With our travel plans were interrupted in 2020, we decided it would be a good time to remodel our kitchen. We were 18 years overdue for the project. I found East Bay Cabinets on Yelp, read favourable reviews and saw the photos posted here and on the website. A bonus was that the shop is less than two miles from our home. Hubby and I made an appointment with Vinny at his shop. After our initial meeting, we knew right then we wanted him to be part of our remodel. We put down a nominal deposit to get on his calendar. He had one or two projects ahead of us and it was a few months wait, but worth it. In the meantime, I did several drafts sketching and designing out my kitchen (yay for graph paper and coloured pencils!). So come Spring 2021, Vinny contacted us and we were pretty much ready. There were a few design issues he pointed out that we modified to be more practical. When it came to choosing the material, we opted for raw cherry. I had it in my head to do an oil finish for the cabinet and drawer fronts that would give it a particular look. Vinny is a true craftsman with an eye for detail. His workmanship is impeccable, exact and beautiful. He was very accommodating with the quirks of our appliance choices. We bought an integrated dishwasher and he was concerned the "knock" feature would not work through the wood (it worked perfectly). We also had a pipe chase behind the pantry cabinet so we could run a vent pipe from the furnace to the upstairs level, as well as a toe kick vacuum to sweep the floor (we installed a whole house system). He also had the challenge of installing into a house where ALL the walls are out of plumb, not a single right angle ANYWHERE. Marbles roll around on the floor but stay put on the countertops because the cabinets are dead nuts level. Vinny gives his full attention when he is on your project. I felt guilty bugging him with questions and learned to just text him or send all my questions in an email. It worked out better for us, better for him. He had great ideas that we incorporated while I countered with some crazy ones that we quickly put aside. It has pretty much a year since the install and I absolutely love my kitchen and how it is all (still!) coming together. I would highly recommend Vinny in a heartbeat. We have another project in mind and looking forward to working with him in the future. read more

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We were looking into factory kitchen cabinets but discovered that using standard sizes for our 70 year old kitchen would require us to have our back door moved a few inches. The cost of moving the door was about as much as the price difference between factory and custom; and going custom really opened up a whole new level of options for materials, finishes and maximizing our space. We then considered one of those smaller custom cabinet factories in Oregon, but we wanted a local cabinetmaker who could see our project, make his own measurements, adjust the plans as things changed (and they did!), offer suggestions, and keep us from making any costly mistakes. It's also good to have a local cabinetmaker who can look at your finished walls before installation, with a fresh set of eyes, and validate that the walls are square and plumb, and all of the electrical, plumbing and ductwork are exactly where they should be. Vinny was one of only two cabinetmakers we'd visited, and I was sold; his shop was very clean and organized, his joinery was the tightest and cleanest that I've ever seen, his attention to detail is obvious with the spacing of every screw and nail, each project was neatly organized and sequestered from every other project, and his work combines decades of experience with the most modern and reliable hardware- like a servo operated trash and recycling drawer. Vinny was thorough and responsive with emails and estimates, his work was completed ahead of time and waiting for our other contractors to catch up. Vinny has probably built hundreds of kitchens over the years and has great instincts on what sort of kitchen would compliment the rest of your architecture and what's trendy vs what will give lasting value; he made great suggestions along the way which my wife sees with the clarity of hindsight as spot on. We also chose to have Vinny install our kitchen; the cabinets arrived wrapped in blankets and numbered, he is the most organized tradesman that I've ever worked with in 30 years- he arrived with everything he needed from the large tools right down to totes with all of the tiny hardware and even the smallest compressor I've ever seen for driving his tiny little finishing nails. Vinny prefers to do all of his most detailed work all by himself, methodically and with an unbroken train of thought, and I think this allows him to achieve a remarkable consistency that would be impossible if he delegated to a shop full of helpers. We've had the new kitchen for about 6 months now, and I'm still impressed with Vinny's work. The cherry cabinets have a clear finish that has a consistent luster, the grain is well matched from drawer to drawer, there's an iridescence/ chatoyance that shines through the grain as the sun makes its way across the kitchen; and beyond the aesthetics, I was impressed with the assembly of the cabinet boxes which were strong, rigid, and lined up perfectly. I've measured all cabinet doors and drawer fronts and all I could find is one door that may be a fraction of a millimeter wider than the other one. I'm also impressed that we have the drawers and pantry very heavily loaded but everything closes smoothly and gently. It's also worth mentioning, by contrast, that we did get a bathroom vanity from a small factory in Oregon- we couldn't go wrong in ordering a 48" vanity. We did save $500, but we had to assemble it ourselves, it required driving self tapping hardware into veneered flakeboard, all of the drawers and doors needed adjustment and tweaking, the drawer closing hardware seems a bit clunky, the wood grain isn't as well matched, and the finish just doesn't have the same luster, so we are of course all the happier that we went with Vinny for the kitchen! read more

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We have been very fortunate to find Vinny to remodel our kitchen. He is a perfectionist, great communicator and reliable. We just completed the project on time, on budget and my wife and I are thrilled about the outcome. read more

If you're looking for high-end, custom-made cabinets Vinny is your man! We just had kitchen cabinets made and installed by him and we are delighted. Vinny is a perfectionist who is proud of his work and who thinks of everything, a real professional. He's also a great communicator so no misunderstandings and importantly his bids are very competitive. We can't praise him enough. read more

Vinny was a rare find in the search for a reliable cabinetmaker. As others have suggested, Vinny is a craftsman first. He really cares about his work, his attention to detail and his clients. I designed my own cabinets and wanted a very simple, Scandinavian-style layout, with lower-cabinets only. Vinny was very responsive when I reached out to him and scheduled a weekend visit to evaluate. He went above and beyond at the initial consultation, helping to advise on an L-shape configuration and cabinet sizing. We worked together on perfecting the design I had in mind, including a floating shelf. Cabinet building was quick, and the finishing excellent. Cabinets were installed professionally and thoughtfully to allow for counters and other construction requirements. Absolutely lovely working with him, he knows his stuff and treated my modest job as if I was a premium client. I would highly recommend Vinny for cabinet work and installation. read more

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We made the decision to go with Vinny after we looked at a number of different options - firm in Berkeley, in SF, a couple of online services, but ultimately decided to go with East Bay Cabinets. From a quality & cost perspective, we thought we were getting good value for our money. We also liked that the cabinets were going to be custom-fitted to our dimensions, make full use of the space. What we liked when we shared all the designs with Vinny was the real-life usage feedback he had and suggestions that were more helpful then the other designers provided. Working with Vinny was great. He didn't over-promise, he kept his word and the timeline. Was very transparent about any issues ahead of time. I found his advice more helpful than most designers. I didn't feel he was trying to sell me something I didn't want. From a look and feel standpoint, he let us know what was popular. He was great from a layout perspective - asked us some good questions, things to consider. Definitely we will work with East Bay Cabinets again. read more

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It's rare to find a true craftsman, a nice guy you want to have a pint with, or an expert cabinetmaker. When I met Vinny, I realized I found all three. I had the pleasure of going to his shop, and as I walked in, besides quickly seeing the clean, orderly, and well-maintained equipment laid out and several jobs underway, I also heard the Irish music softly playing and realized this is true Old World Craftsmanship here in America. All his work is custom, done to your specifications, in the true European style. And Vinny is the kind of person that does things the way it should be done. The kind of guy you trust explicitly with your kitchen, your home... heck, with your whole family. He really cares. About people, about the projects he does, and about the community. He thinks multiple steps ahead to make sure it's going to come out the way you want it, and he talks through things so there are no surprises, and to think through every nuance. I'd been emailing him about my project for about a year, and he of course remembered me, and talked through all the questions and challenging parts with me. He took photos while the work was being done, and even taught me about woodworking since I was curious and trying to understand more of the process. I can't say enough about what caliber of person and craftsman Vinney is. Highly recommended! read more

I strongly recommend East Bay Cabinets! Our son recommended Vinny to us because Vinny had done some very nice work for him. Vinny built us a set of beautiful and highly functional kitchen cabinets as part of renovating a new home. He iterated with us on the design, providing good suggestions, and was extremely easy to work with. We were sufficiently happy that we then commissioned Vinny to build us a set of bookcases and cabinets for our living room. Vinny again did excellent work, finished on schedule, and was a pleasure to work with. read more

He is one of few cabinets companies that make them from scratch at a local shop. Most custom shops are really semi custom and get their stuff from factories in Texas or Kansas. He tends to make the European style cabinets (frameless) which are more efficient but harder to install. 99% of whats available in big box stores are framed type cabinets. He is easy to work with and has an eye for detail. If you are looking for a craftsman, this is the guy. read more

My wife and I searched for a cabinet maker and "found Vinny" and could not be more pleased with our decision to retain East Bay Cabinets. Vinny's work is among the best we've experienced and his kind and sincere manner a bonus. His work is a testament to the definition of craftsman and his commitment to detail, willingness to seek and listen to input, offer suggestions and work diligently to meet our expectations was greatly appreciated. Our cabinets are well constructed, every detail attended to and look great. Installation went exceptionally well; his team of installers was professional, careful and met the established timeline. If you seek high quality work, a fair price and a positive experience, we encourage you to contact Vinny at East Bay Cabinets - it will be among the better decisions you will make when upgrading your kitchen. Proud to share a rating of FIVE STARS - read more

My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Vinny on our kitchen remodel. He is incredibly professional, friendly and a true craftsman. He was one of the easiest contractors we worked with through the remodel process and he showed great patience with our changes to the design of the kitchen. He also provided helpful feedback when we were designing our kitchen. He truly cares about his customers and his quality of work. We HIGHLY recommend him!! read more

Had a kitchen remodel done and heard of them through a friend. Kitchen was amazing when finished and they really worked with me to make the kitchen functional for me along with personalized to my liking. I definitely would recommend this company to all my friends read more

East Bay Cabinets and Vinny Flahive have been my custom cabinet makers for almost 10 years now, and they have completed custom kitchen cabinets, built-in booksehleves/entertainment cabintes, credenzas, bench seats, and even beautfifully crafted mirror frames - all of the highest quailty and craftmanship. No matter how complex the project was, or whetether the materail was walnut, alder, cherry, or oak, their attention to detail and design and fabrication have been flawless. Vinny is an extremely honest, conscientious, and detail oriented professional who listned to my needs and made sure they were met at every step along the way, and his price was always fair and ofetn times under his estimate! If you have any custom cabinetry needs, you need to look no further. read more

I consider myself a savvy shopper. I like to look at ALL my options before making a big decision, especially like a new kitchen. After looking around at many cabinet shops and big stock cabinet stores I came across East Bay Cabinets. Even though I had a rough drawing of my kitchen design, I was able to get a FREE estimate from Vinny and Kit. The price was not the cheapest or the most expensive either, but what I really liked is that they are local and make their own cabinets in Richmond, CA. Plus they do all their own installation and they are really tidy and respectful. It's rare to find that kind of service, design drawings, custom cabinets and install all in one place. They offered improvements to the design, provided drawings that were revised to my liking. And now, the cabinets are EXACTLY to my liking, not stock cabinets that don't fit all the usuable space in my kitchen. I was able to visit their shop to see the work in progress and was able to get in contact with Vinny or Kit anytime with the smallest question. I went to visit a fancy showroom place, but they didn't even have a shop, just a middle man with a catalog. Plus they have great references. So East Bay Cabinets is my top pick for a new kitchen, quality custom work with trust able, competent Vinny and Kit their to support me. I highly recommend EBC! read more

We had our kitchen and family room redone a year or so ago. Vinnie could not have been more helpful in laying out kitchen design: adding a lot of great ideas, checking my use case for several cabinets, and generally sharing his years of expertise. The cabinets are gorgeous and have withstood 2 small children and 2 clumsy in the kitchen adults beautifully. He matched our furniture wood stains to perfection in our family and hand crafted a desk to boot. Vinnie is kind and warm and a real joy to work with. read more

These are our 'go to' guys for cabinet work. They installed new built-in cabinets for us in a bedroom and installed a new facing on built-in cabinets in a computer room. The cabinets are all carefully constructed, look lovely (they even take the time to match woodgrains on adjacent doors) and were very reasonable in price. Vinny came out to the house and took the time required to figure out what we wanted, make suggestions about improvements on our ideas, and give us a quote. The work was done on time. If you need any cabinets made, contact Vinny! read more

Vinny did a wonderful job making a wall cabinet for our kitchen. He is reliable, prompt, and above all, a really good craftsman. I highly recommend him for jobs large and small. read more