Vermont Cabinetworks

Spoiler alert: this is a glowing review of Nick Brooks and Vermont Cabinetworks. Between October 2016 and November 2017 Nick oversaw a to-the-studs renovation of our home in Richmond Village. Nick and his team converted a 1,500 SF three-bedroom “fixer upper”--a generous term for the starting point--built in 1900 into a timeless, human-centered, highly efficient home we will enjoy for years. Here’s what sets Nick and Vermont Cabinetworks apart: Caring: Nick’s remarkable commitment to our satisfaction defined our collaboration. He’s invested in the long-term happiness of his clients, and from the very beginning of our work together (and even before we had a contract) Nick engaged us as co-creators of the finished product. It was choosing colors and materials, sure, but more importantly it’s the little things that went far beyond our expectations, from calling on the first cold snap of winter to see how the house was doing, to coming back to the property after closing to help us install closet shelving, to acting as our unofficial ambassador to town. Craftsmanship: Nick is a perfectionist, and his high standards pervade his work. The curb appeal of the house is obvious the moment you step onto the property, but his attention to detail extends to the smallest aspects of the project. When the place was completed, we asked Nick to show us his favorite part of the structure. It was a minuscule piece of quarter-round that fit just so between two pieces of trim in a bathroom. No one but Nick will ever notice it (well, I guess we will too now) but it had to be just right to meet his standards. There’s not a corner cut in the house. Intuition: Nick has a knack for marrying aesthetics and function. We’ve yet to find an element of the house that’s not well thought out. From a kitchen layout in which we felt instantly at home, to built-in cabinets with a combination of open shelving and closed doors that allow us to display a few of our favorite pieces of art and hide the rest, to interior windows that share light and line of sight between spaces while keeping sound from bouncing through the small house, the place clicks. The relationship and finished product were so good that we feel a little jealous thinking of Nick working with other clients. But we highly recommend Nick and Vermont Cabinetworks. If you’d like to see his work in person, reach out to Nick and we’d be happy to find a time for a walk-through or can share photos. Check out the before and after photos below for a sense of the transformation. Brodie and Brittany O’Brien

Mr. Brooks made new cabinet doors and refitted some open shefing with drawer units to update my kitchen. His workmanship was pristine, matching perfectly the detail on the door panels and making sure the paint finish was the same. He also made panels for door on a new SubZero refrigerator. He was very conscientious, discussing with me different design options, and completed the project in a timely manner without any disruption to the use of the kitchen. The project was "Phase 1" in a kitchen renovation, and I look forward to moving ahead with the next phase. Also, very reasonable as far as price!

I would recommend Nick without hesitation. Nick gave me a very fair quote and came within the budget. He was communicative via email & text, conscientious of time and also considerate our family and our schedules as he worked in our kitchen. He worked quite fast. He’s a very smart guy and figured out a tricky problem for us. He rebuilt the interiors of our 1955 metal cabinets so that we could have modern hardware and interior drawers, while maintaining the original metal outers. He was very well versed in materials and he was decisive in recommending and ordering what we needed. His installation was clever, impeccable and precise. I was super impressed.

When it comes to wood, Nick is an artist, artisan and craftsman. He makes it do things that one wouldn't think were possible. We hired him to do custom carpentry on a house we were renovating in Stowe, VT. He built a bathroom vanity, the shelves in the kitchen, the wooden top rail for the loft cable system, bedside tables, and a corner table in the basement family room. All were custom made and fit perfectly. He is a perfectionist and takes great pride in his work, but is incredibly easy to work with. The quality of his workmanship is outstanding. He was able to take our layperson's ideas and designs and turn them into functional, beautiful reality. As a housewarming gift, he made some decorative mounts for ornamental skis in the basement.

We are so happy to have met Nick. He is an amazing craftsperson who brings precision to his craft as well as a great sense of design. Always a pleasure to work with! Thanks Nick for all of your beautiful work.

I had VT Cabinetworks do some smaller pieces of furniture for our last house--side tables, large farm table, etc. and all came out even better than expected. Nick was able to find the perfect antique lumber for our projects and his attention to detail was impressive! When we moved to our new home and needed an entire kitchen remodel, I thought to use their company again and was so happy we did. We did have some photos and ideas to begin the process but it was basically a blank slate. Nick had great suggestions throughout the build, finding creative storage and counter-space in ways we had not even considered before. He was able to source some beautiful local wood for this project and their install came together relatively quickly (some time spent waiting for stone templates and fabrication was out of his control:) I would highly recommend their company if you are thinking about redoing your kitchen--they were reliable, very fair, and cared deeply about making sure we were satisfied in the end...which we absolutely are!

After struggling for months trying to find a professional to design and build new vanities for my master bath, the search is over! I am thrilled with my new cabinets! Nick solved many design problems, gave wonderful suggestions and patiently listened to mine. From the initial email to the final handshake, the process went smoothly. The estimate proved to be spot-on, even with the few changes that occurred along the way. The results are exactly as promised and speak for themselves. Now it's on to the next project... book shelves?... new table? ......pantry built-ins?......Hmmmmm