the world.

These Trends aren’t Just for 2017 – They’re for Life

Going custom doesn’t seem to be going out of style any time soon, and with opportunities to both channel the past in your cabinets and endlessly customize through embellishments, we’re sure these trends are here to stay. With the growing use of technology in the home, keep an eye on functional cabinets that look to use tech as a key feature in cabinets.

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6 Reason to Buy Reclaimed Wood Furniture

If you have only ever bought furniture made from freshly polished new wood, you may be wondering why you would want to invest in tables, chairs, and cabinets that are manufactured from reclaimed timber. Some Toronto residents believe that anything made from recycled timber will look like it has just been dragged out of a dumpster while others have no idea what all the fuss is about and have simply never considered it before. Whichever camp you happen to be in, we hope the reasons we have listed below for making such purchases will give you pause for thought.

Reclaimed Wood Furniture: Why You Will Want to Buy It

Take a look at the benefits you can look forward to when you purchase furniture that is made from recycled timber and you will quickly see why so many people in Toronto and other areas are becoming very enthusiastic about the idea.

  • It Is Environmentally Friendly – At a time when companies and individuals alike are keen to minimize their carbon footprints in an effort to slow global warming, investing in good quality reclaimed wood furniture is a very appealing option when furnishing a new home or renovating an existing property.
  • You Will Have Unique Pieces of Furniture in Your Home – Every chair, table, closet, and dresser that is made from recycled timber is a one-off: a unique piece of furniture that none of your friends or neighbors will have in their home. If you are fed up of mass-produced furnishings that have no character, reclaimed timber furniture is definitely for you.
  • It Is Made By Skilled Craftsmen – Reclaimed wood furniture is not produced in a factory by machines operated by unskilled labor, it is lovingly put together by artisans who take real pride in their work. If you appreciate high quality workmanship, you are sure to love the pieces of furniture on the market that are made from recycled timber.
  • You Can Have Anything You Desire – Because most furniture that is produced from reclaimed timber is made to order, you can specify the exact dimensions and features that you want for each individual piece that you purchase. If you have never been able to find an occasional table to fit that odd-shaped corner in your living room, get in touch with a company that specializes in furniture made from recycled wood and you will finally be able to fill that awkward space.
  • You Will Be Supporting Local Artisans – It is far more rewarding to do business with local artisans who specialize in reclaimed wood furniture and who are part of the community than to give your money to national conglomerates who see you as a number and not as an individual person. Furthermore, because local artisans treat you as an individual, the service and products they provide are far superior.
  • Proven Durability – Recycled timber has already demonstrated that it can withstand the wear and tear it is subjected to in a home environment and because it contains less moisture than newly-cut wood, it is less prone to stress cracks from sudden changes in humidity. If you are looking for furniture that will last you a lifetime, you will not find a better option than pieces that have been made from reclaimed wood.

If you would like to hear more about the custom reclaimed wood furniture you can buy in the GTA, please feel free to call us to request further information. You can also use the form on our site to request a free estimate for any particular piece of furniture that you would like us to make.

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Custom Furniture and the Trick to Narrowing Down Your Options

Having custom furniture made can be exciting. It allows you to be creative and add your own personal touch to your home or office, which is something you can take pride in. Plus, getting something made to order means that you have complete freedom of choice over the style, material and durability of your furniture. However, it’s not always an easy process. The seemingly endless variety to choose from can be overwhelming for some, and poring over them all to ensure that you get the perfect piece takes a lot of time and research. Here are some tips for narrowing down your options and choosing what’s best for you.

How to Choose Custom Furniture in Toronto

Consider the Time Frame

Making custom furniture can take a long time, and the exact time frame will depend on the complexity of the design and the availability of the manufacturer, among other factors. Establish a clear time frame with the manufacturer to ensure that you know exactly when you can expect it to be ready for you to take home. If you have a specific deadline, this can force you to eliminate certain options and make it easier to choose.

Make it UniqueChoose Custom Furniture Toronto

The whole premise of commissioning your own custom furniture is to have something unique, so if some of the options you’re looking at don’t fit that, cut them out. For all the time and money you’ll be spending, you’ll want something that’s truly special to you, not something you could see in any old store. Different designers each have their own signature styles, so consider this when picking yours, and take a good look at their portfolio.

Check the Dimensions

This seems like an obvious one, but it’s crucial, and sometimes overlooked. Bespoke furniture is often made to fit awkward spaces that standard showroom pieces won’t, and if this is the case for you, it’s important to get the size absolutely perfect. If it’s not, you’ll still need to check not only the dimensions of the piece and the area it’s for, but the door frames it will need to pass through in order to get there. It would be disappointing and frustrating to have your own custom furniture made only to find that you can’t get it through the door when it arrives. You’ll also need to take down the measurements of the person who’ll be using it to ensure it’s comfortable for them. The best custom furniture is designed with ergonomics in mind as well as aesthetics. A good furniture maker will go through all of this with you.

Pick the Best Manufacturer for You

There are so many furniture makers in Toronto to choose from, and it can be hard to know who to choose in order to ensure you end up with a product you’re satisfied with in terms of not only design, but budget, durability and craftsmanship. When selecting yours, choose someone with experience, knowledge and creative flair who can take your vision and turn it into a reality.

There’s real satisfaction in having something tailored just for you. Getting custom furniture made means you have much more control over how you decorate your space, but with that control comes a huge amount of choice. Use these tips to navigate your way through them, and you’ll end up with a bespoke piece that you love, which you can treasure for years to come.

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Solid Wood Furniture: Introducing Some of the Main Types of Wood Used

There are many types of woods used for furniture construction, and each has its own characteristics and benefits. When choosing furniture, it’s important to know if the material it’s made from is fit for purpose. This article provides you with a rundown of the main woods used in solid wood furniture.

Solid Wood Furniture in Toronto – Types of Wood

  • Beech – Beech is a widely-used wood for furniture. The tree itself develops rather slowly, only reaching peak condition after it’s at least one hundred years old. It’s inexpensive, but can be stained to give the appearance of a pricier wood such as mahogany or maple. Without treatment, it can warp and bend eaSolid Wood Furniture Torontosily.
  • Pine – Pine is a strong, creamy-coloured softwood with a broad grain and one of the most common woods used in furniture building. It’s lightweight and inexpensive, and takes finishes well. This makes it a good choice for children’s furniture, which may need painting. Without paint, it has a rustic appearance. The main downside of pine is that it can be easily dented or scratched.
  • Oak – Oak is strong, hard and heavy, but undoubtedly beautiful due to its colour and grain. There are two types; white oak and red oak. White oak has a darker, almost greyish tinge and is suitable for outdoor use because it’s resistant to rot. Red oak should strictly be used for indoor furniture, as it’s more porous. For this reason, it’s the cheaper option of the two.
  •  Maple – Maple is a hardwood which had great durability. This makes it a good choice for building solid wood furniture like cabinets and dressers. It has a light, creamy white colour, but can be stained to look darker. It must be sealed before any staining or finishing, otherwise the end result may appear blotchy and messy.
  • Birch – Birch is a hardwood with a close grain similar to that of maple, but with a coarser texture. Its colour is a light yellow or brown. It’s usually used in the manufacture of plywood and cabinets, but is also good for veneers. It’s heavy, hard, and more expensive than some of the other woods on this list. However, it’s not the most durable wood out there. If exposed to weather, it’s susceptible to rot or insect infestation, so it’s best used for indoor furniture.
  • Cherry – Cherry is a hardwood known for its beautifully dark red shade. Its grain is straight and fine, which means it doesn’t need any filler. Its naturally dark colour means that it doesn’t require staining, but it takes polish well to accentuate the tone. As expected, this is one of the more expensive types of wood on the market. It’s therefore used to build finer, more upmarket solid wood furniture.
  • Walnut – Walnut is a hardwood usually used for dining tables and headboards because it can be easily carved with intricate designs. The colour depends on where it’s taken from on the tree. If from the centre, the wood is a rich brown, but if from the outside, it has a more yellowish shade. This can sometimes mean that one piece has different colour variations. In terms of cost, walnut is on the more expensive side.

While this list covers all of the most common materials for solid wood furniture, it is not exhaustive, and other options are available. Other types of woods used in furniture manufacture in Toronto include ash, cedar spruce, elm and hickory. Be sure to measure up the pros and cons of each one when choosing the most appropriate wood for your furniture.

If you are looking for  Solid Wood Furniture in Toronto Give us Call to

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Creating a Genuine Centrepiece: Just Another Reason to Hire a Skilled Cabinet Makers

Cabinet Makers

It’s one thing to own your own property, and quite another to actually make it feel like your own home. One of the ways we try to do this is by adding something of our own personality to the property. We can landscape our yards, build extensions, renovate the exterior and, of course, the interior. More and more Toronto homeowners are realizing that factory-produced furniture and cabinets simply don’t allow them to express their true personalities at home. That’s just one of the reasons people are turning to custom cabinet makers.

Why is it So Important to Choose a Skilled Cabinet Maker for Your Centerpiece?

There are plenty of good reasons to hire a custom cabinet maker instead of buying furniture off the shelf. For one, their creations are designed to fit your home perfectly. You get pieces which are tailored exactly to your requirements – both in terms of appearance and usage. Moreover, they tend to be of a higher quality, and last longer than mass produced pieces. That’s why, when choosing a centerpiece for your kitchen, living room and so on, it’s much better to hire a skilled cabinet maker to ensure you get exactly what you want. Rather than choosing the main focal point of your home from a prefabricated range of products, you can ensure that it adheres to these main design principles:

Get the Balance Right

This isn’t quite as simple as it sounds. Achieving the right balance in a room means much more than placing two chairs either side of a table. Depending on the space you are using, and the impression you want to create, the right balance might actually be somewhat asymmetrical. Naturally, the centerpiece of your home or room needs to be a focal point, but its size, position and materials need to be in balance with the rest of the space. A skilled cabinet maker can work with you to come up with a piece that looks like it truly belongs.

Naturally, the centerpiece of your home or room needs to be a focal point, but its size, position and materials need to be in balance with the rest of the space. A skilled cabinet maker can work with you to come up with a piece that looks like it truly belongs.  

Find the Right Emphasis

 This is an area in which it is very easy to make mistakes. When people buy furniture off the shelf, they often have in mind how it will fit in with the rest of the space. It’s very common, in these cases, for people to take their purchase home and suddenly feel like they have made a mistake. The reason for this is that a centerpiece needs to stand out in some way, while not interrupting the aesthetic flow in the room. The only surefire way of finding a centerpiece with the right emphasis, is to have it custom designed and built by a skilled craftsman.

Everything Should Work to Scale

 It can be tempting to choose a centerpiece that is actually too big for your space. Likewise, it is also common for people to be slightly too conservative with their centerpieces. By hiring a skilled professional, you can have your piece designed specifically for the space you want to use it in. Trained and experienced craftsmen know what works in all kinds of different rooms, and they know why, too.

As we see the facades, lawns and exteriors of Toronto’s nicer properties improve, it only makes sense that the same should happen to the interiors of these homes. If you want your house or apartment to feel like it’s really your home, you’re unlikely to be satisfied with furniture bought off the shelf. Moreover, if there’s one part of your home which really should fit perfectly, and reflect your personality – it’s the centerpiece.

Call us Today to  Get A Free Estimate from Gil Avivi Custom Furniture 

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Custom Cabinets: Why the Interior Matters As Much as the Exterior

There are plenty of reasons as to why Toronto residents are choosing to go with custom cabinets over factory-produced ones. For starters, they not only tend to look better, but they are made to fit perfectly and complement the overall look and ambience of your kitchen. They also tend to last longer than mass-produced cabinets, allowing you to create a kitchen look that will stand the test of time. Custom cabinets, however, are not all about looks – it’s important to remember that they are functional spaces that can be designed to suit your specific storage needs.

What Interior Options Do Custom Cabinets Have That Others Don’t?

While your primary reason for choosing custom cabinets may be aesthetic, there’s no getting away from the fact that they serve a functional purpose – storage. Unlike mass-produced cabinets, they give you plenty of options to tailor their interiors to your specific needs, and this is one benefit that can sometimes be overlooked. These days there is no shortage of nifty devices, designed to perfectly match your organizational and storage needs. Some of the most popular include:

Base Cabinet Pullouts – These cabinets are the type that don’t take up much surface space, and can be rolled out smoothly to reveal different levels of storage space. They are typically used to store pantry items in a narrow, yet easily accessible space.

Base Pullout Wire Racks – Like basic cabinet pullouts, these are also ideal for saving space without compromising on accessibility. The wire racks are designed to hold and store your kitchen pots, pans and crockery, without creating dusty or marked surfaces. A soft-closing mechanism ensures that everything stays in place once you’re ready to put them away again.

Cutlery Dividers – These provide the perfect way to separate your cutlery according to your needs. Rather than trying to cram in your spoons and knives into mass-produced cutlery trays, you can take stock of exactly how much space each item needs and have your cutlery divider designed accordingly. These also operate with soft-closing and smooth roll-out mechanisms, which eliminate the rattle of cutlery when opening and closing the drawer.

Pullout Tray Dividers – These are innovatively designed to store trays, chopping boards and other wide kitchen items that tend to take up a lot of unnecessary space. As they are fitted with dividers, you’ll no longer have to sort through a whole bunch of trays and boards to find the one you want. Again, with soft-closing and smooth roll-out mechanisms, you’ll be able to avoid the annoying rattle of trays when you open and close the divider.

Open-out Door Shelves – One major advantage that custom cabinets can have over other types, is that they can be designed to maximize the use of space in your kitchen. That means that space next to sinks and dishwashers, that may otherwise have been inaccessible, can be used and reached with devices such as open-out door shelves. These storage spaces open out behind traditional cabinet doors, and slide back deep into the space behind. They are a great way to avoid unnecessary kitchen clutter.

When you take a look around some of the most beautiful and innovative kitchens in and around the Toronto area, it’s easy to see that customization is the way forward when it comes to cabinets. It is essential, however, to ensure that you get the optimal usage from them, too. That’s why you should take stock of all your storage needs before coming up with a design for their interiors. Once you’ve done that, you’re free to go ahead with the fun part – choosing the exteriors! 

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The Eco Benefits of Reclaimed Wood Furniture

reclaimed wood furniture eco benefitsWhen it comes to choosing home furniture, Toronto residents have more choice than ever. One of the fastest growing sectors of the market is reclaimed wood furniture. Conventional wood has been popular since time immemorial, and has morphed into a number of different forms over the years. More recently, however – perhaps as a reaction to our ever-more sleek and modern-looking everyday surrounding – reclaimed wood furniture has really started to make its impact on the market. Its unconventional and often rustic or traditional appearance helps us feel somewhat closer to nature. The benefits of reclaimed wood furniture, however, are not all strictly aesthetic.

In What Ways Does Reclaimed Wood Furniture Benefit the Environment?

It might not be a surprise to learn that furniture made from reclaimed wood is kinder to the earth than that made from conventional wood. However, it is actually quite a bit greener than most people think – the whole process, often from sourcing the wood itself, right down to delivery, can have a seriously lower environmental impact, than that of furniture made from conventional wood or other materials. Here are just some of the ways how you’re helping the planet by choosing reclaimed wood furniture:

  • For starters, you’re saving it from going to landfill – Landfill sites are notorious for their negative effect on our environment. One of their main drawbacks is that they simply continue to grow. As humans produce more and more waste, we constantly need to find more landfill sites to dump unwanted materials. It makes sense to look for ways to reduce adding to landfill, and using reclaimed wood furniture is one of them. As its popularity grows, the amount of landfill taken up by unwanted wooden furniture will hopefully begin to decline.
  • It plays a part in reducing global warming – When conventional wood furniture is sent to landfill, over time it begins to break down and decompose. Unfortunately, this wood often fails to break down in a natural way, as it does so in contact with other waste materials. This can result in a partial breakdown, which triggers the release of methane gas. Unfortunately, this gas is one of the main factors in the creation of ground-level ozone, which is a major cause of increasing global warming.
  • It helps reduce deforestation – The mass destruction of the world’s forests pose one of the most serious threats to our existence. While, in countries such as our own, efforts have been made towards promoting the sustainable sourcing of wood, this is not true all over the world. When you buy a piece of conventional wood furniture, the chances that it was sourced from a sustainable forest are low. When you buy a piece made from reclaimed wood, it’s not even a consideration you need to make.
  • It helps protect endangered species – Using more and more conventional wood products to make furniture means that more and more trees need to be chopped down. This has put certain species of tree in danger of extinction. Not only that, but there are countless different species which have evolved to survive in and around specific trees. Reducing the numbers of particular tree types to such low numbers, obviously poses a major threat to the existence of other species which rely on them for nutrition, shelter, mating and so on.

Thankfully, a good number of Toronto residents seem to have already caught on to these benefits. Not only does furniture created from reclaimed wood add character and personality to their homes – their visitors will also be aware of their contribution towards helping save our planet from ecological disaster.

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Custom Furniture: How We Can Help You Gain a Clearer Vision of What You Want

There are a number of reasons why Toronto residents are choosing custom furniture these days. It gives you an extra degree of control over how you want your living space to look and feel. Instead of awkwardly-fitting factory-made furniture, that might be too big, too small, or not quite fit right, you get furniture which is custom-made to match your space and your personality. Not only does it look just right, it works just the way you want it to. Furthermore, custom furniture is considered to be an excellent way to invest in the value of your home. However, making the decision to invest in custom furniture is much easier than coming up with the specifics of what you want. 

What You Need to Know When Choosing Custom Furniture

Custom furniture tends to last much longer than mass-produced pieces assembled in a plant. That’s certainly part of its appeal, yet if you’re going to buy furniture that outlasts you, you don’t want to get it wrong. It’s this realization that often results in a period of inertia – where do you start? You might have a general idea of what you want the finished products to look like, or you might not even be sure of that. Here are some tips to help you ensure you get a finished product that you’re completely satisfied with:

  • Don’t Go with the Flow – If you’ve noticed a recent trend in the design of the particular furniture you want, think twice (and then think again) about it. Trends come and go, and what is popular now is quite likely to be seen as outdated, five or ten years from now. Look at styles and designs that have really stood the test of time. Failing to do so could leave you disappointed and unable to do much about it – nobody wants to have to buy new furniture every time a trend changes.
  • Start with the Big Stuff – The items of furniture that you will use the most, or the most prominent pieces in a room are going to be the most important ones. Think about the size you need, any particular functions that are important to you, and what you want that piece to say about your personality and your home. You’ll find that, by focusing on the major items, it will become much easier to figure out what you want from the more minor pieces.
  • Make Sure Your Measurements are Correct – Once a piece of furniture has been custom-built, it is going to be difficult and problematic to make any changes to its size. It’s absolutely essential that you measure and re-measure the spaces you want to fill. Consider also, that you’ll still need room to move around in. It can be very tempting to order everything slightly larger than you need, only to find yourself squeezing around in your own home.
  • Have a Backup Plan – This applies especially if you are interested in using materials and fabrics that typically have low availability. It’s possible to agree on a design, only to find that the price of a certain material or fabric has shot up – thus causing the price of your furniture to increase likewise. In some cases, it may even become impossible to get hold of certain fabrics, if they have been discontinued. Having a backup plan means considering what materials and fabrics you would like to use in case your first choice becomes unavailable, or too expensive.

There are more and more options available all the time for Toronto residents when it comes to custom made pieces. The tips above will help you make sure you get yours just right.

 

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Solid Wood Furniture Vs Veneer

solid wood furniture vs veneerWhen you’re looking for new furniture, you’ll usually need to weigh up whether to go for solid wood furniture or veneer. Unfortunately, it’s not always a straightforward decision – both types have their pros and cons, and a big part of your decision depends on other factors in your home. Furthermore, there are still the questions of quality, workmanship, style and design which give each piece of furniture its individual attributes. Then, to complicate things further, there is plenty of furniture in Toronto which is a combination of both solid wood and veneer. 

What Are the Main Differences between Solid Wood Furniture and Veneer?

To the untrained eye, there may appear to be very little difference in appearance, at least at first glance. Solid wood furniture is made entirely of the same type of (usually higher quality) wood. When you look closely at the sides and edges of a piece of furniture, you can tell it is solid wood by the pattern of grain, which is the same all over the surface. Veneer pieces, on the other hand, are usually made of cheaper wood, such as plywood or chipboard. As these woods are typically less attractive, a solid wood layer is then bonded to the body as a veneer. This gives the piece the appearance of solid wood, while in fact, below the surface, it is not. Both of these types have their pros and cons:

  • Veneer Pieces are Often Cheaper – While they still have an attractive appearance, the core of the piece is usually made from a cheaper wood, bringing the overall price of the piece down. This makes it possible to have attractive furniture in your home without breaking the bank. This is a general rule, of course – you can still find high quality veneered pieces that are worth more than some solid wood pieces.
  • Solid Wood Furniture Tends to be more Resistant to Damage – Wear and tear can expose the cheaper, core wood of veneered furniture, which also makes it difficult to repair. While solid wood pieces are still vulnerable to scratches and dents, they can easily be sanded out and polished to reveal a surface which is as good as new.
  • Veneer Furniture Tends to be More Stable – Solid wood pieces tend to have more obvious joints, which can move over time, especially in humid and warm environments. These pieces can end up warping or even cracking if uncared for. Veneers, on the other hand, are attached to a core which doesn’t tend to be susceptible to warping or cracking, making the piece more stable overall.
  • Solid Wood Pieces Tend to be More Admired – If you visit any of Toronto’s older and grander buildings, more often than not you’ll find them stocked with solid wood pieces. There is something about the appeal of furniture which is made entirely from the same wood, with the same grain pattern, that veneers can’t match. If appearance is important to you, you’ll probably want to go with solid wood. 

When it comes down to choosing an individual piece of furniture, you really need to be asking yourself more questions, though. You need to make sure that you’re going to enjoy having the furniture in your home, that it will stand the test of time and really feel like a part of your home. Look at the craftsmanship, consider the type or types of wood and whether it suits your personality and the room you plan to use it in. There is no point in buying one type or the other simply for the sake of it. Whether you want solid wood furniture or veneer, the important thing to consider is your relationship with the piece itself.

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5 Tips to Ensure Your Custom Cabinets Fit in With the Rest of the Room’s Interior

custom cabinets to fit with your room's interiorThere are plenty of reasons why Toronto homeowners are choosing custom cabinets over prefabricated ones. For one, they are built to last – crafted by skilled tradesmen rather than put together on an assembly line. They usually have stronger joints, they open and close smoothly and generally look better. Of course, custom cabinets are also built to the exact specifications you want, meaning that everything will finally have a place, and everything will finally be in its place. You no longer need to have awkwardly fitting cabinets in inconvenient places.

How to Make Sure Your Custom Cabinets Are a Good Match for the Room

That’s all well and good, but one factor that is surprisingly often overlooked, is how well the new cabinets will sit with the overall decor and ambience of the room. It makes sense that, if you’re going to have custom cabinets made to suit your needs and personality, they should also be a good fit for the room that will hold them. This means taking account of the features, colours, materials, shape and ambience of the room in the design of the cabinets. That sounds quite easy, but in fact, in practice, it can be quite tricky to get it just right. Here are some tips to help you achieve the right look and design for your room:

  • Know the Dimensions of Your Room – This is obviously key when it comes to gauging how much space you will have once installation is complete. You don’t want your cabinets to look cramped or crowded in, but you also need to be able to store your items. Modern units usually stretch to the ceiling, so take advantage of this where possible. Be aware, also, that cabinets will obviously protrude out from the walls – you must ensure that there is still enough room to move around comfortably once they are in.
  • Take a look at the Prominent Materials in the Room – Whether your room is dominated by oak panels, stone tiling or minimalist glass, you should definitely factor this into your cabinet design. Any large contrast between the types of material already found in your room, and those used to build your custom cabinets, will likely appear awkward.
  • Consider the Styles Already Used in Your Room – This will have a big effect in determining whether you opt for glass insets, beaded panels and so on. Again, you want your cabinets to feel they naturally belong in the room.
  • Think About Who Uses the Room and How it is Used – If you’re not the most organized person, it might not be wise to go for open shelving or glass insets – especially if the cabinets are to be in a room in which you will host guests.
  • Doors or Drawers? – Many people don’t like the look of deep drawers in their rooms, but admit that they are often more practical. If that’s how you feel, be aware that you can have the best of both worlds by concealing the drawer with a normal cabinet door.

As custom cabinets become more and more popular across Toronto, there is no longer any reason to put up with ill-fitting and mismatched designs. Once you’ve made the decision to go with custom-built units, be sure to take into consideration the above factors when coming up with your design. As mentioned, you want the cabinets to feel like they naturally belong in the room – almost as if the room was designed around them, to fit in with their design. With some careful consideration at the design phase, you can achieve exactly that.

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Reclaimed Wood Furniture: Red Flags to Be Aware Of

reclaimed wood furniture red flags to look out forReclaimed wood is becoming more and more popular as a material for items of furniture. It has a number of selling points – it helps to prevent forests from being irresponsibly turned into lumber, it saves wood from going to waste and – importantly – it’s usually more affordable than fresh lumber. All of these factors mean that many people in and around Toronto are being turned on to reclaimed wood furniture. You can find it all over the internet and there are even stores appearing on the street which are dedicated to it. As with anything, however, there are things to look out for before you start to part with your money. 

How Do I Know What’s Good and What’s Not in Reclaimed Wood Furniture?

It’s difficult to choose items of reclaimed wood furniture on the internet and be confident in the quality of your piece. It is much better to be able to see the items in person, touch them, feel them and find out about their history. Even so, especially for first-time buyers and those with little experience with this type of material, there may be some warning signs and indicators of questionable quality that can easily be missed.  If you are planning to buy any items of reclaimed wood furniture, here are some things you should look out for in order to avoid making a purchase that you later regret:

  • The reclaimed wood is rotting – This should be an obvious red flag, but it’s not always obvious to see small areas of rotting wood. People often don’t check the item of furniture thoroughly enough. If you are buying online, you can only take the vendor’s word for it, but be sure to ask. If you are able to examine the piece yourself, be sure to check it from all angles – rot spreads and what is tiny now, will become obvious later. All reclaimed wood with have small cracks, and these are the areas most at risk.
  • It has lost its structural integrity – As just mentioned, all reclaimed wood furniture will have some cracks, but be sure to check for major cracks in less obvious areas. These could have been painted over without being filled. The danger is that the item could become so feeble that it eventually breaks – not so good when you have guests at the dinner table! You can fill these gaps with epoxy and then paint over them, but it obviously takes some time and effort to do so.
  • Watch out for lead paint – Even some vendors may be unaware that lead paint can be a serious health hazard. Young children can be particularly at risk, as they may tend to scratch at paint that has begun to peel off, and then put their fingers in their mouths. If you really want the item, be sure to sand the lead paint off completely. Better still, take it to one of Toronto’s professional workshops where it can be sanded off without the risk of inhaling the paint dust. 

Aside from these serious concerns, don’t forget that you are buying an item of reclaimed wood furniture which will hopefully come to feel as much a part of your home as the windows and doors. Just because you are doing a good turn for the environment, or saving some pennies in your wallet, doesn’t mean you have to compromise on esthetic value. Don’t buy something that you don’t really love, or find to be beautiful, as it will inevitably go to waste. There will be another home for it, where it will fit in better. Pass it over and keep looking for that special item for you.

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Live Edge Furniture and the Secret behind Its Appeal

live edge furniture appealIf you’ve ever been out hiking and taken a rest on an old tree stump, or used it as a table to rest your flask on, you’ll be familiar with the practicalities of nature’s provisions. One trend sweeping across Toronto is the use of live edge furniture – taking the tree stump out of the forest and planting it right in the centre of your living room to use as a coffee table. You can appreciate the rustic and earthy beauty of the land without even having to get up from your couch. It’s not just tree stumps being used as tables, either – there are artisan furniture designers producing everything from vanity tables to armchairs using live edge wood, sometimes even with the bark still intact.

The Possibilities and Allure of Live Edge Furniture

Does this mean, therefore, that the living rooms of Toronto will soon start to look like the great outdoors? Perhaps all the existing furniture will end up getting thrown into the garden, while half of the garden gets moved into the house? Well, not quite. While it can work, it’s almost never as simple as simply transplanting a stump of wood or interesting branch of a tree. There is quite a lot of manual work and artistic endeavour goes into these creations. People want to feel connected to the great outdoors without having to live there. The appeal of good live edge furniture comes from striking that balance as closely as possible:

  • People are looking for natural beauty – In contrast to the smooth lines of traditional furniture, live edge furniture tends to be more chaotic in shape, and it’s precisely this characteristic that gives it its appeal. If you feel like you work in a box, drive home in a box and sleep in a box, the last thing that is going to improve your mood is box-like furniture. Live edge pieces provide a wonderful contrast to that. They allow for the possibility of escapism, by bringing the shapes and designs of nature into city centre living spaces.
  • These pieces work with any decor – If you’re struggling to find house-warming gifts, small live edge pieces are usually guaranteed winners. Why? Because it doesn’t matter whether your friend is moving into an old country mansion, or an ultra-modern high-rise studio – live edge items will fit in with any design. In a more rustic setting, the items tend to blend in very easily, whereas in a minimalist, bright space, they serve as contrasting points of focus. Their natural shapes and colours don’t grate against the over-arching style, perhaps thanks to our primeval connection to them.
  • They are green – Well, in fact, most of them are brown, but they are often the environmentally kosher option. Most pieces are made from reclaimed wood from the forests of places like Indonesia, India and Mexico. City residents recognize that such a purchase does not contribute to mass deforestation, or threaten rural forest communities. On top of that, there is the kudos from fellow greenies about saving the planet over a mocha and a bowl of quinoa, while sitting at a live edge table from the mountains of Laos.

If you’re looking for items which add a touch of art and personality to your living space, you can’t really go wrong with live edge pieces. Each piece is unique – just like an original artwork, although much more financially accessible. If you want to do your bit for the environment and look cool, without leaving the big city, you should opt for live edge furniture.

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Questions You Might Not Think of When Buying Custom Furniture

custom furniture questionsAs custom furniture becomes more and more accessible, we see it appearing in homes all over Toronto. With seemingly unlimited options in terms of style, materials and applications, it only seems natural that people would be interested in it when furnishing a new house, or when refurbishing a room. Choosing to go with custom furniture isn’t all that simple, though – it’s much more difficult than selecting something you like from a catalog or a showroom.

How to Go About Choosing Custom Furniture

Choosing custom furniture obviously requires planning and thought. You’ll need to consider a whole range of issues, such as how much space you have, finding materials which complement the room and other furniture, how the new items will suit your family in terms of ergonomics, child safety and so on. Unsurprisingly, you’ll have a long list of questions to ask. With all these things to remember, you could easily forget some of the most important questions, such as:

  • What Is the Time Frame for Delivery? – Once you have agreed upon a theme or a design, you set in motion a chain of processes which all take time – coming up with technical drawings, sourcing the materials and actually building the furniture. Even if your project isn’t particularly complicated, it’s important to ask, as your contractor may be busy with other orders, or might not have the staff to deliver quickly.
  • How Eco-Friendly Are the Materials? – Sourcing eco-friendly materials is of great importance these days, as many potential buyers are attracted by the idea of low-impact living. Where possible, find out if your contractor can source replenished and green materials for the furniture.
  • How Will It Perform as an Investment? – Aside from ordering furniture that you can enjoy in terms of aesthetics and functionality for a long time, you might also want to look at designers and manufacturers whose works have a record of appreciating in value over time. It is possible to get a five or six times return on your investment in as little as fifteen years, so be sure to ask about this.
  • Will You Visit My Home? – This is perhaps one of the most important, but often forgotten questions. Just as a sleek skyscraper would look appalling in an Alpine village, even the most wonderfully crafted furniture can look out of place in the wrong room. The designer not only needs to take measurements, but they need to see the colours and materials that are already used in the room. Even if you are having everything designed from scratch, factors such as lighting and outside views still need to be taken into consideration.
  • What Is the Payment Plan? – If you work with a designer from scratch, you may find it easier to break down payments into manageable sizes. Rather than pay a lump sum and be left waiting, you might want to pay in stages – once the designs are complete, for example, or upon delivery of each individual item. Breaking down the payment into smaller parts allows you to prevent unforeseen costs from getting out of control, too. 

If you’ve decided to join the discerning ranks of those Toronto families with custom furniture in their homes, be sure to take your time about it. From choosing a contractor, coming up with designs, settling on them and commissioning the work, you’ll find plenty of questions you need answering. Taking your time over each stage will ensure that you get time to consider the answers and weigh up all the options, in order to get the best results.

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6 Traits that All Good Cabinet Makers Have in Common

common traits of good cabinet makerIt goes without saying that, when you need a cabinet maker, you want to hire the one with the best quality and value in Toronto. There are a number of ways you can try to do this. You can ask for references, check out their portfolio, ask previous customers about their reliability, how easy they are to work with and so on. You can gather all of this information, but there is actually an easier way.

How to Spot a Quality Cabinet Maker

One way you can choose the best cabinet maker for your project, is to look for the traits that they will need to ensure they do a good job. Some of these are common among all tradesmen, but apply equally to cabinet makers. These include:

  • The cabinet maker creates everything themselves – Any tradesman worth their salt will not risk ruining their reputation by passing off factory-produced items or parts as their own. With cabinets, this can be a particular concern when it comes to the doors and the handles. If you’re unsure, ask if you can see some examples that they are currently working on.
  • Their work stands the test of time – It may seem strange, at first, to ask to see the older items in a portfolio, but it is a smart question to ask. This helps you determine how well their work stands the test of time – if a unit they created fifteen years ago still looks great today, there’s more chance that the units you order will age well.
  • They open their workshop – Good tradesmen know that their customers are constantly looking for quality assurance. Understanding this, they are usually willing to show people around their workspaces to see the work in action. Refusing to do so may indicate that they have something to hide.
  • Do they work on non-cabinet projects? – A skilled and experienced tradesman will always give a positive answer to this question. The top skills are in demand and the best tradesmen inevitably end up branching out. Someone who sticks to making cabinets only, may not yet have mastered their trade.
  • Do they do their own finishing? – Many do not, but this in itself is not necessarily a problem. If they sub-contract the work out to a third party, you’ll need to get quality reassurances about the finisher. You can ask to see examples. Of course, if they do their own finishing, you’ll be able to judge much more easily.
  • Have they listened and understood what you want? – This is perhaps the most useful trait a tradesman can have. If they’ve taken their time to find out exactly what you need, you have a much greater chance of being happy with the end results. There is nothing worse than having your visions pigeon-holed and categorized for convenience.

If you’re trying to find the best cabinet maker in Toronto for your project, it’s worthwhile looking out for these traits, along with other, more traditional ways of spotting a good tradesman. Try to find someone who offers flexibility in the designs and scheduling. If you find the tradesman difficult to contact, often unavailable, or if they don’t reply to your calls or emails, move on – if they treat you this way before you have a contract, imagine how much worse it could get later on. Look at their existing work and see if they are capable of seamlessly matching different pieces of furniture. Finally, ask yourself if what they deliver is just what you want. This is something the best tradesmen will work hard to achieve.

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The Why’s, What’s and How’s of Solid Wood Furniture

solid wood furniture in TorontoAs far as household furniture goes, solid wood is generally considered to be a holy grail. There are obviously certain situations in which other products – veneer and hollow wood, for instance, might be preferable. When it comes to serious furniture in the home – which is expected to be of high quality and durability – however, solid wood furniture is second to none.

What Makes Solid Wood Furniture Superior to the Other Options?

There are actually many ways in which solid wood furniture differs from engineered wood products and substitutes. It’s important to know about the differences between such products in order to gauge whether you’re getting value for money when you buy an item of furniture. So what are the differences?

  • They Look Different – This is certainly one of the biggest differences, and perhaps the main reason discerning customers keep choosing solid wood furniture. Engineered woods are usually not so pleasing on the eye – they have, at best, what might be described as a ‘utilitarian look’. For that reason, they are often given a veneer. Unfortunately, most veneers don’t really look like the real thing. As they’re trying to imitate something they are not, veneers tend to be despised by those who know good furniture.
  • It’s Easy to Repair – One of the main differences between solid wood furniture and engineered wood products is that solid wood is the same wood throughout the piece, whereas engineered wood with veneer is usually not. As it is much easier to repair an item made of only one type of wood, it’s preferable to have solid wood furniture.
  • It’s More Durable – As we have seen, solid wood furniture is made of one type of wood throughout, be it mahogany, cherry, oak or another type of wood. These products can, and do, last for centuries, even though they may be used on a daily basis. Engineered wood products, however, tend to have a much shorter lifespan. In fact, many engineered wood products are built using plywood, rather than a mixture of solid woods. This will then be given a veneer of cherry or some other, more attractive wood. This gulf in quality and durability makes solid wood furniture much more preferable to cheaper alternatives.
  • It’s Less Easily Broken and More Fire Resistant – Solid wood is usually the best choice here in Toronto for outside doors in terms of strength and appearance. Unlike interior doors, which are often hollow wood (therefore lighter and cheaper), solid wood is both difficult to break and burn, thus offering adequate security and protection from fire. The same goes for furniture – a solid wood table will be stronger, heavier and more resistant to damage than a hollow wood table.
  • It Is Environmentally Friendly – There is something of a confused movement against the use of solid wood furniture, on the grounds that it contributes to deforestation. Of course, deforestation is a major concern, but the problem is not with solid wood itself – it is important to ensure that the wood is sourced from sustainable plantations, including many close to Toronto, which constantly replenish their supplies. When solid wood is sourced this way, it becomes a much more environmentally friendly option, as the energy used to produce furniture from it is tiny when compared to the heavy engineering processes used to make engineered wood products.

Of course, there are times when engineered wood products and veneered products are preferable to solid wood products. However, when it comes to furniture, if you are looking for something that looks beautiful and will stand the test of time, without having an adverse effect on the environment, it’s clear that solid wood furniture is worth the investment.

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How Custom Cabinets Can Cater to Your Specific Needs

custom cabinets can cater to your specific needsPeople often ask why they should opt for custom cabinets instead of ready-made, off-the shelf cabinets they can buy at some stores here in Toronto. It’s a perfectly understandable question – many, if not most people, have only ever used factory-built, mass-produced cabinets and simply adapted them for whatever use they were needed, or adjusted the use to fit the cabinet. It’s a little bit like asking why you should have a suit tailored, when there are plenty of suits that look fine, already made up and ready on the hanger.

Custom Cabinets Are About Much More Than a Good Fit

Sticking with the suit analogy, most people can relate to the idea of buying a shirt or a pair of pants that needed something adjusting in order to fit properly – the collar, the sleeves, the waist and so on. Buying a tailored suit is different – it fits you when you put it on, because it was made to fit you. In many ways, custom cabinets are like that – they are designed to fit the space they will live in. However, that’s just a small part of the story. Just like a suit – just because it fits you, doesn’t mean it suits you. Custom cabinets don’t just fit into a particular space. They fit into your life – they’re made specially and exclusively for you. This is a hugely important difference, and here’s why:

  • Custom-Made Means You’ll Get the Right Materials – Once a craftsman knows what the cabinet is to be used for, they can make an informed decision of which materials to use in order to make the best cabinet. Some uses are more suited to soft woods, others might need a hard maple body, for example. Whichever wood is chosen, will be selected with durability and longevity in mind. A cabinet you pick up off of the shelf in a store is factory built with cheaper wood, and designed to satisfy a number of potential uses. Your custom cabinet is built to serve the purpose you want it to, and for a long time.
  • Custom-Made Means Unique – You may need a cabinet built to fit into a very awkward place in your home, but that’s not what we mean by ‘unique’ here. The best cabinet makers in Toronto will get an idea about your personality and what you like and dislike about the existing furniture you have. They’ll try to get a feel for your tastes and passions. The more you talk with them, the better understanding they will get about what designs and styles might excite you. All of this will be put together and built into your cabinet. Not only will your cabinet fit perfectly and do exactly what is required of it, it will look perfect. In fact, the best cabinets are those which look like they should have been there all along.
  • Custom-Made Means Flexibility of Design – People who have very specific setups requirements for furniture can often end up being frustrated by the limitations that mass-produced cabinets give them. If you have a gaming setup, a home studio, a movie room and so on, you will probably appreciate just how essential that one drawer, compartment or funny-shaped cabinet is. In fact, pretty much all of us can relate to this when we look at our kitchens. Buying custom cabinets means doing things the right way round – finding a perfect solution to your problem, not trying to fit your problem into a pre-made solution.

Overall, the aesthetic beauty, individualized design and high-quality materials make custom cabinets the clear superior choice in pretty much every way.

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5 Essential Pieces of Advice When Buying Live Edge Furniture

buying live edge furnitureLive edge furniture as a recognized design motif has been around for some 70 years. The style incorporates a natural or “live” edge into the design that runs contrary to traditional furniture standards. The style was incredibly influential in sparking a movement toward more rustic furniture and also played an important role in the rise of the crafts movement in North America. Live edge is not for everyone but if you’re drawn to this particular type of woodworking there are things you’ll want to keep in mind and/or look for when buying this kind of furniture. In this post we’ll cover 5 of them.

The Secret to Picking the Right Live Edge Furniture

Just as with other types of woodworking there is good live edge and then there is live edge you might want to take a pass on. Below are 5 tips to keep in mind before spending your hard-earned on a piece of live edge:

  1. Stick with an established live edge artisan: One of the most important aspects of creating live edge is giving the wood adequate time to dry. However, the drying process can take up to 5 years in some cases and so you can understand why some Toronto furniture makers get impatient. It’s nearly impossible for the untrained eye to tell if a piece of wood is properly dried. The only real way to be sure is to buy from a furniture maker with a proven record.
  1. Ask questions: Take some time to read up on live edge furniture before you start shopping. It will help you select both the right artisan and the right piece of furniture for your home. You’ll want to know what type of wood is used in a particular piece, the right way to care for it and the right environment in which it is best displayed. If the furniture maker is disinclined to answer questions consider taking your money elsewhere.
  1. Beware large planks: While single large planks of wood can be very evocative looking and seem like they’ll last a lifetime they can in fact warp if they haven’t been cut or otherwise used in a way that promotes their stability. If you’re contemplating buying a piece of live edge furniture that incorporates a large plank or planks ask the furniture maker what they did to ensure the long term stability of the planks.
  1. Protect the environment: Responsible woodworkers will know where the wood they’re working has been harvested from. They won’t accept pieces that were cut illegally or were gleaned from endangered or protected tree species. Truly professional woodworkers are dedicated to ensuring the viability of the forest both for the good of their business and because it’s the right thing to do for future generations. Ask where the wood came from.
  1. Will I need to protect my rugs? Sometimes the end of a leg or legs will display tree rings. If the wood is not completely dry and you set this leg end onto your carpet it’s possible the carpet will draw sap out of the leg. The result will be a nice circular sap stain on your carpet that’s practically impossible to remove. Check out the end of the legs and if you see rings, ask the furniture maker about capping the legs for you in some fashion to protect your rugs.

Gil Avivi has been working with leading architects and designers in Toronto for nearly 30 years crafting elegant, exciting woodworking solutions for homes and businesses. Our reclaimed and live edge furniture offerings reflect the absolute state-of-the-art and will be a prized addition to your interior decor.

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4 benefits of custom furniture that mass produced furniture doesn’t provide.

custom furniture benefitsMass produced furniture has one benefit that cannot be denied: it’s typically inexpensive and sometimes downright cheap (hello closeouts!). That’s great if you’re on a budget or buying pieces for your son or daughter’s first apartment. If money isn’t a major concern though you have a few choices when it comes to furniture. You can buy from ‘upscale’ furniture stores in Toronto and spend a lot of money on fairly well-built factory furniture, you can comb through antique stores looking for hidden gems or pieces that speak to you, or you can partner with an experienced woodworker like Gil Avivi who will build custom furniture to your specifications. In this post we’ll look at why the last option is typically the best.

Advantages of Custom Furniture

Whether you buy from a high-end furniture retailer, an antique dealer or have your furniture custom designed you’re going to spend more than you would on run-of-the-mill mass-produced furniture. The question is: Which option represents the best value? Most furniture experts will agree it’s the custom design option and here are 4 reasons why.

  1. That built-in look: When you buy, say, an entertainment centre from a furniture store you go there with the dimensions of the space and typically come away with the piece that matches those dimensions best. A custom built entertainment centre won’t just be a “pretty good” fit, it will fit the space like a glove. Not only that but colours and textures can be used that will make it seem like the piece is part of the room; as if it was designed to be part of the wall.
  1. Maximizing available space: When you buy mass-produced kitchen cabinets you get what you get and chances are the installer will have to do some awkward work-arounds to make everything fit. If you have your cabinets custom designed there will be no awkward spaces where the fit is inelegant and you can make the interior of each cabinet match your specific requirements, thereby taking maximum advantage of the space involved. (You also won’t ever hear a guest say “Oh wow! We have the exact same cabinets!”)
  1. Personalization: If you spend enough time and are careful and savvy enough you may be able to find factory-produced pieces that are uncommon and that speak to your personal taste. But you’ll always run the risk of the above-mentioned “Oh wow!” moment. Custom furniture is as individual as you are and can be designed with your favourite decorative flourishes or suggest things that may be of particular significance to you. You can recreate a favourite couch from your parent’s house, use materials that evoke the part of the country your family was originally from or build pieces that accommodate your particular physique.
  1. Longevity and value: Your handmade furniture will undoubtedly last longer than anything you can buy at the furniture store and not only that, if it’s done well it will likely become more valuable with time not less, as is the case with store bought furniture. FYI: The most expensive chair ever sold was a custom-designed armchair owned by Yves Saint Laurent. It sold some years back for an astonishing $28 million. Try getting that for a piece of store bought furniture.

If it’s time to purchase new furniture for your home don’t settle for something ordinary. Invest in something that will enliven your Toronto home today and become a valuable heirloom your family will pass down for generations. Custom furniture is not only the luxury of the idle rich. It’s more affordable than you think. Call Gil Avivi today on 416-746-3204 to learn more about the many advantages of custom furniture in Toronto.

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Why the Cheapest Cabinet Maker is Almost Never the Best Option

why cheaper cabinet maker is not a good optionWhen searching for a deal it’s always tempting to believe someone who says they can give you top quality for rock bottom prices. “They wouldn’t lie to me… would they?” is the question most people in such a situation ask themselves. Unfortunately, if something seems too good to be true it probably is. And that is as true for kitchen cabinets as it is for used cars, investments and people you meet online. The fact is that while there may be a cabinet maker out there in Toronto who can create the look of quality, actually building quality cabinets is another story altogether.

It’s the Details That Define the Cabinet Maker

Like the best furniture or cars quality cabinets are quality cabinets because they rest on a quality foundation. But how can you tell if a cabinet’s inner workings are up to snuff or simply slapped together? Below are some of the telltale signs of quality cabinets.

  • The Carcass: The carcass is the box that forms the 5 non-face sides of the cabinet. A quality carcass will have side panels that are at least ½” thick and shelves that are a minimum of ¾” thick. There should be routed side panels that accept the floor and back of the carcass as well.
  • The Frame to Carcass Connection: The face frame are those 5 pieces of wood that ‘frame’ the door and drawer on the front of the cabinet. It’s critical that they be attached solidly to the carcass. The back of the vertical piece of the frame should have a groove that locks solidly into a corresponding tongue on the carcass.
  • Drawer Slides: To save money a discount cabinet maker will often mount the drawer on one slide centred under the drawer. This is far less stable than having a slide on each side of the drawer. Dual slides also allow the drawer to bear more weight. Also, true high-quality slides will use nylon bearings that are nearly silent.
  • The Drawer: The drawer itself should be made from ⅝” or thicker hardwood and all corners should be dovetailed by the custom cabinet maker for maximum strength and durability.
  • End Panel: The end panel is the side of the cabinet array that is exposed to public view. It must be made of solid wood, preferably the same type as the cabinet doors with a similar grain and colouring as well. Mismatched end panels are a sure giveaway of cheap cabinets. They’re the kind of thing discerning guests will notice and keep to themselves.
  • Cabinet Face: The face is composed of everything you can see when you look at the cabinet from the front with the door and drawer closed. On a quality cabinet there will be no visible knots, discoloured areas or sanding scars and the grain will be consistent. The front of the drawer should be a single piece of hardwood as should the door panel itself.

There will always be those who try and argue that such attention to detail is overkill that simply drives up the cost of what should be a pretty inexpensive item. The real waste though is investing your hard earned money in cabinets that will look good for a little while but will start to fall apart after only a couple of years necessitating either expensive repair work or full replacement.

If you’re interested in high-quality cabinets for your home. The kind that will stand the test of time and that you’ll be proud to show off to your friends and neighbours, call the GTA’s premier cabinet maker, Custom Furniture Toronto, and speak to one of our cabinet pros.

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Custom Furniture and 5 Critical Decisions You Will Have to Make When Buying it

critical decisions while buying custom furnitureCustom designed and built furniture can be the crowning achievement of your home renovation, the element that lifts your Toronto home from dwelling status into the rarified air of showcase. Like any custom item however, custom furniture can be expensive and should only be commissioned after you’ve thought the entire process through and decided that it’s the right thing for both you and your home. In this post we’re going to look at some of the things you’ll need to consider before plunking down your money for one-of-a-kind furniture.

Ordering Custom Furniture: Be Thoughtful Not Impulsive

Before you decide to commission furniture pieces there are certain decisions you’ll have to make that will determine in large part whether you get furniture that makes you happy and what kind of relationship the new furniture will have with the rest of the home. Below are 5 such decisions.

1) Can you afford it? – This one is kind of obvious but it needs to be raised. Some folks decide they need custom furniture to finish off their decor and then wind up paying more than they can afford. This creates an uneasy relationship between the owner and what should be their prized possession. If you’re going to have to go into debt to acquire the pieces you want it’s probably better to hold off and start saving.

2) Are you willing to wait for it? – Customized furniture is not something that you order on Friday and have delivered on Monday. Quality workmanship takes time and it can take several weeks, perhaps more in some cases, for the furniture to be completed. If you’re ordering it in the hope that it will be ready for the big holiday party next week you’re likely to be disappointed.

3) Are you willing to compromise? – Some folks just have unrealistic ideas about what is possible when it comes to one-of-a-kind furniture. They arrive at the craftsman’s studio with a fixed idea of what they want and they are not willing to listen to the furniture builder when they say it’s not possible. Do yourself a favour and don’t show up at the first meeting with an all-or-nothing blueprint. Arrive with a concept and then work out the details with the designer. You’ll probably wind up with something far better than you imagined.

4) Are you confident in the designer/fabricator? – The creation of first class custom furniture is not something a person goes to night school to learn. It takes years of hands on experience, a comprehensive knowledge of furniture history, a thorough understand of which materials are best in which circumstances along with the patience of Job and the steady hand of the artisan. True custom built furniture is kind of like love: it’s hard to define but you know it when you experience it.

5) What about the kids? – If you have children in the house you’re taking a chance that your precious new custom chair may wind up with a scratch or chip in it simply because, well, kids are kids. Before you go ahead and commission an expensive piece or pieces of customized furniture make sure you are absolutely at peace with the possibility the kids or one of their friends may inadvertently cause some damage to the piece.

Custom built furniture can be the gift that keeps on giving if it’s properly thought out and executed by someone with talent and vision. If you’re thinking about commissioning furniture pieces for your home take a deep breath and relax. Then call the professionals at Custom Furniture Toronto to discuss your ideas and get the ball rolling in a productive direction.

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Comparing Custom Cabinets to Stock Options

If you are getting ready to renovate the kitchen in your Toronto home, there are many decisions you will have to make before the work can start. One of the most important decisions with which you will be faced is whether to go for stock cabinets that are made in a factory on an assembly line by dozens of operatives or custom cabinets that are made by a master craftsman (or woman). To help make your decision a little easier, we are going to take a look at the main differences between each choice.

How Custom Cabinets Differ from Stock Options

There are several significant differences between custom and stock cabinets, which we have listed below for your consideration.

1. Size – The single biggest issue that many Toronto homeowners have with stock units is the fact they are only available in a limited range of sizes. If you happen to own a home with a slightly odd-shaped kitchen and you would like to fit new cabinets that make full use of the available wall space, stock cabinets can be a bad choice. Go with the custom option and you can specify the exact dimensions you require, and therefore get a perfect fit for your kitchen.

2. Quality of Materials – Another big difference between custom cabinets and mass-produced units is that the latter are often made from lower quality materials such as MDF and particle board whereas the former are more likely to be made from high quality soft and hardwoods. If you would rather have beautiful solid maple cabinets in your kitchen than flimsy particle board units, you should definitely have them custom made.

3. Styles – Mass produced cabinets are of course only available in a limited number of different styles and if you are not keen on any of these, it will be hard for you to find something that you like in the local megastores. If you have your units made to order by a cabinetry expert, you can specify any style that you want. Assuming that you find an experienced professional to make your cabinets, he or she will almost certainly be able to help you choose a suitable style for your kitchen if you desire.

4. Attention to Detail – Homeowners who would really love new cabinets that have detailed carvings on the front panels, or other special features, will never be satisfied with the stock options on offer. If you are looking for something special that requires attention to detail on the maker’s part, custom cabinets are the only sensible choice. Even with the best of quality control procedures, more detailed features are very difficult to implement on mass-produced items.

5. Can Be Refinished – If your cabinets have solid wood doors, they can be refinished when they start to look a little worn. MDF panels with a veneer finish are obviously not able to be renovated in this manner so will need to be replaced sooner if you want to keep your kitchen looking really nice.

6. Custom Interiors – When most people think about custom units for their kitchens, they focus on the exterior appearance but the interiors can also be customised of course. This means that you can choose partitions and shelf spacing to suit your specific needs and not have to make do with whatever a manufacturer thinks is best. If, for example, you wish to store large cooking pots in your new cabinets, you can make sure that this is possible at the design stage.

Get Your Custom Cabinets Today!

For the best custom cabinets in Toronto, don’t hesitate to call Gil Avivi to discuss your requirements today.

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Interviewing a Cabinet Maker: What You Should Be Asking

You should never employ a contractor to build an addition to your home without sitting down with them first and asking some relevant questions. Same goes for any contractor who is going to make changes to your largest investment; including cabinet makers. It’s the easiest, most dependable way to help ensure the person working on your house is qualified to do so. In this post we’ll look at some questions you should ask of any custom cabinet maker in Toronto before contracting them to build your cabinets.

Questions to Put to a Potential Cabinet Maker

The following questions are designed to help you find a reputable custom cabinet maker in Toronto. They don’t by themselves guarantee any particular result but they present a useful starting point.

  • How long have you been in business? – This is pretty standard fare. It’s the question that should always lead off any contractor interview. While everyone has to start somewhere it’s preferable if the inexperienced person is the cabinet maker’s assistant, and not the cabinet maker. Ask for references as well and then follow up with them.
  • What type of wood will they use to make your cabinets? – Will they be using solid hardwoods like oak, maple, ash or hickory? Or do they typically use a plywood core with a hardwood veneer? Perhaps they usually employ laminates or thermofoil finishes. Do they offer a choice? (Some do, some don’t) If they do, ask them to detail your options.
  • Do I need to supply shop drawings? – You may assume that the cabinet makers will provide shop drawings for your cabinets but this may not be something they do. If you’re required to produce them you’ll need to know ahead of time. If you have specific ideas how you want your cabinets to look you may want to hire someone to create shop drawings for you anyway.
  • What style do you recommend? – Shaker, beadboard, distressed, louvered, inset and flat are just some of the cabinet styles you’ll want to consider. If you’re in search of a completely unique look for your kitchen most cabinet makers will do custom faces as well.
  • How are the cabinets assembled? – The last thing you want to hear from the cabinet maker is that the cabinets are stapled together. If you want your cabinets to last you’ll want them assembled using dadoes, glue and pocket screws with dovetailed corners in the drawers.
  • How will the finish be applied? – Regardless of the type of finish you choose you have a better chance of getting a nice clean finish if it’s done in the shop. You also enjoy the added benefit of not having your home filled with noxious fumes during the finishing process.
  • What type of hardware will you use? – For drawers undermount soft close mechanisms are the best. For handles, hinges and other hardware the style will be driven by the overall style of the cabinets and materials range from glass to gold plate and everything in between.
  • How long do you anticipate the job will take? – If you’re remodeling under a deadline this may be one of the most important questions. Even if you’re not under a deadline you’ll still want to know how long your kitchen will be disrupted.

Gil Avivi Ant Man Wood Crafting and Design has been creating stunning custom furniture, millwork, cabinetry and more for discerning clients in Toronto and beyond since 1987. Our cabinets are crafted using only the best materials and with an attention to detail that will have you nodding your approval. Call us today on 416-746-3204 to find out more about how custom cabinets from Gil Avivi can transform your kitchen.

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Custom Cabinets: 8 Reasons Why There’s No Better Option

When it comes to selecting new cabinets for your kitchen the choice typically comes down to picking up stock cabinets at the home improvement center or having a skilled craftsman create beautiful custom cabinets for you. There are many homeowners who are willing to consider the custom cabinet route but don’t know enough about the advantages to make an informed decision. For those folks we present 8 reasons why custom designed and built cabinets are always your best option.

The Case for Custom Cabinets

When it comes to deciding which type of kitchen cabinets to install handcrafted cabinetry is the hands down winner and here are 8 good reasons why.

1) They’re Unique – Reason #1 for choosing custom kitchen cabinets is that they’ll be tailored to your home and your home only. No one will ever walk into your kitchen during some future dinner party and say “Oh wow! We have the exact same cabinets!” That by itself is justification enough for many homeowners.

2) They Last Longer – If being unique isn’t enough consider the fact that handmade custom cabinetry will last years longer than the stapled together jobs you’ll pick up at the big box. Crafted from the finest materials using age old methods of joinery your custom made cabinets will more than justify their cost over the long haul.

3) They’re Handcrafted – The further we get into the 21st century the further removed most of us get from handcrafted excellence. Custom cabinetry allows you to drive your roots back into the soil a bit and reclaim your link to the world of durable, natural hardwoods and thoughtful, time tested woodworking techniques.

4) Made By Woodworking Experts – When you enlist Gil Avivi Ant Man Woodworking & Design Toronto to create your custom cabinets the attention to detail will leave you breathless. Where others cut corners we sweat the corners. Where others use low quality materials we use only the best. We make sure each component of your cabinet system fits like a glove.

5) They’re Versatile – When building or renovating a kitchen the selection of everything from flooring to major appliances is often subservient to which style of cabinets you’re able to find at the home improvement center. With custom kitchen cabinets you fit the cabinets to the environment instead of fashioning the environment around the cabinets.

6) They’re Beautiful – Not only do custom cabinets last. Not only do they fit your kitchen like a custom tailored suit. Not only will they add measurable value to your home, but they look fabulous as well. The kind of quality woodworking that goes into your custom kitchen cabinets has an emotional resonance few other things can match.

7) They Add Real Value to Your Home – A typical full-kitchen renovation generates an ROI of about 70%. That’s if you install the best quality stock cabinets you can find. Install custom made kitchen cabinets as part of that renovation however and you could see your ROI jump to nearly 100%.

8) Bragability – Let’s be real; one of the main reasons to install quality, custom made cabinets in your Toronto home is because everyone else doesn’t have them. Once a few neighbors get wind of the beautiful addition you made to your kitchen everyone will know; and what’s wrong with that?

When you buy and install stock cabinets there’s little doubt you’ll save some money in the short term. But in a few years when the staples come loose and the laminate starts wearing through they won’t seem like such a great deal. Invest instead in beautiful handcrafted custom cabinets from Gil Avivi and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from knowing you’ve got the best.

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Are You Looking For Modern Furniture in Toronto?

unique_img004When you decide it is time to replace your furniture, have you thought about modern furniture from Toronto?

Modern furniture is very popular, but many people are not sure what it is. They picture uncomfortable or unusable metal pieces. This is simply not true.

What is Modern Furniture?

Modern furniture is the name of any furniture that was designed after the 19th century. Before that, all furniture was created of dark woods and the pieces were big and heavy. When furniture designers began to use light-colored woods, bright fabrics, plastic and metals, it became known as modern furniture.
You may have modern furniture in your house right now and not even realize it because you have thought only of metals and glass furniture as modern. Look around and notice small tables (end tables) and materials with bright patterns. Those are each pieces of modern furniture. Any piece that is lighter colored and not only dark wood is considered a modern piece.

Modern Furniture vs. Traditional Furniture

When modern furniture was first introduced, many people would not buy it for fear it would not last as long as the traditional, heavy wooden pieces. When something is built the same way for years, it is hard to change the opinions of people that newer might be just as good, or even better, than the way furniture was built before. The first modern furniture was simply lighter-colored woods and lighter in weight.
Soon, new materials were used as the fabric coverings and with the added colors, the furniture looked even more modern. Traditionalists still shunned the design, but many people began choosing this bright furniture. Because traditional furniture is usually large, ornate pieces, it fit into the large homes that were popular when several generations lived together.

In today’s world, people live in smaller houses and have less room for big, imposing pieces of furniture. We also look for furniture that can be used for several things, such as seating and storage, instead of a traditional chair. Modern furniture is functional and practical, but still beautiful. New materials, such as metal, vinyl and leather, are often used in this popular type of furniture. There is little ornamentation on modern furniture as it is often constructed with simple lines and features. Materials that are used are often solid colored or ones with subtle patterns.

Can Modern Furniture be Mixed with Traditional Pieces?

Whether modern furniture, with its clean, simple lines, can be mixed with the ornate, darkness of traditional pieces is a matter of opinion. Some designers believe a house can only be one or the other and that mixing the two is never a good idea. Others think that mixing the charming older style with a simple new style creates a room that is exciting and fresh. Only you can decide whether you want to mix the styles or not. If you have a designer working on your room, be sure they understand what your choice is and whether you want old styles mixed with new.
The best designers know that decorating your home should be a personal choice and one to bring out your own personality. If you decide to mix the two styles, you should remember:

  • Choose which style will be the dominate style and use pieces of the other one as accents in your home.
  • Blend the two styles together by using the same texture or colors in the pieces you choose.
  • Before buying anything, decide if you want to go for harmony, so your room looks relaxing, or if you want contrast so your room looks exciting.
  • Always plan ahead so you do not need to make several trips to the store to return items that do not give your room the look you desire.

There are many reasons that modern furniture is more popular:

  • It is smaller.
  • It is lightweight.
  • It is simple in design.
  • It is easier to clean.
  • Modern furniture is more functional.

Many pieces of the modern furniture style serve one than one purpose. With busy lives and tight budgets, many people choose pieces that they can use for several things. Houses are often not as full of furniture and decorations as they used to be. Busy families simply do not have time to dust lots of things or decoration in furniture designs.
Modern furniture pieces that can serve dual purposes include:

  • Chests that are used as coffee tables for the extra storage.
  • End tables that include drawers for storage.
  • Wooden chests that can serve as extra seating.
  • Tables that include a “docking” or “charging” station for cell phones or iPods.
  • Couches that have storage in the arms for remote controls or magazines.
  • Chairs or couches that have tables hidden in compartments of the arms.

Customized Modern Furniture in Toronto

For a completely unique look for your home, think about having custom modern furniture designed just for you. If you know what you want, you can hire a craftsman to build your furniture, but for creative advice, hiring a designer is a great idea.
A designer will meet with you to hear exactly what your ideas are, what you need, and what you have budgeted for your purchase. A visit to your home could also be a good idea so they can get a feel for what you already have and the type of modern furniture that would blend into your design. The type of furniture that can be designed for you is limitless. Modern furniture can be added to any room in the house.

  • Living room – tables, couches, chairs, craft tables, entertainment centers
  • Bedroom – dressers, night stands, beds, changing tables
  • Kitchen – tables and chairs, free-standing pantries
  • Dining room – hutches, tables, chairs
  • Offices – computer stations, desks, chairs

The only things that limit what type of modern furniture you can choose are your imagination and your budget.

In Toronto, call Gil Avivi to choose your new modern furniture pieces.

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How Store Fixtures Make Toronto Businesses Stand Out

If you’ve ever thought about owning a business, you already know that there are an enormous amount of possibilities to consider. From managing cash flow to keeping payroll in line, being a business owner is a challenging—yet rewarding—vocation. But one of the most important questions isn’t about how many employees you’ll need or what kind of suppliers you’ll buy from—it’s about what your business will look like and how well your space will serve the needs of your customers.

A functional and unique space for your business is one of the easiest ways to ensure that customers will return for multiple visits. Studies show that consumers rank a clean, well-organized, and unique store or workspace as a large factor in whether or not they will return. From shoe shops to bookstores, accounting firms to dentist offices, business patrons take notice of what the space looks like and how well it functions: How easy was it to find merchandise? What kind of displays were in use? Customized touches like high-end furniture and built-in cabinetry and wall units are an easy, affordable way to address these important concerns.

With the enormous amount of store fixtures and custom furniture designs available, the possibilities for creating a one-of-a-kind business atmosphere are endless—and this is where custom-made designs and furniture come in. The term “custom” usually evokes a sense of superior craftsmanship, durability, reliability, and the use of the highest quality materials available. In some circles, it can also be associated with exclusivity and exorbitant prices, but the works made by Gil Avivi are designed with a wide spectrum of clients in mind — regardless of budget.
Read on to discover just some of the options that Gil Avivi Custom Furniture Toronto has to offer and how they can help your business excel.

Custom Cabinetry and Store Fixtures in Toronto

One of the questions asked most often about custom-made cabinetry is “What is the difference between custom cabinets and the ones available at my local home improvement warehouse?”
The main difference between custom cabinets and models sold at retail stores is the manufacturing process itself. Most cabinets and accessories sold at home improvement centers are constructed in a factory through the use of automated systems, and often use common design templates—they are just “off the shelf” models, and while you can choose a different color or finish, there is nothing sets them apart from the cabinets purchased by the customer before you. Perhaps a competing business down the block has purchased these same cabinets for their store, and the similarity is noted by consumers much more often than one might think.
In order to set your business apart, choose truly unique custom cabinets made from the finest quality solid hard and softwoods available, like ash, beech, cherry, hard maple, red oak, and many others. Custom Furniture Toronto does not use particle board or Medium Density Fiberboard, mostly because such wood composite materials are not as durable or long-lasting as true hardwood or softwood species.
Another defining characteristic of custom cabinetry is uniqueness of design. There are no “cookie cutter” templates used—all projects start with a blank page and a whisper of an idea that you, as the business owner, are a crucial part of. By getting to know each customer, we can create a design that is functional, aesthetically pleasing, and will meet any budgetary or other constraints the client is limited by.

Wall Units and More Custom Furniture Pieces

If space is small or limited, custom-made wall units are an excellent solution. These are not typical bookcases or bookshelves, which some think of as “wall unit” furniture. The options available from Custom Furniture Toronto are unique and provide storage options for everything from office supplies to extra merchandise, without taking up valuable floor space. Wall units are custom designed and built to your specific business needs, using the same quality of construction and uniqueness of design. At Custom Furniture Toronto, custom wall units are never made with particleboard or laminate surfaces and begin with a consultation that will prioritize your needs and wants in terms of design. Not every furniture designer can offer the same level of quality and customizable options—but we understand that your business is your livelihood.
Wall units are an easy, elegant fixture that can be used efficiently in any business or store setting. Without spending a fortune, your business can have high-end furniture fixtures that draw customers in and keep them coming back.

Built-in Furniture

Once a feature included only in small apartments or hotels, built-in furniture has earned a cachet of respectability thanks to its utilitarian form and widespread functionality in private homes, hotels, and other businesses, where there is a need for storage but little space to spare.
What is built in furniture? It can run the gamut from book shelves to cabinetry, from storage units to chests-of-drawers to anything in between. There is no limit to its design, style, or functionality and how it can be integrated into your business. Does your business need storage space for extra merchandise? Built-in shelving and cabinetry situated directly underneath display boards can hide it in plain sight, without taking up valuable space in a back room or office, and will look modern and unique.
Like custom cabinetry and wall units, the built-in furniture made by Custom Furniture Toronto uses only high-end hardwoods and softwoods and designs that are completely unique to your business needs. By choosing this as an option for your business or store, you can create your own special design and get all the functionality you need.

Interested in learning more about how Custom Furniture Toronto and Gil Avivi can help you realize your custom design? Want to know about Avivi’s processes or schedule a consultation? Call (416) 746-3204 to learn more. We look forward to hearing from you and helping guide you through the process of creating a unique and functional business space.

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Get The Warmth Of Wood With The Sophistication Of Modern Design With Custom Wood Furniture

There’s something about the warmth, texture and color of wood furniture that says ‘home.’ Maybe it’s the close association to nature or maybe it’s the comforting memories that spring to mind when you think about it. Either way, there’s nothing that communicates the sense of being at ‘home’ quite like wood furniture. Unfortunately, wood can also have the effect of feeling too homely and old fashioned because many wood furniture designs come from a different era. The good news, is that it doesn’t have to be that way if you use custom wood furniture …

Add A Touch Of Sophistication With Custom Wood Furniture

If you’ve ever looked through the pages of a home and lifestyle magazine, you may have seen the sophisticated modern designs that cover each page. These designs combine the functionality of technology with a modern design aesthetic that can make even the most nonchalant amongst us want to redo our kitchens or other interior spaces. You might think that if you go for wood furniture that you’ll be sacrificing the benefits of modern designs like elegance, functionality and edginess but you may be mistaken in this regard. You can get all the sophistication of modern design with the warmth of wood by using custom wood furniture from Gil Avivi Custom Furniture.
Custom wood furniture services by Gil Avivi Custom Furniture provide the craftsmanship, expertise and functionality you would expect from good furniture with the precision of giving you exactly what you want for your home.
They have been servicing the needs of discriminating homeowners since 1987 and can help you with advice about the best designs for your home and your budget. Just a quick look at their portfolio will prove to you that they have the expertise and the talent to exceed your wildest imagination.
But why would you want to go the route of creating your own custom wood furniture when you can go the seemingly easier route of just buying it? Well, custom wood furniture has a few distinct advantages…

Custom furniture advantage #1 – Creative Freedom

There’s no better way of ensuring that your home is your personal haven than maintaining complete control over the way it’s designed. With custom wood furniture you’ll be at the forefront of the entire process, so you can make sure that you create the environment you want and make something special for you and your family. Having the creative freedom of designing exactly what you want will help you build a home that meets all of your needs and fulfills your aesthetic desires. The truth is, if you buy your furniture you’ll always be limited in the variety and types that you can get at any given point in time. Creating your own custom furniture gives you the opportunity to make sure that your home is truly your own.

Custom Furniture advantage #2 – Make Sure Your Furniture Is 100% Unique

There’s nothing worse than finding the exact piece of furniture you bought in someone else’s home. It can feel like a piece of your home has been snatched away from you! With custom wood furniture you can be sure that this will never happen. You’ll get 100% unique and customized furniture that reflects your personality and your own sense of style. Custom wood furniture allows you the opportunity to create a something for your home that’s never been seen before. Imagine how good it will feel knowing that there’s absolutely no one in the entire world who has the exact piece of furniture that you do.
Custom wood furniture also allows you to create furniture that’s more functional and appropriate for your lifestyle. Host a lot of dinner parties? Design a larger-than-usual dinner table. Work from home? Create a functional workspace that fits perfectly with your business and provides the comfort you deserve.

Custom furniture advantage #3 – Expert Craftsmanship

Gil Avivi Custom Furniture has been creating custom wood furniture for over 25 years with an impeccable track record of satisfied customers. Every step of the process, from the design on paper to the final product is treated with care and dedication by our team of talented designers. When you work with Gil Avivi Custom Furniture you’ll be assured that you will get a piece of furniture that will last for decades and classic designs that’ll never go out of style. Your home is likely your biggest and most important asset as well as where you spend most of your time, so you can’t afford to compromise on what you put into it. With custom wood furniture from Gil Avivi Custom Furniture, you’ll be sure that you have the best quality at the most reasonable prices.

Custom furniture advantage #4 – Limitless Options

No matter how big the catalogue your local furniture shop gives you, if you buy your furniture, there is always going to be a limit on what you’ll be able to buy and do for your home. With custom wood designs, the only limit you have is your imagination. The talented team of designers at Gil Avivi Designs will help take your vision to unimagined heights of beauty and functionality.

Custom furniture advantage #5 – An Investment That Will Last Generations

Vintage furniture represents expert craftsmanship that has stood the test of time. And that’s exactly what you’ll get with custom wood furniture create by Gil Avivi Custom Furniture.
Imagine being able to give your beautiful dining room table to your children and grandchildren, creating a legacy of beauty and quality that will be passed down from generation to generation, increasing in value as the years wear on.
At Gil Avivi Custom Furniture, our first priority is creating the highest quality furniture that will only get better with time.

Get Custom Wood Furniture At Reasonable Prices Today!

Custom wood furniture from Gil Avivi Furniture will turn even the most run of the mill piece of furniture into a piece of art; all at the most reasonable prices.
Simply contact us today and we’ll give you a comprehensive quote as well as a full list of our services.

 

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Gil Avivi custom wood furniture design launches new website

Online PR News – 11-June-2013 – When it comes to selecting furniture for homes or businesses, many consumers are forced to choose between high quality custom pieces over chairs, tables, or other items that are often available from their neighborhood furniture outlet at a lower price. Stylish, functional, and durable custom woodworking should never be sacrificed because of cost, which is why Gil Avivi has been a leading designer and furniture craftsman for more than 25 years with hundreds of satisfied clients throughout the Greater Toronto Area. It also explains the launch of the new Gil Avivi Ant Man Woodworking & Design Ltd. website, which he uses to showcase his portfolio and educate consumers about the benefits of custom versus in-stock furniture pieces.
“With the exception of the speed of the manufacturing process, there are few benefits of store bought furniture over finely crafted custom pieces,” Avivi said recently. “Each item that I design and build is unique and tailor-made to fit a client’s goals, existing decor, and budget. There also is no comparison to the quality of the materials I use.”
Quality versus Quantity
At Gil Avivi Ant Man Woodworking & Design Ltd. there is no substitute for quality materials and time honored craftsmanship that goes into each furniture item that Avivi has sold over the years. Unlike many pieces sold at retail stores, Avivi never uses particle board, Medium Density Fiberboard, or other wood composites in the framing or construction of his furniture items. Instead, he selects from the best natural wood species available, like red oak, ash, cherry, beech, hard maple, and many others and complements each with high quality hardware such as handles and drawer glides and custom blended polyurethane or other sealants for a perfect finish.

“One of the reasons we’ve been so successful over the years is because we never lose sight that the customer comes first,” he said. “The design and build process is the end result of uncovering their vision, but it starts and ends with what the customer needs, wants, and can afford. There is nothing else more important.”

Areas of Specialty

As a highly regarded woodworking specialist, Avivi is serious about his craft and never stops learning new design and construction techniques or identifying trends that will retain their aesthetic and monetary value for years to come. His areas of specialty include:

  • Bathroom Vanities.
  • Built-in Units for any residential or business need.
  • Commercial and Outdoor Furniture, including storage units and custom tree houses.
  • Kitchen and Bedroom furniture.

About Gil Avivi Wood Crafting & Design Ltd.

Gil Avivi Ant Man Woodworking & Design Ltd. was founded in 1987 and is located at 80 Clayson Rd, Toronto, Ontario M9M 2G7. The company is a recognized leader in Toronto custom and fine furniture pieces for homeowners and businesses throughout the province. If you are interested in a free design consultation, Avivi can be reached at 416-746-3204, by email through the company website, or through Facebook, MySpace, Squidoo, YouTube, and Twitter.

Contact Us

Gil Avivi Custom Furniture
ADDRESS: 40 Penn Dr. Toronto, M9L 2A9
PHONE: 416-746-3204