Plain and Fancy Custom Cabinetry blends artisan skills with automated technology to produce some of the finest high-end custom cabinets available today. What started over 40 years ago as a small family-owned business in a garage has grown into, well, a small family -owned business in a state-of-the-art 225,000 square foot manufacturing and finishing facility. Plain and Fancy is successful not due to its size, there are certainly far bigger companies out there, but because of their quality and service. This manufacturer understands that custom means choices, and Plain and Fancy has built an operation that is the epitome of innovation and efficiency to meet the widely varied needs of the end user.

Plain and Fancy’s story is not just about growth, it is about evolution. In the niche of high-end custom cabinetry it is crucial to stay on top of new developments in machinery, materials, software, functional hardware and design trends. It is equally important to maintain symbiotic business relationships and excellent customer communication. In the beginning John Achey, founder of Plain and Fancy, prided himself on building high-quality custom cabinets from start to finish for his friends and neighbors. Not a lot has changed. Plain and Fancy still has a lot of vertical control over their products; that is to say that with rare exceptions, they manufacture and finish all the components that go into their custom cabinet systems. However in the past 40 years they have experienced a market shift from “up the street” to uptown, with a reputation for being one of the most sought after, high-end cabinet makers in America.

Designing the Dream
Every cabinet project begins with an idea. In the case of Plain and Fancy Custom Cabinets 90% of the projects are remodels; and more often then not the idea is facilitated by a design professional. Particularly in the case of sophisticated kitchen design, an architect or designer provides the homeowner with the expertise to create a space that expresses the homeowner’s unique personality while satisfying the practical necessities. According to Mary Grace, a kitchen designer who works with the Plain and Fancy line, most people spend on average a year planning a kitchen remodel. Before clients ever set foot in a design center they typically research on their own using the internet and design magazines. Plain and Fancy knows this and implements two major print campaigns a year, including monthly ads in national magazines. It may seem unusual for a small company to have such a large voice in the industry but Plain and Fancy understands the importance of brand recognition. They want consumers to not only see their carefully created ads, but to feel the design come through the high-resolution images. It has been a successful strategy for emotionally bringing Plain and Fancy cabinetry into the hearts and homes of potential clients before the renovation begins. “When people come in looking for Plain and Fancy, they already know what they want,” says Grace. “They come to our design center with magazine in hand and ask for more information on the line.”

The design process begins with an interview. Do the clients like to entertain? Do they cook? Then specific zones are laid out (prep, cooking, clean up) to maximize productivity and minimize ergonomic stresses. When it comes to defining a personal style for the kitchen, Plain and Fancy boasts a 500-page catalogue of products and options, not to mention the limitless possibilities of custom finishes. In order to navigate all that information dealers use the front-end software The Kitchen Pond (TKP). This allows consumers to play around with possibilities and design professionals to create accurate estimates from the outset of a project. On the shop floor AutoCAD serves as the design software platform. In addition to TKP, Plain and Fancy is continually redesigning their website. They are currently working on a “backdoor” that is specifically created for designers where they can download tools for designing and pricing special products.

“Software is key today,” says Rick Yohn, a 27-year veteran of Plain and Fancy who has done everything from purchasing to plant coordinating and design. Internally software helps to divide workloads on the shop floor between the skilled craftsman and the machines. “We optimize our work into day batches. In some of those departments it doesn’t look like one kitchen, but it is,” says Yohn. In doing that Plain and Fancy maximizes resources and is able to produce a cabinet faster and in an easier fashion. “We have made such a large investment over the years in writing software to communicate to the shop floor, “ says Yohn, “it remains a critical issue. As this product changes and gets more difficult to build we continue to look at new avenues that will help us operate. It’s a challenge. The workforce is changing, it is getting younger, and we are working with an intricately designed product. Communication is paramount.”

Doing custom work is synonymous with being able to manufacture cabinets that follow the latest design trends, and advances in functional hardware often drive those trends. Contemporary kitchen design tends to exclude lower base cabinets in favor of large drawers that fully extend, providing easy access to pots, pans, plates and other nonconsumable kitchen items. Soft-close features and durable hardware has enabled this shift, which eliminates the need for bending down to access lower spaces. Lift systems have resulted in greater utilization of overhead space with the added bonus of reducing the risk of head bumping on open cabinet doors. Myriad corner systems that revolve and/or pull out grant access to those hard-to-reach places. Hardware can also add class to trash areas. “Can you imagine designing your dream kitchen and then having a plastic garbage can sitting at the end of the cabinets?” Grace asks. “Cabinets that house trash and recycle are huge, we are even beginning to see built-in composting. And these doors are used nearly as often as the utensil drawer. There is hardware available that opens with a gentle tap, so you never have to get your hands dirty.” In addition to creating solutions for kitchen spaces, these and other custom options such as elaborate islands and ventilation hoods challenge Plain and Fancy to use the best of their resources for producing both standard and unique cabinet shapes and sizes. 

“We take an order and analyze it piece by piece to determine what fits into standard production and what needs to go through our specialty cutting and sanding departments,” explains Yohn. A Master Scheduler and one assistant divide the workloads between the handcrafted artisan pieces and the standard pieces that can be produced efficiently on the automated line. Plain and Fancy is a small operation, and it relies on both software and feedback from the shop floor to keep orders on track for the typical 10 to 12-week lead time. The vast majority of designers they work with have previous experience with the company. “We have long-lasting relationships with all our dealers. They know exactly what we deliver, and that is high-quality products with consistently exceptional finish,” says Yohn. “Design professionals have a lot of faith in that. They are then able to offer their services to clients with confidence. Another unique thing about Plain and Fancy is that we deliver 99.9% of our products on time.” Anyone who has ever lived through a remodel knows how important that is.

When designing a Plain and Fancy cabinet project there are a multitude of options for materials and finishes. Plain and Fancy manufactures 100% of their face frames and drawer boxes in their own mill; in addition about 70% of their doors (raised panel and fl at panel) are done on-site. The company offers four product lines for cabinet boxes: A traditional face frame cabinet that is all-wood construction featuring a plywood internal veneer core box. There is also a vinyl interior cabinet that is an old mainstay from the original line dating back to the 1970’s. These days the vinyl is laminated (on top of plywood or particleboard) out of house by Laminate Technologies out of Tiffin Ohio. Laminate Technologies specializes in this process for cabinetry and helps Plain and Fancy to fill the custom gamut. Vinyl overlay has historically been popular as it wipes clean and resists water. In addition Plain and Fancy offers their Medley line of European-style frame-less cabinets including a melamine on particleboard line and an all-wood veneer core line. Yohn explains that MDF is often mixed into the box construction as well because it is such a stable and environmentally friendly product. In most cases it is hidden in the cabinet and the consumer doesn’t know it is there, particularly since most face frames are made of the same wood as the cabinet door. However when it comes to painting, MDF is the substrate of choice due to its ultra-smooth surface.

Making it Come True
Plain and Fancy benefits from long-standing relationships with suppliers, such as Birchland and Columbia Forest Products for plywood and Flakeboard for melamine. “Its been a long marriage,” says Yohn. Knowing what to expect out of materials helps Plain and Fancy to maintain the high-level of quality and consistency that have become the trademarks of their craft. As materials technology advances, new partnerships also evolve, such as that between Plain and Fancy and MDF supplier Plum Creek. “We have a great network of suppliers,” says Yohn, “Plain and Fancy has been around for a long time, we have a fantastic bunch of vendors that supply us with the everyday products we need. Our supplementary relationships help us to fill the custom gamut.” For example Plain and Fancy produces standard moldings on their Weinig molder, but relies on Enkeboll and Art for Everyday for custom moldings. 

In addition to skilled craftsman, dependable raw materials and supplementary relationships Plain and Fancy invests in machinery and tooling. A peek at the processing line reveals a Holzma panel saw, Weeke router and Unique shape and sand machine. “The key technological advantage comes from Stiles, it is just quality equipment. I like the technical background and the fact that they are usually ahead of the curve on innovative equipment,” says Yohn. WoodWop software runs the machines, using shop floor data to feed the panel saws and routers. “About 3-years ago we introduced diamond tooling to the mill for some of the top profiles for the Weinig molder, door rail and front frame profiles,” says Yohn. “We also have tenoning tools and door lip profiles in diamond to match up with abrasives on the shape and sand machine. All other tooling in the shop is carbide, being the most versatile and cost effective option available.”

Before choosing equipment for the new finishing room, which opened in 2008, Plain and Fancy did a lot of legwork. The Cefla display in North Carolina sold them on the line. “They have a wonderful set-up where we could actually run product through,” says Yohn. “We came back with a finish that looked fantastic after a half-day run, which is impressive. That made the decision easy.” The Cefla line allows Plain and Fancy to put down a consistent topcoat, giving the same look day in and day out. “Our past experiences with hand-spraying have taught us a lot. We feel we have taken a big step forward in our ability to produce custom finishes.” 

With 104 standard color finishes and another 500-plus custom finishes requested a year, a finishing line that reliably produces quality product is absolutely critical to Plain and Fancy. Becker Acroma is Plain and Fancy’s primary supplier of finish, and has earned that position because their products respond in a very predictable way, which is necessary for consistent product. Within the realm of finishing there are seemingly limitless possibilities, beginning with a very basic stain that has been done for 1oo years and provides a very classic, simple effect. Another popular sell for finishing is “stain and glaze.” Plain and Fancy has a base product called “clear tones” which is generally a color that is sanded through to give an antique effect. According to Yohn enamel makes up nearly 50% of all production. “Enamel is hot with us. It is a testament to our relationship with suppliers and our commitment to technology that makes that possible. For our dealers to sell enamel and know that it is going to hold up and be durable enough for a kitchen, they have to have a lot of faith in that product,” says Yohn. If stain is the simple end of the custom-finishing spectrum, then Plain and Fancy’s brush mark crackle is the complicated end. This finish requires nine steps, some done with the Cefla line and some done by hand, and results in a brand new finish that looks like it is 200-years-old.

Plain and Fancy has earned their reputation for quality by carefully balancing time-honored craftsmanship with advancing technology. This small family-owned operation has wide brand recognition, and possibly more importantly, design professionals have confidence in the "It is like having a local custom shop that provides factory-level consistent product. Except with a better finish." MARY GRACE, KITCHEN DESIGNER products. Perhaps Grace said it best, “With Plain and Fancy I can give my clients anything they want. Often they are so happy with a kitchen installation and so impressed with the possibilities that they put Plain and Fancy cabinets throughout the home. As a designer it makes my job a lot easier. It is like having a local custom shop that provides factory-level consistent product. Except with a better finish.”