how a New Dorp kitchen and bath retailer/installer has competed with big-box competition for 20 years

by Jessica Jones-Gorman • Photos By Robert Nuzzi

After working in the cabinet industry for several years, installing kitchens and bathrooms while tackling other major home renovations throughout the tri-state area, Michael DellaMonica decided to open his own custom kitchen and bathroom business—one that would provide trusted workmanship for Island homeowners.

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“At the time, there was a real need for this type of enterprise in the community,” DellaMonica offered at the Hylan Boulevard offices of the Cabinet Factory, launched in 1996. “In the beginning, we did a lot of kitchen refacing, restoring existing cabinets and countertops…making older products look new. But that was 20 years ago and kitchen renovation was different then. Today, customers are interested in more detailed projects, so we specialize in designing custom kitchens and baths.”

Though this was DellaMonica’s first business on the Island, he has since opened a handful of restaurants, Michael’s Martinis and Meatballs and Paco’s Mexican Bistro included.

“As Cabinet Factory grew in the community and earned a reputation for personal and professional customer service,” DellaMonica said, “what really made this business unique is the fact that we deal with everything from stock to custom lines of cabinets, and we don’t only supply cabinets and granite. We do all of the construction and design work as well. People also appreciated our free estimates and that fact that we completed entire jobs…from soup to nuts. From the beginning we could take responsibility for design, construction, tile, electric, plumbing…even the windows. My designers have 40 years of experience, and we’re one of the few local companies that does not use subcontractors.”

A&G SPREAD

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DellaMonica then described the market advantages of stocking only American made cabinetry. His New Dorp showroom, which showcases 20 different kitchen and bathroom displays, features samples from brands like KraftMaid, Waypoint, and Wolf.

“We place a big emphasis on the quality of our products,” he said. “The cabinets we work with are not imported, and come with lifetime warranties—an important factor when you’re installing a new kitchen or bath.”

The business has moved a few times since its opening, occupying different addresses on Hylan Boulevard over the past 20 years. Now, it’s bringing the experience online, allowing customers from all across the country the chance to take advantage of quick and easy and shopping options.

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“Kitchen cabinet styles are so varied right now,” the owner explained. “Some of our most popular sellers are cabinets with a light finish—white-on-white is very big—but a lot of homeowners are still interested in shades like hazelnut and dark espresso…which never seem to go out of style.”

Gray countertops and tile are also trending, DellaMonica noted, with granite and quartz still the kitchen renovation leaders. Custom cabinetry remains a big market on the Island as well.

“I think the biggest proof of The Cabinet Factory’s success is the number of return customers,” DellaMonica concluded. “People continually return to us to tackle all of the major renovations in their home. For me, as a business owner, that is the ultimate compliment.”

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Made here at home
The Cabinet Factory takes its commitment to offer only American-made products seriously. Its brand, KraftMaid, for example, assembles cabinets at facilities in Northeast Ohio, and in accordance with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which offers incentives for U.S. makers and mandates the use of their products for federal projects.

Waypoint Living Spaces, part of the American Woodmark Corporation, makes cabinetry in Winchester, VA. Its parent company is one of the three largest manufacturers of cabinets in the United States, and all its products are certified by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) Environmental Stewardship Program.

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Wolf Cabinets, based in Georgia, was recently named to the Top Ten List of preferred stock brands by readers of Kitchen & Bath Business magazine. Made in America, their products, too, are KCMA Environmental Stewardship Program certified.

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The Cabinet Factory
2201 Hylan Boulevard / 718.351.8922
thecabinetfactoryonline.com