Center Of Woodwork

Oct 2020

I've worked with Center of Woodwork and Manuel 3 times now - they've installed custom cabinets, replaced a pocket door with a swinging door, and just installed some custom shelves. The work was fantastic each time - can't recommend enough.

May 2018

As I get older, I find that there are some things not worth spending money on. Examples include giant stuffed bears, samurai swords, bathtubs full of cheeseburgers, telling someone off via skywriting, and dumping tons of manure in a place it shouldn't be.* But high-quality built-in shelves from Center of Woodwork? Worth your money. Manuel puts the MAN in Manuel, if that makes any sense at all. After I requested a quote via Yelp, he got back to me quickly and came by the very next day to measure and chat. He is so casually competent and knowledgable; it's clear he has done plenty of high-end carpentry and so he has great suggestions for what you may need. Do you need a bar? Lights for your bar? A mirror behind to show your liquor off best? Is your bar not the most important thing in your apartment? Do you need a drawer that folds down to hide your cable box? A false back behind the TV to conceal all the wires? Do you need a secret compartment to hold illicit substances and/or dead bodies? (I'm just kidding about that last part. How could you fit your collection of dead bodies behind a shelf without people realizing your cabinets were way too small for the space? You couldn't, silly.) After we put down a deposit and Manuel came by for another visit to finalize the design and take some more precise measurements, we got shop drawings back just a week later. After an additional week, the unit was built and ready for installation...much sooner than expected. Manuel actually quoted us 4-6 weeks for the whole process, but he likes to under-promise and overdeliver in this case, which I like. Things I Would've Liked To Have Known Before We Started: 1. When it comes to installation, chances are Manuel will not be doing it. His guys are really nice and do great work, but I was surprised that the guy I'd been communicating with the entire time never came by during the installation process. And this made me a little sad because I love Manuel. 2. Punctuality is not their strong suit. You should have the entire day blocked off if you want to be present for the installation (two days total). Their workshop is based in the Bronx, and as a result they probably won't arrive first thing in the morning if you live in Brooklyn. Geography is annoying sometimes. 3. My cat does not like these guys. I was afraid he might be racist, but then I remembered he's just an all-around asshole and hates just about everyone. 4. Hardware is not included. If you want to have knobs or handles on your cabinets/drawers (most people need them for opening said cabinets/drawers), you should get those beforehand so you can have the guys install it, especially if you are as non-handy as I am. The Bottom Line: Manuel and his team at Center of Woodwork do beautiful work, and we are so happy with how he's transformed our small apartment into a small apartment with a lot of great-looking storage space. Now it looks like grown-ups live here; our new shelves/cabinets blend seamlessly in with the wall, as if they were always meant to be a part of the apartment. It definitely isn't cheap, but quality work never is. (And it actually was cheaper than a few other folks we looked at.) I'm going to use Center of Woodwork to build other things in the future, and you probably should too. _____________ *Look, I'm not judging you if this is how you choose to spend your money. I'm just saying I haven't found it to provide the ROI I'd ideally want.

Nov 2017

I highly recommend CWW. They built a custom built-in sideboard for me and I am very happy with the job. Installation was seamless and the sideboard came out exactly as I wanted it! I will definitely use them again!