Your Leaside semi has a kitchen that was last renovated when mullet haircuts were in style. The layout is a narrow galley with a radiator on the best wall, a chimney breast that breaks the counter run, and a floor that slopes an inch and a half from the back door to the pantry. You need more than new cabinets — you need a full custom kitchen designed around every quirk your 90-year-old house throws at the room. SKC Improvement Inc. designs and builds custom kitchens in Toronto for exactly these homes — because we’ve worked in hundreds of them.
SKC Improvement Inc. provides full kitchen renovation services across Toronto — custom layout design, cabinet fabrication, countertop installation, island design, lighting, and appliance integration. We specialize in pre-war semi-detached and detached homes where radiators, chimney breasts, and uneven floors make stock kitchen designs impossible. If your existing cabinets are solid but dated, we also offer cabinet renovation without full replacement. Most full custom kitchens complete in 6 to 10 weeks from design approval to final walkthrough.
What Makes SKC’s Custom Kitchens Different in Toronto
Toronto homeowners choose SKC for full custom kitchens because we don’t design around a showroom. We design around your home’s actual dimensions, structural realities, and architectural character.
- We solve the radiator problem. In Toronto’s pre-war semis, the kitchen radiator is often on the only wall long enough for a full counter run. You can’t move it without significant plumbing work — but you can design around it. We build a custom radiator cabinet with a perforated metal or cane front that allows heat to flow freely while providing a usable counter surface above. The cabinet integrates with the rest of the kitchen millwork so it reads as intentional — not a workaround. Alternatively, we can coordinate radiator relocation with a licensed plumber if you prefer to reclaim the wall.
- Chimney breasts become design features, not obstacles. Many Toronto kitchens have a chimney breast that protrudes 12 to 18 inches into the room — the remnants of a decommissioned fireplace or furnace flue. We design shallow shelving or a spice pull-out into the recess on either side, and build cabinets that follow the chimney profile with a continuous face frame. The chimney becomes a natural room divider between cooking and prep zones — not a dead wall you lose.
- Uneven floors are shimmed and leveled at the cabinet base. In older Toronto homes, the floor can slope an inch or more over the kitchen’s length. We don’t just set cabinets on the slope and call it close enough. We level every base cabinet individually using hardwood shims, then cover the toe kick with a continuous scribed panel that follows the floor profile. The countertops sit dead level. The floor still slopes — you don’t notice it because the cabinets don’t.
- We handle the full project — not just cabinets. A custom kitchen involves electrical for under-cabinet lighting and appliance circuits, plumbing for sink and dishwasher, possibly gas for a range, and structural work if walls are coming down. We coordinate all trades, manage the permit process if required, and serve as your single point of contact from design to final walkthrough. You don’t hire an electrician, a plumber, and a cabinet maker separately and hope they talk to each other.
- We also provide interior painting in Toronto for the kitchen and surrounding rooms. Painting is sequenced after cabinet installation so your new kitchen walls are fresh and flawless.
How SKC Handles Custom Kitchen Design and Installation
1. In-Home Design Consultation (Free, 60 to 90 minutes)
We visit your Toronto kitchen and assess everything: wall dimensions, floor level variations, radiator and chimney breast locations, window and door positions, plumbing rough-ins, electrical panel capacity, and gas line availability. We discuss how you cook, how many people use the kitchen, what appliances you want, and what storage drives you crazy. We take photographs and measurements for the design phase.
2. Design and 3D Renderings (2 to 3 weeks)
We create full 3D renderings of your new kitchen showing every cabinet, counter, island, appliance, and lighting fixture in your actual room dimensions. We present 2 to 3 layout options if the space allows multiple configurations. You walk through the design virtually, request changes, and approve the final plan. If structural work is needed (wall removal, beam installation), we coordinate with a structural engineer at this stage.
3. Trade Coordination and Permits (1 to 2 weeks)
If your project requires electrical, plumbing, or structural permits, we prepare the documentation and submit to the City of Toronto. Our licensed electricians and plumbers are scheduled for rough-in work before cabinet installation.
4. Demolition and Rough-In (3 to 5 days)
Old cabinets, countertops, and flooring are removed. Electrical and plumbing rough-ins are completed. Walls are patched and primed. The room is prepped for cabinet installation.
5. Cabinet and Countertop Installation (5 to 10 days)
Cabinets arrive fully assembled and are installed, leveled, and adjusted. Countertops are templated and installed. Appliances are connected. Backsplash is installed. Under-cabinet lighting is wired and tested.
6. Final Walkthrough (Day of completion)
We walk through the kitchen with you, test every drawer and door, confirm every appliance functions, and touch up anything that isn’t perfect. The kitchen is fully operational.
Most Toronto custom kitchens complete in 6 to 10 weeks from design approval to final walkthrough. Call 905-724-2200 to schedule your free design consultation.
Custom Kitchen Pricing in Toronto — What to Expect
Full custom kitchens in Toronto typically range from $40,000 to $90,000+ depending on size, materials, and scope.
| Kitchen Type | Typical Size | Price Range | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condo galley kitchen | 8×10 ft | $30,000 – $45,000 | Layout design, cabinetry, quartz counters, tile backsplash, sink, faucet |
| Standard Toronto semi (full gut) | 12×15 ft | $45,000 – $65,000 | Full design, cabinetry, island, stone counters, backsplash, appliance installation, lighting |
| Large kitchen (addition or open concept) | 15×20 ft or larger | $65,000 – $90,000+ | Full design, extensive cabinetry, large island, premium counters, custom hood fan, lighting design |
What increases cost: Structural wall removal (beam installation adds $5,000–$15,000), premium appliances, custom range hood, marble or quartzite countertops, radiator relocation, and extensive plumbing or electrical reconfiguration.
What doesn’t increase cost: The design consultation, 3D renderings, standard quartz countertops, standard soft-close cabinet hardware, and standard under-cabinet LED lighting.
The One Question Most Toronto Buyers Ask Before Booking
“My kitchen has a radiator on the only long wall, a chimney breast in the corner, and the floor slopes. Can you actually design a kitchen that works with all of that, or do I need to spend another $20,000 fixing the room first?”
You don’t need to fix the room first — you need a kitchen designed for the room as it is. The radiator becomes a cabinet. We build a custom enclosure with a heat-transparent front that allows full airflow — the cabinet sits above and beside the radiator, integrating into the counter run. The chimney breast defines the kitchen zones: we place the cooking zone on one side with shallow storage built into the recess beside the chimney, and the prep zone on the other side. The slope in the floor is corrected during cabinet installation — each cabinet is leveled individually, and the toe kick panel is scribed to follow the floor. The countertops are dead level. You stand in the kitchen after installation and notice none of the things that made the old kitchen feel crooked — you just see a kitchen that fits the room perfectly. We’ve solved this exact combination of problems in Leaside, High Park, Leslieville, and the Annex. It’s standard work for us, not a change order.
Custom Kitchen Areas We Cover — Toronto and Surrounding Areas
We serve all of Toronto proper and the surrounding GTA. Our custom kitchen installations can be found in:
Toronto Central: Downtown, King West, Queen West, Liberty Village, The Annex, Yorkville, Rosedale, Leaside, Forest Hill, Moore Park.
Toronto West: Etobicoke, Mimico, Long Branch, The Kingsway, High Park, Bloor West Village, The Junction, Roncesvalles.
Toronto East: Scarborough, Bluffs, Guildwood, Riverdale, Leslieville, The Beaches, Danforth, East York.
Toronto North: North York, Willowdale, Downsview, York Mills, Don Mills, Lawrence Park.
We also serve Mississauga, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, and Oakville.
Questions Toronto Customers Ask About Custom Kitchens
How long does a full custom kitchen take from design to completion?
Typical timeline is 8 to 12 weeks from first consultation to final walkthrough. Design and renderings take 2 to 3 weeks. Trade coordination and permits take 1 to 2 weeks. Demolition, rough-in, cabinet installation, and finishing take 5 to 7 weeks. Larger projects with structural work add 2 to 4 weeks. We’ll give you a firm schedule at the design consultation.
Do you handle permits, or is that my responsibility?
We handle permits for all work we perform — electrical, plumbing, and structural. If your project requires a building permit (wall removal, beam installation), we coordinate with a structural engineer, prepare the drawings, and submit to the City of Toronto. You don’t manage the permit process.
Can I use my own appliances, or do I have to buy through you?
You can use your own appliances. We’ll ask for the model specifications during the design phase so we can build cabinets to the exact dimensions. If you need appliance recommendations, we can provide them, but there’s no requirement to purchase through us.
Ready to Design a Kitchen That Fits Your Toronto Home — Not a Showroom?
You now know that SKC designs full custom kitchens for Toronto’s pre-war homes — solving radiator, chimney breast, and uneven floor challenges that stock kitchen companies can’t handle. You also have transparent pricing for your kitchen size and scope.
The next step is a free design consultation. We’ll assess your kitchen’s quirks, discuss your vision, and provide 3D renderings and a firm quote.
Call 905-724-2200 to schedule your free Toronto custom kitchen design consultation. We’ll show you how your kitchen’s challenges become its best features.