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Investing in quality cabinets can have a significant impact on the look and functionality of your space. 

By exploring all of your options and choosing cabinets that are well-made and durable, you can enjoy the benefits of a stylish, organized, and efficient home for years to come. 

Taking the time to make an informed decision about your cabinets is crucial, as they play an important role in your daily life and the overall value of your property.

If you’re looking for high-quality kitchen cabinets 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 Cabinetsmith, 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!

Cabinetsmith 

Since 2007, Cabinetsmith has been the cabinet manufacturing division of the CanSave Group, a building materials distributor. Based out of Barrie, Ontario, the CanSave Group consists of CanSave, Doorsmith, Dajica, and Cabinetsmith. 

Cabinetsmith’s focus is on providing “stylish and affordable cabinets,” with two separate product lines: Select and Impression. 

Cabinetsmith does not sell to the public and deals solely with distribution dealers in a business-to-business model. However, their website provides a portal for their dealers, as well as a “where to buy” section to find Cabinetsmith cabinets near you. 

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.

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.

The Process

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

Deslaurier employs 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, our respective manufacturing facility will produce the custom cabinet pieces and install them in your home.

It’s worth mentioning that Deslaurier does not perform 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.

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

Cabinetsmith, on the other hand, does not have a standard design process. Since they work strictly with distribution, their individual dealers will have their own methods and processes to assist you when purchasing their cabinets.

Product Partnership

A key difference between Deslaurier and Cabinetsmith boils down to the supplier partnerships of each company. 

For instance, neither Deslaurier nor Cabinetsmith 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 with Cabinetsmith cabinets may not be available at Deslaurier, and vice versa. 

That being said, both companies source hundreds of hardware products through their supplier network, so it’s unlikely you’ll have trouble finding a selection you like.

Further, while Deslaurier does not manufacture stone countertops, we do work closely and coordinate with local suppliers to provide clients with stone surfaces. 

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 Cabinetsmith’s warranty that we do our own, here’s what we can tell you about what it entails: 

• 10-year cabinet warranty against defects of material and workmanship. 

• You can read the Cabinetsmith warranty and its specific exclusions, here.

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 a residential buyer (20 years vs 10), and Cabinetsmith’s may be more attractive if you are a commercial buyer (10 years vs 1).

As a disclaimer, all cabinet doors (with the exception of one-piece MDF 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. 

Distribution & Dealer Networks

Deslaurier has over 30 distribution dealers alone in the province of Ontario, including 4 dealers within 50km of Barrie! 

We have also partnered with NV Realty Group in Palm Beach, Florida, with a showroom located in Jupiter. Visit our Find a Dealer page to see if there’s a Deslaurier distributor in your area! 

Since Cabinetsmith works strictly with dealers, they have quite an extensive distribution network. 

With dozens of locations in Ontario, they also have a strong outreach in other Provinces. This includes 6 partners in Manitoba, as well as single locations in Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, respectively. 

Discover Deslaurier Custom Cabinets 

If 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 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!