The Ground Floor: New showroom helps Cabinet Works customers get look, feel

Though the business was started in Wellman more than 30 years ago, it seemed the time had come that Cabinet Works craftsmen needed not only tell prospective customers about the work they do - they needed to show it, too.

Its first retail location was opened last August in Coralville, where the company displays built-ins, counter tops and other furniture its craftsmen design.

Sonja Hawbaker, an interior designer, said the new space makes it easier for customers to envision what they want.

“Clients are able to come in to look at samples, which really helps that they can check them out, take them to their home or their next destination if they're building a new home,” Hawbaker said. “We're able to show different qualities, finishes and moldings.”

Owner Chad Mellinger bought Mellinger Custom Cabinetry from his father in 2007, and now does business under the Cabinet Works name. The business has expanded in recent years, and the shop in Wellman, where all the craftsmanship is done, has grown to 8,100 square feet.

Josh Young, a design consultant at Cabinet Works, said the decision to open the showroom in Coralville made sense because many customers are from the Iowa City-Coralville area. Also, other vendors for flooring, lighting and appliances are nearby.

“Usually (customers) will bring us a floor plan, we'll discuss their wants and needs, and we design the product with form, function and aesthetics,” Hawbaker said. “Then we meet with the client again, and it's just a process of tweaking it to exactly how they want it.”

Young said Cabinet Works is able to create custom cabinets or add custom elements to an existing cabinet. This allows the business to meet a variety of price-points.

Assistance is available to help design kitchens, bathrooms and bedroom elements, he said.

“There really isn't a room that we don't do,” Young said. “You can't go to a store and buy a barn door, or a hidden bookcase, but you can here.”

Owner: Chad Mellinger

Company: Cabinet Works

Address: 1719 Second St., Ste. B, Coralville

Phone: (319) 351-5000

Website: wellmancabinetworks.com

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday; evenings and Saturday by appointment