Warning: Leanne Ford's Cabinet Collab With Semihandmade Will Make You Want To Redo Your Kitchen

If you’ve ever renovated a kitchen, the brand Semihandmade has probably come up in your search for chic cabinetry at a great price. If you’re unfamiliar, they make cabinet doors that fit IKEA’s cabinet bases, along with custom and pre-made cabinetry that is—as the name implies—semi-handmade.  

The brand recently launched a gorgeous collaboration with celebrity designer Leanne Ford that’s the perfect way to give your kitchen the designer’s signature look in a way you can put your own spin on. John McDonald, founder of Semihandmade, says he couldn’t be more thrilled about this partnership. “Semihandmade has always been about offering quality products that are competitively priced and attainable. Before we pivoted to IKEA, we were a one-man woodshop called Handmade. Working with Leanne to find the right makers to fully execute her one-of-a-kind vision was the perfect opportunity to return to our craftsman roots. It's a smaller and less scalable approach than we've taken in the past—and we couldn't be more excited.”

The designer is equally enthused about the line because it gave her an outlet to create a product she had been searching for herself. “I told them I would work with them, but only if we figure out how to make the perfect White Oak Cabinets. I took a little road trip to work with Alex, a talented craftsman in Ohio, to create the recipe for white oak cabinet fronts that didn't read yellow or orange after being sealed. White oak is most beautiful in its natural state and that's what we tried (and succeeded!) to create. And then, of course, I had to create the perfect warm white cabinet—a bit of a blank slate that can translate to the homeowner's own style. I'm very proud and honored to work with them.”

3 Cabinet Door Options

The are three different style doors in this collaboration: shaker, slab, and frame. While you might automatically think of using the shaker cabinets in your kitchen, Ford’s collection invites a great opportunity to think outside the (cabinetry) box. She tells me the beauty of the collection is that each door could be used in any room of the home. “They were all designed to be super versatile and will work in any room of the house—from media console to bathroom vanity, to garden shed, closet, kitchen, you name it.”

The Finishes

Ford created two different finishes for the collection. The white oak cabinets have an unfinished-style aesthetic. "The fronts are sealed and protected, so they have all the beauty of an aged white oak.”

The Paper White style, on the other hand, is based on Ford’s favorite shade of white—Shoji by Sherwin-Williams.

You can’t really go wrong with either choice in any space. “The two finishes are totally timeless and will work in any space, and because of the different profile options, they also work well in any style of home— traditional, modern, and all the fun stuff in between,” she explains. “In a way, I feel like we are providing everyone with crayons through the collection. Like here's your baseline, now, create whatever you want out of it!” 

Hardware Inspiration

Each cabinet style lends itself to different types of hardware. “The Slab and Frame profiles allow you to really get creative with your hardware. Because they are already uber simple, you can play around with really large pieces of hardware or use something that makes a statement.” 

For the Shaker style, Ford suggests going with smaller, simpler hardware. It gives a more timeless and traditional look.

In her Church Lane Project where she installed the cabinetry, she took vintage hardware and had them powder-coated to match the cabinets. “In doing this, we got the shape of the vintage hardware but a really simple and cohesive color story. Whenever I am not doing vintage hardware, I opt for these handmade metal pulls that we sell at our store. They are minimal and have a sleek profile, but since they are handmade, they still have soul and character to them.” 

Another way she likes to customize hardware is to wrap it in rope and suede. “It just adds a little extra visual interest and is soft to the touch. The best part is that when they get messy, you can just swap them out!”