Thomas Merida Cabinetry

Tom is a consummate professional and a true craftsman. My husband and I were looking to reface our outdated kitchen cabinets and keep our solid cabinet boxes to lower our remodel cost. Tom worked with us from the beginning to achieve the desired look within our budget. He helped create a bright and wonderful space that I want to cook in all the time. Our soft-close cabinetry and newly constructed cabinets around the fridge provided a much needed facelift on a dreary space. I appreciated his absolute attention to detail, willingness to work through options, and stunning design quality he put into our kitchen.

I can't say enough good about Thomas Merida and the cabinets he created for my new kitchen - and built-in bookcase for my adjacent living room. I decided to remodel and, after submitting ideas for bids, found out that I had more structural flexibility than I originally thought possible in the somewhat restrictive complex where I live. I wanted to reduce the barrier between the kitchen and living room so decided to remove the cabinets that extended from the ceiling and instead install a hood, alone, in the space provided. Also, I wanted to extend the counter across by removing the step-up that was apparently created to accommodate stools on the living room side of the space. I never used stools in the living room but a long horizontal oak bookcase ran along that side of the barrier. Thomas and I simultaneously decided that a cherry bookcase could be a great addition to the cherry furniture in the living room and provide support for the extended, now quartz, countertop. I had already decided on cherry cabinets for the kitchen, and he added maple interiors for contrast and strength. Throughout the process, Thomas was very patient and professional, bringing over different samples of cherry until we decided on the perfect intensity of color and depth for me. He emailed websites and provided examples of hardware to consider for the doors and drawers. He also offered design ideas I hadn't even considered, such as a pull-out vertical cabinet to hold cookie sheets and large flat items. I envisioned a vertical cabinet that I would reach into, and instead got a beautiful piece of engineering that makes locating the right cookie sheet a breeze. He also convinced me to switch from a large cabinet for various pots and pans to two large drawers, to accommodate the pots and pans in a more organized, easier to reach way. Because of the design, he was also able to add a small drawer on top of that stack, which I now use to hold silverware, making it more accessible to both dining area and dishwasher. Losing the ceiling cabinets between the kitchen and living room created an issue for where to put things, so he set about measuring every space on the adjacent wall, widening cabinets and extending them out a bit into the dining area. He did this subtly, so the cabinets didn't crowd the windows, always maintaining enough space to make it visually pleasing. I found that I had more room to fill my coffee cup shelf, and more room above my refrigerator to store holiday dishes. One issue that arose was that the original Pergo flooring ended in a spot near the end of the new cabinet run. After finding out that no replacement Pergo slats were available anywhere, we found an extra piece when we switched out the old range. He cut it down and matched it perfectly with the floor and his assistant, Michele, helped me piece together and glue in a small square of rug to tie it together. Throughout the project, Michele and Thomas worked both together and parallel, adjusting tasks such as installing drawer pulls and polishing wood until the kitchen was complete. I continue to run my hands along the ends of the cabinets, which are as slippery as fine furniture, and sit in my living room in the evening, admiring my elegant kitchen. I am grateful that Jason Lindgren, the general contractor of Precision Built Construction, who remodeled my kitchen, recommended Thomas Merida and the more expensive handmade cabinets rather than readymade cabinets. It has made all the difference and is why I strongly urge anyone considering new cabinets or other woodwork to contact Thomas Merida.

Tom and Michele are expert craftsman and it shows in our kitchen. Here it is 9 months after install, and we still find ourselves marveling at how beautiful their cabinets are. For instance, if there are large places to cover with panel(s), Tom thinks about the wood grain of the pieces he will use, and tries to piece things together for a most harmonious look. We have been completely satisfied with the product delivered. From this experience, (that we simply fell into based on our contractors’ recommendation) we feel like we have gotten craftsman quality that borders on artistry, and are happy to recommend Tom.

I have worked on two projects with Thomas Merida, where he served as our Cabinet Maker. The First was where he produced beautiful Stained Cherry Wood & Walnut Cabinets. On the second project, we found some re-purposed old Oak material that he was able to make a veneer out of, producing fine cabinets with an old look for us. We have found him to be both professional, & artistic. Also being a furniture maker, he goes way beyond the norm with what comes out of his shop. First Class work!

We recently hired Thom Merida to design, build and install a solid wood butcher block countertop for our new kitchen island. Because the island is quite large and not a standard shape (three corners and an arched side), there were multiple design challenges. Thom conceived of an elegant, artistic design piecing together strips of maple and cherry, interspersed tastefully with accents of wenge, with the lines moving towards the arc. The result is nothing less than stunning and is truly a masterpiece. From start to finish, Thom’s skill and craftsmanship were obvious as he expertly met the structural and creative challenges our project presented. Everyone who has seen this counter top is completely awed by its magnificence, and it is definitely the centerpiece of our lovely kitchen. We are completely wowed by the final product and absolutely love having such an item of beauty in our kitchen. Not only is it beautiful to look at, it feels wonderfully smooth and complements the existing elements of the kitchen. We are very grateful we found Thom and gave him our total trust to envision and create the island top. He was excellent to work with, listened to our ideas, and brought the project in on time and within budget. With complete confidence I would highly recommend Thomas Merida for your furniture or wood working project. He definitely exceeded our expectations.

Thom and his assistant Michelle just completed a kitchen project for me. The results are way beyond my expectations. Where everybody else wanted to rip out existing Corian counters and all the cabinets, Thom's approach was different and saved me a chunk of money in the end. He built new doors, re-surfaced the drawers and replaced most of the shelves with easy to reach pull-outs. My kitchen now has a fabulously modern look. Craftsmen from the old school, like Thom, are hard to find, maybe even a dying breed. I'm so glad we connected. Next project on order is a custom made butcher block. I highly recommend Thom Merida if you are interested in quality work at a very fair price.

Thom has built several pieces of furniture for us - as well as designing and buiding a wall unit of shelves and cabinets for our home office - and the complete cabinetry for our kitchen. His work is beautifully designed and expertly built. This is true craftsmanship with a personal touch. His great pride shows in his work. We are completely satisfied with every piece and project. In addition - several years ago - he built a piece for my parents as they were moving into their retirement home. My mother never stopped raving about it - it was a large buffet that she used every day - and her one regret when they eventually left that home was leaving it behind.

I hired Thom to build cabinetry for multiple projects in my house remodel. He built a new kitchen, library and built-in master bedroom suite. This was actually the second project Thom had worked for me. He also built a kitchen for me in my previous house. Thom was flexible to the demands required due to my living in Tokyo at the time and flexible to meet with me when I had an opportunity to fly in. He drew multiple scale plans which were fedexd to me for revision and approval. He was responsive to my requests and created cabinetry in my home which is still stunning 10 years later.

Hired Tom to do a high end kitchen job. Also did wine rack, island, walk in storage and wet bar. Quality of work was excellent as was materials and finish. Was willing and able to work with client and myself throught project to make changes and updates as required. Customer was very pleased with outcome as was I. Tom is my go to fabricator for all cabinet and custom woodwork. Easy to work with, honest and forthright. I recommend him to anyone looking for quality, integrity, great installation and a fairly priced package.

WIth a keen eye for detail, Thomas Merida Cabinetry produces the highest quality product I have seen in my 30+ years in the construction industry. To describe his cabinetry and fine furniture pieces as "perfect" would not be an understatement. I can recommend him with no reservations whatsoever.