Frequently asked questions.

Custom cabinetry is drawn to your room — every panel is cut to the measured dimension, not adapted from a 3-inch factory increment. The result is no filler strips, no awkward gaps, and a finish library that is open rather than preset. Pannello builds with 18mm carcasses (heavier and more rigid than standard US 16mm), Blum and Salice soft-close hardware rated for 100,000 cycles, and European door and finish materials. Stock and semi-custom boxes are assembled from fixed-size parts; Pannello cabinets start with your floor plan.

Pannello serves the District of Columbia, the Maryland inner ring (Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Silver Spring), and Northern Virginia (McLean, Arlington, Falls Church) — generally a 30-mile radius from our DC showroom. Outside that radius is possible on larger programs; ask in the consultation.

The category is different. Catalog-closet companies build from a parts list — wire shelving, melamine boxes, plastic-edge banding. Pannello closets are drawn the same way our kitchens are drawn — full custom, real materials, European hardware, designer-led specification. The price reflects that, and so does the look.

Semi-custom cabinets are factory-built in fixed increments — typically 3-inch width steps — with a limited finish and door-profile library. Custom cabinets are drawn to the exact dimensions of your room with no size constraints and a fully open specification for finish, profile, and hardware. Pannello builds entirely custom: every panel is cut to the measured room, and every finish is selected from a full material library rather than a preset menu.

No — the carcasses (the cabinet boxes) are fabricated locally in our DC-area shop from 18mm E1-rated board. The doors, drawer fronts, and finish materials come from European manufacturers — Senosan, Alpi, Arpa — and hardware is European (Blum and Salice). Local fabrication is how we deliver a 3 to 5 week lead time instead of the 12 to 16 weeks that imported European cabinetry typically requires.

No. Pannello designs and builds new cabinetry — we do not reface, respray, or modify existing cabinet boxes. If you are weighing refacing versus replacement, the right answer depends on whether the existing carcass is structurally sound and whether the layout works. Our designers can evaluate the existing condition at a consultation and tell you honestly which option is appropriate.

Pannello kitchens start at around $40,000 and most projects land between $60,000 and $120,000. The variables are size, finish library, integrated appliances, and counter material. We build a written estimate after the in-showroom consultation, not before — every project is drawn before it is quoted.

Walk-in closet and wardrobe projects at Pannello typically run from $15,000 for a single-wall wardrobe room to $40,000 or more for a full dressing room with a center island, integrated LED, and floor-to-ceiling wardrobe on multiple walls. The primary variables are the size of the room, the finish specified, and the hardware and accessory package. Every project is drawn before it is quoted.

Three to five weeks of fabrication after final specification, plus install. Most DC custom-cabinet shops quote eight to twelve weeks because they import finished cabinets from Europe. Pannello uses European doors, finishes, and hardware but builds carcasses locally — which is how we deliver the European look and engineering at a domestic lead time.

Most walk-in closet installations take 2 to 3 days on site. A full dressing-room conversion with a center island and integrated LED takes 3 to 4 days. Fabrication is 3 to 5 weeks, same as a kitchen. The total time from approved drawings to finished installation is typically 6 to 7 weeks.

For a kitchen that involves layout changes, plumbing relocation, or structural work, plan at least 12 to 16 weeks from first consultation to finished installation — time for design, permits, and coordinating multiple trades. For a cabinet swap in an existing layout with no structural changes, 8 to 10 weeks is typical. The Pannello fabrication window (3 to 5 weeks) is fixed; everything else schedules around it.

Yes — most of our work is collaboration with DC designers and architects. We deliver finish samples, CAD elevations, Revit blocks, and shop drawings. We coordinate site visits with your design team and treat the designer as the primary client when one is engaged.

Most full kitchens install in five to eight working days. We protect floors with rosin paper and ramboard, dust-protect adjacent rooms with poly walls, and coordinate plumbing, electrical, and counter template with your contractor. You will be without a kitchen during the install window.

Schedule a 90-minute design consultation at our DC showroom. You will walk full-size door samples, hardware, finish surfaces, and counter slabs. We will talk through your project, take preliminary dimensions if you bring them, and outline a written specification. There is no charge for the consultation.

No. The same in-house Pannello crew installs every project. Our designers draw the project, our shop fabricates it, and our installers set it. There is one point of contact from consultation through final walkthrough.

Yes — and we integrate them frequently. We coordinate with your appliance dealer on rough-in dimensions and panel-ready options. Miele, Sub-Zero, Wolf, Gaggenau, Liebherr, and Fisher & Paykel are all part of our regular integration vocabulary.

For a cabinet-only scope — no wall changes, no plumbing relocation, no electrical panel work — Pannello manages everything from design through installation without a GC. For a kitchen renovation that involves structural work, plumbing rough-in changes, or electrical upgrades, you will need a GC to coordinate those trades; Pannello operates as the cabinetry subcontractor within that program. We work regularly with DC-area GCs and can provide referrals.

Yes. We design around your appliance rough-in dimensions regardless of where you are purchasing them. We need the manufacturer cut sheets for any panel-ready or integrated appliance before shop drawings are finalized. If you have not yet selected appliances, we can recommend models that integrate well with the cabinet program we are designing.

The designer who drew your project walks the finished installation with you before it is closed. Any punch-list items — door alignment, drawer adjustment, a reveal that is off — are corrected at that walkthrough. For issues that arise in the first year, we cover hardware adjustment and installation corrections at no charge. Blum and Salice hardware carries a manufacturer warranty that we honor.

Pannello stocks samples of matte lacquer (full RAL palette), wood veneer (oak, ash, walnut, eucalyptus, others), Fenix NTM laminate, fluted and reeded fronts, brushed metal, and back-painted glass. Sampling is done in our DC showroom — large samples on the wall, not 4-inch swatches.

Fenix NTM is an Italian matte laminate manufactured by Arpa under high heat and pressure, with a nano-particle surface treatment that resists micro-scratching and fingerprints. It is one of the most durable cabinet surface materials available — harder than standard lacquer, repairable with a warm iron, and resistant to steam and humidity. Pannello specifies Fenix NTM in kitchens and bathrooms where long-term surface integrity matters most.

Yes. Pannello builds with E1-rated carcass board — the European standard for formaldehyde emission that is significantly more stringent than standard US particleboard. Wood veneer options include FSC-certified oak and walnut. All finish materials meet European VOC standards. We can provide specification documentation for LEED-qualifying projects.

Pannello carries the manufacturer warranty on hardware (Blum, Salice — typically lifetime) and finishes (typically 5 to 10 years against manufacturing defect). We additionally cover installation and adjustment for the first year and provide lifetime hardware adjustment service.

Wipe matte lacquer and Fenix NTM surfaces with a soft damp cloth — water or a mild diluted dish soap solution. Avoid abrasive sponges, spray cleaners that contain bleach or ammonia, and solvent-based products. Matte surfaces show grease more readily than gloss, so wiping the area around pulls and handles regularly prevents buildup. Fenix NTM micro-scratches can be removed with a warm iron and a cloth; standard lacquer cannot be spot-repaired this way.

Wipe wood veneer fronts with a slightly damp cloth and dry immediately — do not leave standing water on the surface. A small amount of food-grade mineral oil applied once or twice a year on unfinished veneer edges helps prevent splitting in DC's humidity swings. Avoid steam-cleaning, which can cause veneer to lift. UV exposure from south-facing windows will shift the color of oak and walnut veneer over time; this is natural and not a defect.

All Pannello hardware uses Blum and Salice concealed hinges and drawer slides, which have three-axis adjustment built in — no tools required beyond a Phillips screwdriver. Most door-alignment issues can be corrected in under five minutes by adjusting the hinge mounting plate. Instructions are in the care document we leave at every installation. If you cannot resolve it yourself, call us — hardware adjustment in the first year is covered, and lifetime hardware service calls are available.