Cleveland East Side · Owner-Operated
Kitchen remodeling with
semi-custom cabinets
and stone countertops.
Curtis Walton has been designing and building East Side kitchens since 2004. Every project gets semi-custom or custom cabinetry paired with stone that makes sense for how you actually cook — not whatever was trending six months ago.
The Honest Explanation
Why semi-custom cabinets and stone countertops are the right call for most East Side kitchens.
Stock cabinets are built in 3-inch increments. They leave filler strips and wasted space that a semi-custom order eliminates — at a fraction of the cost of going fully custom. For most Cleveland homes between 150 and 350 square feet of kitchen space, semi-custom gives you a result that's indistinguishable from custom at the finished price.
On the countertop side: stone is the material that lasts. Wood counters look beautiful until they don't. Laminate never quite works in a $60,000+ kitchen. Stone is the honest choice for a kitchen built to outlast a mortgage — and Cleveland's climate is well-suited to it.
Curtis sources all countertop slabs locally. He'll walk the stone yard with you before anything gets templated.
Semi-custom orders eliminate the filler strips and wasted space that stock cabinets leave behind
Door styles, species, and interior configurations are your choice — not whatever the catalog decided this year
Stone countertops are non-negotiable for kitchens that need to last 20+ years
Curtis sources slabs locally — you see your actual slab before committing
Every cabinet order is paired to the specific kitchen, not spec'd off a standard plan
Two-year workmanship warranty on all installations
Cabinet Construction
Three cabinet tiers.
Which one is yours?
Most Townsell projects use semi-custom. The choice between semi-custom, inset custom, and full custom comes down to your kitchen's geometry and how important the cabinet detail is to the overall design.
Most popular
Semi-Custom
Standard box sizes with your choice of door style, species, finish, and interior options. The sweet spot for most East Side kitchen remodels — real quality without full-custom lead times or cost.
Cost
Included in full project pricing
Best for
Most kitchen replacements
High-end
Inset Custom
Doors sit flush inside the face frame for a furniture-grade look. Tighter tolerances, heavier construction, and a distinctly different feel when you open the door. Preferred for Pepper Pike and Chagrin Falls projects.
Cost
+15–25% over semi-custom
Best for
High-end kitchens where the cabinet IS the design
Specialty
Full Custom
Built to any dimension, any species, any configuration. Useful when the space has unusual angles, ceiling height variations, or when you need something that can't be spec'd from a catalog.
Cost
Project-specific — get a quote
Best for
Reimagine projects and non-standard spaces
Countertop Materials
Five stones. One right answer for your kitchen.
Curtis will give you the honest version of each material — not the pitch. Here's a summary. The real conversation happens when you're standing in front of actual slabs.
Quartz
Engineered stone — consistent pattern, non-porous, no sealing required. The most popular choice for Cleveland families. Handles the grease and the humidity without complaint.
Maintenance
None beyond soap and water
Price range
Mid-range
Granite
Natural stone with real variation in the slab — every installation is unique. Sealing required every 1–2 years depending on use. Time-tested and well-suited to Cleveland's climate.
Maintenance
Annual sealing
Price range
Mid-range
Quartzite
Natural stone that looks like marble but is significantly harder and more resistant to etching. A serious choice for kitchens where cooking happens every night.
Maintenance
Sealing every 1–2 years
Price range
Upper-mid to upper
Marble
Unmatched veining and warmth. Etches and stains with acidic foods — better for lower-use kitchens or clients who understand and accept the patina over time. We'll have this conversation honestly.
Maintenance
Regular sealing + conscious use
Price range
Upper
Soapstone
Dense, naturally non-porous, develops a patina with use. Pairs beautifully with craftsman and transitional kitchens. Used on the Richmond Heights Modern Craftsman project.
Maintenance
Oiling as desired for appearance
Price range
Upper-mid
Recent Project
Richmond Heights Modern Craftsman Kitchen.
Semi-custom quartersawn white oak · Honed soapstone perimeter · Black walnut island
Curtis took down two interior walls of a 1995 colonial, opened the kitchen to the dining room, and designed a layout around an 11-foot island. The cabinet order was quartersawn white oak in a semi-custom program — every dimension specified to the space. Soapstone on the perimeter, walnut on the island top.
Family of five who cooks every night. The stone was chosen for its non-porous surface and the fact that it develops a patina that actually improves with use. After 14 weeks, the before and after are unrecognizable.
$92,000
Project investment
11 weeks
Completion time
5.0★
Client rating
Realistic Pricing
What does a kitchen remodel with semi-custom cabinets and stone countertops actually cost?
For a full kitchen replacement — demo, semi-custom cabinetry, stone countertops, backsplash, new flooring, lighting, plumbing fixtures — in a medium-sized Cuyahoga County East Side kitchen (150–300 sq ft), plan on $54,000–$76,000 at mid finish level.
At upper finish level with premium stone (quartzite or high-end quartz), inset doors, and appliance upgrades, the same kitchen runs $78,000–$110,000.
Smaller kitchens under 150 sq ft can be done from $34,000 with mid-grade semi-custom cabinets and quartz. Larger kitchens over 300 sq ft with layout changes start at $76,000 and go up depending on structural scope.
Curtis publishes full pricing by kitchen size and finish level — no bait-and-switch.
Common Questions
Semi-custom cabinets & stone countertops — answered.
What is semi-custom cabinetry?
Semi-custom cabinets are built to standard dimensions but offer a wide range of door styles, wood species, finishes, and interior configurations. They sit between stock cabinets (fixed sizes, limited options) and fully custom cabinets (built from scratch to any dimension). For most Cleveland homes, semi-custom gives you 90% of the design flexibility of full custom at 60–70% of the cost.
What's the best stone countertop for a Cleveland kitchen?
Quartz is the most popular choice for Cleveland families because it's non-porous, doesn't need sealing, and handles the freeze-thaw temperature swings without issue. Granite is the classic choice and still excellent. For a high-end look with low maintenance, quartzite gives you marble's veining with better durability. We've installed all of these and can show you slabs in person — the right stone depends on how you cook and what you're willing to maintain.
How much does kitchen remodeling with semi-custom cabinets cost in Cleveland?
A full kitchen replacement with semi-custom cabinetry and stone countertops in a medium-sized kitchen (150–300 sq ft) typically runs $54,000–$76,000 at the mid finish level in Cuyahoga County's East Side suburbs. Smaller kitchens with semi-custom can be done from $34,000. Fully custom inset cabinetry with premium stone starts around $78,000 for a similar-sized kitchen. We publish real ranges by kitchen size and finish level on our Pricing page.
How long does a kitchen remodel with new cabinets and countertops take?
Plan on 8–11 weeks from demo to final walk-through for a full kitchen replacement. The cabinet order takes 4–6 weeks to arrive after design is finalized, so ordering early is the main timeline driver. Stone countertop templating happens after cabinets are installed, with fabrication and installation taking another 7–10 business days. Curtis will give you a firm week-by-week schedule before we start.
Do you use local stone yards for countertop slabs?
Yes. Curtis sources slabs from Cleveland-area stone yards and walks every slab selection appointment with you. Buying stone from a local yard means you see your actual slab — not a sample — before you commit. It also means shorter lead times and easier reorder if an edge gets damaged during installation.
About Curtis Walton
20+ years selecting cabinets and stone for Cleveland kitchens.
Curtis Walton has been designing and building East Side kitchens since 2004. Over that time, he's sourced semi-custom cabinet orders from the same handful of manufacturers he's worked with for years — not because he's a creature of habit, but because he knows their tolerances, their lead times, and which door styles hold up in Cleveland's freeze-thaw climate.
He's walked hundreds of slab selection appointments. He's seen quartz delaminate in discount installations and granite chip from poor templating. He knows which stone yards in the Cleveland area have consistent quality control and which ones need a second look before the slabs go in the truck.
When you call Townsell, Curtis answers. When we submit the cabinet order, he reviews it. When the stone gets templated, he's there. That's not a policy — it's how he runs the company.
20+
Years experience
$180M+
Kitchens completed
5.0★
22 reviews
Ready to Start?
Curtis will walk your kitchen.
Free, 60 minutes, no pressure.
You'll leave the conversation knowing your scope, your stone options, and a real investment range — not a ballpark.