Mar 5 2009
Considering home renovations this year? An environmentally conscious wood shutter and door company is accepting fully custom orders for Spring 2009.
Our custom wood shutters combine old world tradition with modern manufacturing processes
"Customizations are what we do best," says Estate Millwork president Jim Jackson. "We can make our wood shutters, doors, and other pieces exactly as customers order them."
Estate Millwork can create customized interior and exterior wood shutters. The company also crafts custom wood doors; interior doors and entryways, and wooden cabinet doors to spec.
Estate Millwork's shutters, doors, and cabinet doors are made from top-grade North American and imported hardwoods. Most custom shutters, doors, and cabinet doors are available in nine types of hardwoods. The company has never used filler or synthetics in any of its pieces, says Jackson, and all items are assembled with real mortise-and-tenon joinery using traditional craftsmanship that dates back centuries.
The artisan woodworkers at Estate Millwork usually fill orders for common customizations, such as exterior shutters with operable louvers; custom wood doors with period reproduction hinges, or cabinet doors with beveled edges. However, some customers place orders for more difficult spec work - including radius work (defined as wood doors or shutters crafted to fit curved frames or windows); ornate moulding and bolection moulding; custom sticking profiles, or intricate wood inlays.
"You can submit sketches of your ideas, and our craftsmen can reproduce them on your shutters or doors," says Jackson. "Some people have sent in AutoCAD drawings, as well."
The company offers diverse lines of shutters, doors, and cabinet doors. Jackson advises customers to carefully consider their home décor and the prevailing architectural styles in their area before committing to a shutter or door order.
Homeowners in tropical climates tend to prefer Bahama shutters, which can be closed quickly to protect windows from hurricanes and downpours. East Coast homeowners accent the prevailing architectural styles of that area - Tudors and Cape Cods - with board-and-batten shutters or custom raised-panel shutters.
Rooms with Southern exposure accommodate light-enhancing true divided light doors. However, panel doors are better choices for home exteriors or heavily trafficked rooms.
When shopping for cabinetry, Jackson recommends selecting styles that complement the color palette and theme of the room. So, while dark maple panel cabinets with ornate brass accents look stately in a dining room, they would overwhelm a young child's bedroom.
As the mortgage market tightens, and layoffs continue, people are more particular about where they shop and what they buy. But, investing in home renovations is a smart move during a bad economy, says Jackson.
That's because recessions are cyclical. Investing in home improvements during a downturn can make a home more valuable during an economic upswing. Homeowners who've maintained and improved their homes during tough times enjoy higher real and resale values than homeowners who put off maintenance and renovations.
Estate Millwork is committed to improvement in tough times, too, says Jackson.
"We're a green plant," he says, citing the mill's strict temperature controls and wood recycling program as its salient conservation efforts. Also, he says, "we deal exclusively with timber suppliers who practice renewable forestry." The company's green efforts, he believes, save money on production, and pass savings on to customers.
Estate Millwork, a custom shutter, exterior door and entryway, and cabinet door manufacturing company, offers hundreds of customization combinations for its wood pieces.