Inspired by the craftsmanship of fine antique furniture and influenced by the demands of contemporary life, The Workshops of David T. Smith builds custom designed, one-of-a-kind kitchens.
We design and build each kitchen from scratch, allowing us to offer the appearance of fine furniture while offering all the functionality of modern life - hidden dishwashers and refrigerators, the most modern appliances and pull-out pantry cupboards. If your home is historic, and/or has interesting architectural features (mantles, built-in cupboards, moldings, etc.), we can incorporate those details into the kitchen, giving the appearance that the cabinets are original and harmonious with the house.
We have designed and built hundreds of kitchens. We understand what an exciting, yet overwhelming, experience it can be. We thoroughly enjoy the process and can expertly guide and assist you with your project.
Getting Started
Complete and submit our kitchen inquiry form where you will provide us your contact information and you will be given the opportunity to:
Provide a simple drawing of your current kitchen. Make sure to include overall room dimensions, door, and window measurements, as well as ceiling height.
Include photos of the existing space along with photos of your furniture, antiques, and an outside photo of your home to help us get a feel for your style.
Share your current ideas with us such as colors, hardware, major layout changes, current budget, and anything else you think we should know.
Step 1: Complimentary Initial Meet – The journey begins!
After reviewing your inquiry, we'll meet for an informal conversation to discuss your ideas, preferences, and project goals. This is your opportunity to get to know us, and for us to understand your vision. David will meet with you via phone, virtual meeting, or in person at The Workshops. These meetings typically last about one hour, and allow us to provide a ballpark estimate.
Step 2: Initial Design - Watch your vision come to life.
At this stage, we'll collaborate closely to explore design concepts. David will provide a rendered drawing, incorporating your previously provided design choices and selected color palette. A $500 design fee is applicable (currently being waived), which covers the initial design process time, usually 2 hours.
At the conclusion of Step 2 there are normally two options:
Option A: You are ready to move forward together on your project and can proceed directly to Step 3.
Option B: You are still unsure about your wants or wish to explore additional styles and layouts before making a commitment, we offer a design exploration option that allows you to collaborate with David to further explore options. A $1500 design installment fee is applicable which covers additional design time. This fee will be applied as a credit toward the final payment.
Step 3: Contract and Fine-Tune Design – The fun and exciting part begins!
Prepare to get creative with David, nail down your final decisions, and reinvent your kitchen. In this step, you'll sign your contract and make your 50% deposit to secure your production spot. This step includes up to 10 hours of time and will provide you with a final rendering of your custom project as well as any price adjustments based on your selections. You will gain access to our online Client Only Design Center, provided color samples, and information about our trusted sources for appliances, sinks, faucets, hardware, etc. Most of the work is done via online meetings, phone calls, and emails, but you are always welcome to visit us in Morrow, OH, as well.
Step 4: Technical Design Review, Finalization, and Production – Dot the i's and cross the t's.
This crucial step ensures that your dream kitchen, once built, not only meets, but exceeds, your expectations. After we receive your scheduled 30% production payment, we'll start production drawings and fine-tune every detail to ensure it's just right. Our dedicated project manager meticulously reviews the final design drawings to ensure their accuracy and functionality. They will work with you and/or your contractor to verify that every detail is in alignment; finalizing measurements, clearances, and cabinet placement based on information you or your contractor provide.
Step 5: Kitchen Logistics & Payment Finalization - Countdown to completion!
As we complete the final touches to your kitchen, we will work with you to coordinate the available pickup, delivery, or shipment options vary based on your location. Final payment (20%), adjustments, and shipping charges will be due at this time.
For shipping and delivery, we partner with experienced providers that ensure quality service and reasonable rates. Their shipping service includes pickup, blanket wrap packaging, and delivery of the project. You also have the option to pickup your project from our Workshop, located in Morrow, Ohio. All pickups will incur applicable Ohio sales tax.
You or your hired contractor will be responsible for your installation. We work closely with them and provide instructions for a smooth installation process. They are also welcome to visit our shop where we will be happy to go over your cabinets with them.
Step 6: Enjoy Your Dream Kitchen - We did it!
Your dream kitchen is complete. It's time to savor the joy of a beautifully crafted space designed just for you.
We would love to hear about your project!
If you have questions or would like to discuss your project, please complete and submit the kitchen inquiry form below.
One of our designers, or David, would be happy to assist you.
You may also call our shop at 513-932-2472.
American Country
This home, located in a small 1700s town in northern Virginia, remains untouched by the 21st century. The brick portion of the house dates back to the 18th century, while the stone addition, built in 2003, was designed to match the historic architecture of the region, where homes commonly feature both brick and stone.
With its many doors and windows, this kitchen was best suited for our well-known "Collected" style—a design approach that gives the impression of freestanding, antique furniture repurposed for modern functionality. In a Collected kitchen, each piece stands on its own, allowing for a mix of door styles, drawer configurations, base designs, crown moldings, and hardware. This kitchen features a variety of these elements, including raised and flat-panel doors, flush drawers, Chippendale bracket bases, Shaker feet, and a combination of ogee and 45-degree Shaker crown moldings.
At the heart of the kitchen is the Cooking Cupboard, a striking curly maple piece housing the cooktop and ovens. A matching curly maple spice shelf, framed by beadboard, sits behind the cooktop, while a three-panel angled cabinet above conceals the commercial exhaust hood. The cupboard’s doors and drawers are fitted with 18th-century wooden knobs, and its reclaimed antique glass panels showcase the owners’ collection of antique crystal.
To the left of the Cooking Cupboard, a cherry pantry cupboard with 18th-century brass knobs provides additional storage. To the right, a curly maple refrigerator cabinet and a mustard-painted appliance cupboard complete the arrangement. All countertops are crafted from curly maple with a brown stain and oil finish, adding warmth and character. The kitchen island features blackened clothespin wooden knobs to complement its painted base and curly maple top. On the front, three pull-out work surfaces create a designated space for the kids to do homework, while the end of the island offers bar seating. The back of the island houses Fisher & Paykel dishwasher drawers, a stainless steel sink, and a trash pullout.
Built in 1720, this Maine home was originally known as the Miller’s house, sitting adjacent to the still-standing mill. Purchased by a descendant of the family who lived in the home around 1850, the new owner began restoring it to its original condition, incorporating modern conveniences for comfort. Our task was to design a functional kitchen that matched the architecture and felt as if it had always been part of the home.
The inspiration for this Primitive style kitchen came from a photo of an original 1700s Maine kitchen sold at an antique show in the 1980s. Key design elements include plank doors, flush drawers, straight primitive feet, simple cove crown moldings, and a well-worn, layered paint finish. The hand-planed curly maple countertops, finished with a brown stain and oil, complement the open pantry shelves, primitive clothespin wooden knobs, and a soapstone sink with a brass faucet. Every appliance is hidden behind cabinetry, ensuring that nothing modern disrupts the early 18th-century aesthetic.
Beyond the kitchen, we also designed a custom vanity and recreated a pewter cupboard and buttery cupboard that had been removed and sold in the past. These pieces were placed exactly where the originals once stood.
This kitchen is one of the many projects later featured in publications. Click here to see more of our published work.
This Cottage style kitchen was designed for an 1890s clapboard-sided Kentucky cottage located near Lexington. The homeowners, who restored the house completely, wanted a kitchen that was simple, functional, and in keeping with the period style.
The cabinets feature flat panel doors, flush drawers, curved Shaker feet, and Shaker 45-degree crown molding. The sink cabinet stands out with 1890s-style beaded panel doors, ball feet, and a Kohler sink. The main cabinets are brushed linen white, while the island is brushed moss green. The countertops are ¾’’ and 1¼’’ curly maple with a brown stain and mineral oil finish. Hardware includes blackened Shaker wooden knobs.
The dishwasher is hidden behind a panel next to the sink, and the Sub-Zero refrigerator is paneled with hand-forged iron handles. The other appliances are stainless with black trim. All of the glass in the cabinets is reclaimed antique glass, and every wall cabinet includes low-voltage under-cabinet task lighting for practical workspace illumination.
This Contemporary style kitchen was built for a 1900’s house that lacked any distinct interior style for us to follow. The owners wanted the kitchen to have a clean, classic, but with subtle contemporary elements.
They chose curly maple cabinets with flat panel doors, square frames, flush drawers, and ogee crown moldings. This kitchen also features light-toned contemporary granite countertops, turned Shaker wooden knobs, low-voltage under-cabinet task lighting, and stainless appliances throughout.
To optimize the layout, a bathroom was relocated, making room for a cherry bar, pantry, and a cookbook cupboard. A curly maple bookcase with a square panel arch separates the kitchen from the dining room, keeping the spaces connected while defining each area.
"Thanks to all of you at The Workshops for your great service, products, attention to detail and agreeable attitudes. You made our experience with you most enjoyable and memorable. Our kitchen is just AWESOME!"
-Curtis
"Thanks to all of you at The Workshops for your great service, products, attention to detail and agreeable attitudes. You made our experience with you most enjoyable and memorable. Our kitchen is just AWESOME!"
-Curtis
"Thank you for all of your time, patience, expertise, advice; the list could go on and on. I truly enjoyed working with you and everyone there at the Workshops. Thank you for helping me create my dream kitchen. We absolutely love it and it would not have been possible without the many hours you spent helping us."
~ G.G.
"It truly does fit in, especially when I have the bread board over the cooktop hiding all modern-ness. Friends have been very impressed and my contractor said they were the most well-made cabinets he has ever installed."
~ A.B.
"Thanks to all of you at The Workshops for your great service, products, attention to detail and agreeable attitudes. You made our experience with you most enjoyable and memorable. Our kitchen is just AWESOME!"
-Curtis
"Thank you for all of your time, patience, expertise, advice; the list could go on and on. I truly enjoyed working with you and everyone there at the Workshops. Thank you for helping me create my dream kitchen. We absolutely love it and it would not have been possible without the many hours you spent helping us."
~ G.G.
"It truly does fit in, especially when I have the bread board over the cooktop hiding all modern-ness. Friends have been very impressed and my contractor said they were the most well-made cabinets he has ever installed."
~ A.B.
Our team is here to guide you through the process, from design to installation. We aim to make your custom kitchen journey as smooth and transparent as possible.
If you don't find the answers you're looking for here, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Your vision is our priority, and we're here to help you bring it to life.
1. Initial Design Fee ($500)
1b. Design Exploration Installment ($1500)
2. Project Deposit (50%)
3. Production Deposit (30%)
4. Final Payment (20%), adjustments, applicable shipping charges.
If applicable, both the Initial Design Fee and the Design Exploration Installment are deducted from the final balance due.
The price of a custom kitchen is determined by various factors, including size, design complexity, materials, and special features. We'll provide a personalized quote based on your specific project during the Initial Design Stage.
However, we have created a chart to better assist our clients gain a general idea on what their custom might cost based o their room dimensions and anticipated design choices.
Click here to see How Our Pricing Measures Up.
Yes, we offer the flexibility to complete your kitchen project in stages if needed. We can discuss your specific requirements and plan the project accordingly.
To ensure the customer gets exactly what they want, and to ensure there are no warranty issues, it is best for the customer to purchase their own appliances.
Through our many years of work we have found it extremely beneficial for the customer to deal directly with an appliance sales company, as they are the most up to date and knowledgeable about the many many lines of available products,
Therefore, it is important to note, our cost estimates do not include the price of appliances.
If you are in our area, we can provide you with local distributors.
For those outside of our area, we are happy to recommend appliance models.
Many times, clients come to us having already made their appliance selection and/or purchased them. That is absolutely fine! Once you provide the model numbers, we will be happy to include the correct appliance specifications in your initial design.
90% of the time it is not necessary for the designer to visit the jobsite. For extremely large, specialized, or highly involved project a designer could visit at an additional cost. If you are local, and it is deemed necessary, the designer can make a site visit. If you are working with a qualified contractor, or you are confident taking your and providing your own measurements and dimensions, there is typically no need for a visit.
