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Deslaurier Custom Cabinets and Braam’s Custom Cabinets are two frontrunners in the custom kitchen cabinet marketplace throughout Ontario. 

For over 40+ years, both of these family-owned and operated companies have dominated the space, providing quality products alongside quality service.

If you’re looking for high-quality, custom cabinets and kitchen design in Ontario, you’ve come to the right place. 

At Deslaurier, while we are proud of our design services and custom cabinet offerings, we recognize that many of our competitors also do quality work. One of whom is Braam’s, which we believe is one of the Top Cabinet Manufacturers in Ontario.

Ultimately, it is essential that you evaluate your options and choose the best company for your needs and preferences. We believe everyone deserves a stand-out kitchen—whether or not it comes from us.

This article gives an objective overview of both companies and compares these two leading cabinet manufacturers head-to-head, revealing how they’re alike and where they differ. 

Let’s get started! 

Braam’s Custom Cabinets

Braam’s Custom Cabinets has been designing, manufacturing, and installing custom cabinetry since 1980. A family business, founded by Peter and Rob Braam, the company originated as a three-man operation in South-Western Ontario. 

Fast-forward over 40 years and Braam’s Custom Cabinets consists of 3 Ontario locations, focusing solely on custom cabinet manufacturing and kitchen design. 

Braam’s serves four main categories of clientele:

• Retail customers
• Pro renovators
• New home builders
• Dealers

Braam’s main office and 47 000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility are situated in St. Thomas, Ontario. They also have locations in Oakville and London, Ontario, each equipped with design and install teams. 

Deslaurier Custom Cabinets

Deslaurier Custom Cabinets was founded in the Deslaurier family garage back in 1979. The company first sold cabinets, lawn furniture, and other woodworking novelties. Over forty years later, Deslaurier Custom Cabinets now employs just under 200 people. 

Deslaurier specializes in custom cabinetry, offering an extensive collection of standard, semi-custom, and custom products.

Like Braam’s, Deslaurier serves four main categories of clientele:

• Retail customers
• Pro renovators
• New home builders

• Dealers

All Deslaurier cabinets are manufactured in our 48 000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Renfrew, Ontario. Deslaurier has a showroom at their manufacturing location in Renfrew, as well as a showroom and Design Centre located in Ottawa, right off the 417 next to IKEA. 

Deslaurier vs. Braam’s: The Process 

Working with Deslaurier and Braam’s is a personalized design experience from start to finish; from initial design consultations to cabinet installation. 

Both companies employ an in-house team of award-winning kitchen designers. You’ll be assigned a professional designer to guide you through your design selections and create a customized floor plan for your project. Upon order, each company’s manufacturing facility will produce the pieces and install them in your home.

It’s worth mentioning that neither Braam’s nor Deslaurier performs other renovation tasks, like flooring installations, plumbing work, and electrical upgrades. Those jobs are up to the homeowner to manage or outsource with a contractor. 

That being said, most professional designers have a host of industry connections and can refer you to contractors for these jobs if you need them. Designers can also work in conjunction with your contractor selections.

To learn more about working with Deslaurier, read about our kitchen design process, and our kitchen design process for builder clients!

Deslaurier vs. Braam’s: Warranty 

With over 40 years to our name, we know how important an expansive warranty can be for both products and services. 

While we don’t have the intricacies of Braam’s warranty that we do our own, here’s what we can tell you about what the Braam’s warranty entails: 

• a 1-year warranty on cabinetry 
• a lifetime warranty on interior cabinet hardware such as slides, hinges, etc. 

Deslaurier offers:

• a 20-year warranty on cabinet materials and workmanship for residential buyers (including finishes)
• a 1-year warranty on cabinet materials and workmanship for commercial buyers (including finishes)
• a 12-year warranty on PET doors
• a 10-year warranty on acrylic and thermofoil doors
• a 5-year warranty on polyester doors
• a 1-year warranty on installation
• a lifetime warranty on slides and hinges
• Other components (hardware, accessories, and countertops) are subject to the warranty of their manufacturer

In summary, Deslaurier’s warranty may be more advantageous for you if you are a residential buyer.

As a disclaimer, all 5-piece cabinet doors will potentially crack at the joints. This cracking is a natural phenomenon known as “breathing,” which occurs due to the inherent expansion and contraction of wood as a result of fluctuation in humidity and temperature. 

Since this issue occurs naturally, it is not listed under the warranty by either company. 

Deslaurier vs. Braam’s: Product Partnerships 

A key difference between Deslaurier and Braam’s kitchens boils down to the supplier partnerships of each company. 

For instance, neither Deslaurier nor Braam’s manufactures their own cabinet hardware. The knobs, pulls, and handles that you order to match your cabinets come from each company’s supplier network.

So, a particular piece of hardware that you find at Braam’s may not be available at Deslaurier, and vice versa. That being said, both companies source literally thousands of hardware products through their supplier network, so it’s unlikely you’ll have trouble finding a selection you like.

Further, while neither company manufactures stone countertops, they do work closely and coordinate with local suppliers to provide clients with stone surfaces. 

Distribution & Dealer Networks

Deslaurier has over 30 distribution dealers alone in the province of Ontario, from Windsor to Timmins. They’ve also partnered with NV Realty Group in Palm Beach, Florida, with a showroom located in Jupiter. 

With their head office based out of St. Thomas, Braam’s also has 2 other locations: a GTA showroom in Oakville and another situated in London. They also service areas throughout the greater GTA like Mississauga and even Detroit, Michigan. 

For that reason, if you’re looking for custom cabinetry outside of Southern Ontario, Deslaurier has a more extensive network of partners to service the Province. 

Visit our Find a Dealer page to see if there’s a Deslaurier distributor in your area! 

Discover Deslaurier Custom Cabinets 

Whether you’re looking for custom cabinets in Ottawa or throughout Ontario, we hope this information helps you decide which cabinet manufacturer is the best fit for your custom kitchen needs. 

At Deslaurier, we understand that we’re not the only cabinet specialist around. That’s why we like to show prospective clients what we have to offer—no commitment needed!

Book a free consultation with one of our professional designers in Ottawa or Renfrew and discover the Deslaurier advantage today!

Live outside the area? Find a Dealer to connect with near you! Interested in becoming an authorized Deslaurier dealer? Visit our Become a Dealer page to learn more!