WHY KITCHEN DESIGNERS ARE ACTUALLY SCAMMING YOU (AND HOW TO DIY)

Stop paying “professionals” five figures to do something you can finish in a weekend with a level and some audacity.

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Let’s be for real: the “cabinet industrial complex” wants you to think you need a PhD in architecture to hang a wooden box on a wall. It’s giving gatekeeping. The reality? If you can read a tape measure and use a drill without losing a finger, you’re already overqualified.

THE “LAYOUT” TRAP IS A MYTH Designers love to talk about “flow” and “work triangles” like they’re summoning a demon, but it’s literally just putting things where they fit. Josh from The Excellent Laborer basically clocks the entire industry by showing that if you have a window, you put the sink under it. Boom. Design degree earned.

FLOORS ARE NEVER LEVEL, AND THAT’S ON PERIOD Your house is probably sagging, and that’s fine. The pros will tell you it’s a “structural crisis,” but Josh just grabs a four-foot level and some shims. You find the high point, you shim the rest, and you move on with your life. It’s not “precision engineering”—it’s literally just making things not crooked.

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THE “SECRET WEAPON” THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW Why are you struggling to hold a 50lb wall cabinet with one hand while drilling with the other? That’s main character energy in the worst way. Just build a box. Josh uses a DIY support box to hold the cabinets at the perfect height while he screws them in. It’s low-key genius and makes the “two-man job” label look like a total lie.

STOP FEARING THE “BLOCKING” The biggest scare tactic is “what if it falls off the wall?” Listen, if you put a screw into a stud (or better yet, plan ahead with blocking like a boss), that cabinet isn’t going anywhere. Use a “beauty ring” on your screws so the inside doesn’t look like a construction site, and you’re golden.

ISLANDS ARE JUST CABINETS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM Don’t let the price tag of a “custom island” fool you. It’s just base cabinets screwed to a cleat on the floor. Mark the center of your light, drop a plumb bob, and anchor that thing down. It’s that simple.

THE TL;DR (BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU’RE BUSY)

Designers are mid: Just follow the plan that comes with the cabinets.
Shim everything: Your floor is lying to you; use shims to find the truth.
The Box Method: Build a support box for upper cabinets so you don’t drop a cabinet on your face.
Island Vibes: Anchor your island to the floor with cleats so it doesn’t slide away during dinner.
Save the Bag: You just saved like $15k in labor. Go buy something nice.

Watch the full breakdown here: How To Install Kitchen Cabinets: The Ultimate DIY Guide