BUILDING BASE STRUCTURES—WHAT IF YOU HAD TO START OVER?
Totally get where you’re coming from. I used to be all-in on custom, but after wrestling with uneven floors and weird corners, modular starts looking pretty smart. Still, I haven’t seen a modular system that really nails that built-in vibe either—there’s always a little gap or something that gives it away. Maybe it’s just the trade-off we live with unless you’re ready to go full custom (and pay for it). Funny thing, I once tried to “customize” an IKEA unit to fit a sloped wall... let’s just say it was more Frankenstein than furniture by the end.
BUILDING BASE STRUCTURES—WHAT IF YOU HAD TO START OVER?
“Still, I haven’t seen a modular system that really nails that built-in vibe either—there’s always a little gap or something that gives it away.”
I hear you on the gaps and the “almost but not quite” look with modular. But honestly, I think a lot of folks overestimate how perfect custom really is, especially in older houses. Here’s what I’ve run into:
- Even with full custom, you’re still fighting the same weird walls and sloped floors. You just get to pay more for the privilege.
- Modular’s not perfect, but if you’re willing to do a little scribing and trim work, you can hide most of those telltale seams. It’s not cheating, it’s just smart use of materials.
- The “built-in vibe” is mostly about the finishing details—baseboards, crown, filler strips. I’ve seen some modular installs that look dead-on custom once the trim’s up.
I get the appeal of going all-in on custom, but sometimes it feels like diminishing returns. You spend twice as much time and money to fix problems that, honestly, most people won’t even notice unless they’re crawling around with a flashlight.
Funny story: I once spent a weekend building a custom bench to fit this weird alcove. Measured everything twice, cut once... still ended up shimming one leg almost an inch because the floor dropped off at the corner. Looked great in the end, but I could’ve just as easily started with a stock cabinet and saved myself the headache.
Not saying modular is always the answer, but I wouldn’t write it off just because it’s not “perfect” out of the box. Sometimes good enough really is good enough, especially if you know how to finish it right.
