Comparing two kitchen quotes based solely on the total price is like comparing two suits without checking whether one is wool and the other synthetic. On a 3D render or a spreadsheet, they look the same. In everyday use, they’re worlds apart.
It’s a question we hear regularly, from architects and private clients alike: “Why is your quote higher than this one?”
It’s a fair question. But it’s not the right question.
If you are an architect, interior designer or developer sourcing custom furniture, the same reading applies at project scale — see our custom furniture offer for professionals, designed and manufactured in Portugal and delivered across Europe.
The real question: what is each figure actually built on?
A total amount, on its own, tells you nothing. Two quotes at €15,000 can represent two radically different projects in terms of durability, finish quality, and everyday comfort. The difference doesn’t show on paper — it reveals itself over time.
Here are three concrete examples of what hides behind a price, rarely detailed line by line in a quote.
1. Panel thickness: 16 mm or 19 mm?
Three millimetres difference — seemingly trivial. In practice, this determines the rigidity of a cabinet carcass, its load-bearing capacity over time, and the feeling of solidity from the very first time you open a door.
Panel thickness — 16 mm, 19 mm, or 22 mm — is one of the first identifiable quality criteria, but density matters too: a well-dense 16 mm panel can outperform a low-density 19 mm one. Façade material, worktop thickness, and surface treatment quality all play an equally important role.
A 16 mm panel may seem adequate on installation day. Five years of daily use — opening, closing, the weight of stored items — quickly reveals the difference.
2. Hinges: unbranded entry-level, or Blum (or recognised equivalent)?
This is an invisible detail on a plan, but decisive in use.
Blum has been manufacturing hinge systems since 1964, with the constant goal of improving everyday comfort across all living spaces, from kitchen to bedroom. Their hinges are adjustable in three dimensions — laterally, in height, and in depth — ensuring precise alignment over time.
A quality hinge means a drawer that still closes silently in ten years. An entry-level hinge means a drawer that starts slamming, misaligning, or squeaking after just two years.
3. Hardware, edge banding, finishes: the invisible details that define everything
Drawer runners, closing systems, edge banding treatment, veneer quality: all invisible on a 3D render, yet directly determining the longevity of the furniture and the everyday perception of quality.
These details are precisely what allows a kitchen to be positioned in the market: shelf fixings, wall cabinet hanging systems, accessories and their finish — epoxy, chrome wire, chrome-rail shelves — all near-invisible to the naked eye, but fundamental to durability and the overall feel.
For façades, the quality of laminate depends on pressing pressure and thickness, while the quality of the four edge-banding finishes immediately reveals the level of care put into manufacturing.
Our position
At CoDesign Concept, we work with 19 mm panels and Blum hinges (or recognised equivalent) as standard — not as a premium option. This choice structures our prices from the outset, without needing to be requested or negotiated.
This isn’t to say it’s the only way to do things well. Other approaches, other material ranges, meet other needs and other budgets — and that’s entirely legitimate. It’s to say that a price difference, in itself, means nothing until you’re comparing the same technical specifications.
How to read a kitchen quote
To compare two proposals meaningfully, a few simple questions already bring clarity:
- What is the panel thickness used for the carcasses — and what is their density?
- What brand of hinges and drawer runners is specified?
- Is the edge banding treatment detailed, and with what process?
- Are the finishes (veneer, lacquer, laminate) specified with their exact range?
- Does the quote include installation, on-site adjustments, and after-sales service?
A quote that answers these questions clearly isn’t necessarily the cheapest — but it’s a quote you can compare with confidence.
And you — when pricing a kitchen project, what criteria make the real difference for you?
