While the name of the company, joshua cabinetry, embraces one of the products for which it is well known—custom cabinetry—there is a treasure chest of other home remodeling and construction expertise behind the shop’s doors. The family-run business is named after partner Josh Ellis by his father (and business partner), Brad Taylor.
The owners had a very unusual start in the custom cabinetry business. From business backgrounds in banking and technology, they began a side business remodeling homes more than two decades ago. “We had a lot of fun remodeling our clients’ homes, many of whom were references from my work in the banking industry,” Ellis says. “We noticed that many of our clients switched cabinet companies during the course of their remodeling projects because they weren’t satisfied with the workmanship.”
The partners tried sourcing new high-end cabinetmakers for their remodeling customers, but without any success. “One day, I had lunch with a friend who told me he had an unused shop with millions of dollars of woodworking equipment available,” Ellis says. “I talked with Brad, and we both decided to invest in the opportunity.” Together, they learned the machinery, hired millworkers and spent a year in research and development to perfect the cabinetmaking craft. “We were testing wood to see reactions during different environmental factors and understand the science behind the manufacturing processes,” he adds.
Their vision was to begin making custom high-end cabinetry and millwork detailing to exacting standards and add that to their repertoire of general contracting and remodeling work. Over time, the company grew organically and now is a leading provider of both fine custom cabinetry, semi-custom cabinets, millwork, and every other product and service needed to complete a kitchen or bath project, including tiling, hardware, faucets, flooring and countertops. The team travels across the Southeast to serve its customers.
The combination of skills sets them apart in the industry. “Since we custom design and produce cabinets as well as source cabinets from other makers and produce the necessary millwork, we are different from other cabinetmakers in the industry,” Ellis explains. “Depending on the homeowner’s needs and price point, we can often install semi-custom cabinets in a kitchen and then custom-make a matching island base to be the room’s focal point. If a homeowner wants white or gray Shaker cabinets, for example, we’ll order those from a provider at a good price point and then design and manufacture specialty cabinets for certain areas as a wow factor.”
Joshua Cabinetry provides turnkey kitchens and bathrooms, relying on its deep experience in general contracting and remodeling to envision, design, manufacture and install entire projects. Its team can remove walls and perform any tasks required during a major remodeling project. “Brad is an expert in residential kitchen design,” says Ellis. “Architects rely on him to design the kitchens of the homes they are working on. While he listens to the clients and designs the kitchen they want, he also provides a second plan of how he recommends the kitchen function. The clients end up choosing Brad’s plan 95% of the time.”
In the process of remodeling a home, issues crop up; it’s the nature of the game. “How we respond when issues arise is actually another one of our company’s differentiators,” Ellis says. “We analyze and adjust to respond to the situation at hand. I’d say we excel in that way.”
Joshua Cabinetry is always cognizant of the budget. “We are not the cheapest up front, but our quotes are the most realistic,” Ellis adds. “We work hand in hand with our clients for as long as it takes to realize and implement their vision. We never want to increase their budget mid-project, so we provide accurate pricing up front. We provide true value for what we charge.”
Potential customers are always welcome to come to Joshua Cabinetry’s shop to see the cabinets being made for other clients’ projects. “Although we show past projects on a scrolling video screen that clients can see, we are not a showroom but a real workshop,” Ellis says. It’s a place for potential customers to see the company’s craftsmen and their woodworking skills and learn how the process will work for their project.
While the company specializes in cabinetry, it also designs and constructs all types of built-ins for all rooms in a home. “We have built dog-washing stations, wine rooms and dining tables,” says Ellis. Any type of specialty furniture or millwork envisioned by a homeowner or architect can be brought to life in the Joshua Cabinetry shop.
The company’s skilled craftsmen are problem solvers. Sometimes Ellis even finds his team correcting problems that have nothing to do with their specialty. “I have been asked by a builder about deck configuration. We are good at fixing problems, wherever they exist on a jobsite,” he says.
While the company mostly focuses on residential projects, it also provides services for commercial buildings. Joshua Cabinetry produced and installed specialty millwork and wall and ceiling features in the Chase Lounge at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs. Its woodworkers also designed wall paneling, special display cases and custom cabinetry for The Southern Company’s corporate headquarters. “We can engineer anything to function like the customer wants,” Ellis says.
By spending so much time working with cabinetry, Ellis is privy to what’s most popular in design styles. “Although we still provide traditional cabinetry with raised panel doors, there is movement toward more modern slab doors, like what you would see in Europe or on the U.S. West Coast,” he says. “More people are adding woodgrain and color back into the kitchen. It’s clean and classic but not ultramodern. We are very good at producing that look.”
As a small business, Joshua Cabinetry relies on good recommendations from its clients, so it’s imperative to Ellis that each client is fully satisfied with their new kitchen or bath. “We spend the time needed with our clients in both the design and consultation phases prior to project inception to make sure they are getting what they really want and what will serve them,” he says. “We also understand the need to maximize the budget to achieve a client’s desired look, so we offer fully custom and semi-custom options for every price point. A kitchen or bath is not complete until the client is fully satisfied.” *
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and fine art.
