What Is Office Workspace Cabinetry?
Office workspace cabinetry is the built-in millwork in a commercial office: reception desks, boardroom credenzas, staff kitchenettes, printer stations and storage walls. It has to look good to clients, take daily wear from staff and hide a lot of cable. It also has to arrive on the GC's schedule, because millwork is often one of the last trades before move-in.
We build office millwork in our GTA shop from architect or designer drawings, or design it ourselves for smaller firms. For home offices, see home office cabinetry.
Types of Office Millwork
Reception desks
Client-facing desks in veneer or paint, with transaction ledges, privacy screens and wire management for phones and monitors.
Boardroom credenzas
Credenzas with ventilated AV cabinets, sliding doors and cable routes to the table.
Staff kitchenettes
Kitchenettes in TFL with quartz counters, under-counter fridges and dishwashers.
Storage walls and lockers
Lockers, printer stations and filing walls in durable TFL or HPL.
Office Millwork Pricing
| Scope | Unit | Price range |
|---|---|---|
| Reception desk with wire management | Per desk | $6,500-$12,000 |
| Reception + boardroom credenza | Package | $9,000-$18,000 |
| Reception + boardroom + kitchenette | Package | $16,000-$28,000 |
Plan the cables in the drawings
Power, data and AV locations go into the shop drawings before fabrication. Adding grommets on site after install is slow and never looks as clean.
Common Office Millwork Problems
Millwork arriving after move-in
Fixed by fabricating before handover and installing on weekends.
Laminate edges chipping
Fixed with HPL on high-wear edges and PUR edgebanding.
Cables everywhere
Fixed with grommets, trays and chases drawn into the shop drawings. For healthcare suites, see clinic millwork; for display spaces, see showroom millwork.
Planning Office Millwork With Your Designer
Most office projects start with a designer's or architect's drawings. We take those drawings and return shop drawings that show every panel, joint, material and hardware item, along with power, data and AV locations. Your designer approves them before anything is cut.
For smaller firms without a designer, we design the millwork ourselves. We start with how the space is used: how many people check in at reception, what the boardroom needs to hold (AV equipment, catering, stationery), how many staff use the kitchenette and what has to be locked.
Material Choices for Offices
Thermally fused laminate
TFL is durable, cleanable and budget-friendly for back-of-house casework, lockers and storage walls.
High-pressure laminate
HPL goes on high-wear surfaces such as reception counters and kitchenette fronts.
Wood veneer
Walnut, white oak or rift oak veneer on client-facing pieces such as reception desks and boardroom credenzas.
Solid surface and quartz
Transaction ledges and kitchenette counters that resist coffee and stains.
Keeping Office Millwork Looking New
Clean laminates with a mild cleaner; avoid solvents on veneer. Use desk pads under keyboards on veneer reception desks. Hinges and runners adjust with a screwdriver, and we provide service after move-in if anything needs attention.
Questions to Ask Before You Hire
- Can you produce shop drawings from my designer's plans?
- Will you install on weekends or after hours?
- How will power, data and AV be routed?
- How quickly can you issue a COI for the building?
- Who handles changes after move-in?
Office Millwork Across the GTA
We have built reception desks and boardroom millwork for offices near Yonge and Eglinton, in the Financial District and Liberty Village, and for professional firms in heritage buildings around St. Lawrence. Commercial pieces come out of the same shop as our Toronto custom cabinetry.
