Living and working in Maine, the word “craft” takes on a special meaning. Is our attention to details obsessive? Perhaps. Our devotion to making cabinetry that looks beautiful, functions flawlessly, and lasts forever is something you just don’t see anywhere else.

Put it this way: no one here ever asks if something is good enough, because we know that if you even think you need to ask the question, you already know the answer.

 Wood Selection

Cabinet crafting begins with wood selection. We use only the finest grades of the finest woods, hand selecting each piece for beauty and stability. We use quartersawn woods whenever possible for stability, ensuring your cabinetry maintains it’s precise appearance.  For panels we prefer plank cut boards with growth rings that form a flame-like appearance. We grain match all drawers in succession by cutting each drawer head from the same board. We trust that once you have seen these two nearly forgotten features of fine cabinetmaking, you will never again look at cabinetry the same way.

Hand-Planing

Eighteenth and nineteenth century homes often had chimney breasting, wainscoting, and furniture crafted from white pine and planed by hand. Hand-planing was an early method of sizing and smoothing the wood creating gentle undulations where each plane stroke passed. Using this traditional method is a key step in recreating the appearance of cabinetry built hundreds of years ago. The slight tear of the grain lends a natural antiquing effect while the uneven surface adds a unique texture to the wood.

Joinery

We use a mortise and tenon method to fasten our face frames and doors. Other than dovetailed drawer boxes, joinery is a hidden feature that if done correctly will never be seen. Strength and structural reliability are key factors in a cabinets’ life expectancy. Sometimes, the age old methods are still the best methods.

Finishing

The Kennebec Company has long been renowned for the quality of our finishing work.

All our stains and dyes are formulated specifically to showcase our extraordinary craftsmanship and wood selection. Hand sanding is a key step in highlighting the grain and joinery.

Early styles of cabinetry are available in our exclusive antique finish, while later styles have a more transparent finish with a crisp, fresh appearance. Our goal is to have the finish in keeping with the style of cabinetry and the home it will occupy.

Cabinet exteriors are available in a wide range of colors. We also work with customers frequently to develop custom colors to match colors in their homes. Then, the practicality and elegance of a painted interior has been a Kennebec standard for over 40 years.

Every step we take in finishing, whether period or modern, has been researched and tested, and is one of the most visible reasons why our cabinetry stands apart from all others. Each finish is beautiful, showcases the craftsmanship, requires little maintenance, is incredibly durable, and is easily repairable.

Our Environment

Here in Maine, we are particularly sensitive to and attuned to our environment and preserving it for future generations. That’s why we build cabinets in ways that protect the health of our craftspeople, conserve resources, and minimize environmental impact in your home.

Our period designs and fine craftsmanship give environmental sustainability a whole new meaning. We offer wood that is harvested using sustainable practices, plywood that meets US Green Building Council’s LEED program requirements using no-added-formaldehyde resins. Our “Green Technology” water-based stains and finishes are extremely low VOC. For our painted finishes,we use Benjamin Moore ADVANCE paint, which is the only waterborne alkyd paint to use waterborne colorants, significantly reducing odor and achieving low-VOC levels. It is CHPS certified, qualifies for LEED® credit and meets strict VOC and SCAQMD regulations—even after tinting. Cabinetry is engineered to incorporate low energy and long lasting under cabinet LED lighting.

Then, building cabinetry that will probably never need to be replaced might be the biggest environmental benefit of all.

Our environment is your environment.

“As a contractor in southern Maine, I have worked with the Kennebec Company in over a dozen projects and they have consistently proven to be exceptional. The Kennebec Company’s attention to detail, level of communication and ability to execute a plan is above and beyond any others that I have experienced. These are only a few of the many attributes that make the Kennebec Company so well respected in the building community.”