What is the difference between millwork and casework?

Casework is the boxes — cabinets and units, often to repeatable sizes. Millwork is the bespoke work around and beyond them: panelling, reception desks, feature joinery, trim and anything shaped to the building. Most commercial packages contain both, and they are usually drawn together.

Do you work from an architect's or designer's drawings?

Yes, that is the usual route. Send the drawing package and the finish schedule and we will come back with questions on anything ambiguous before quoting, because the questions are cheaper at that stage than later.

Do you produce shop drawings for approval?

Yes. Nothing is cut until shop drawings are signed off. They resolve joints, substrates, hardware and how the work breaks down for access, and they are the document fabrication actually runs from.

Can you work to a written specification?

Bring the specification with the enquiry. Grade, substrate, finish and tolerance requirements change how a piece is built and priced, so they need to be in front of us before the quote rather than after the award.

Do you install, or supply only?

Both are possible and the choice usually comes down to the site. Where access, sequencing or scribing to an irregular building is involved, installing the work we built is generally the lower-risk option for everyone.

Commercial Furniture

Commercial Furniture, Millwork, and FF&E Procurement

SP Fabrication supports commercial interiors with built-to-spec furniture, retail fixtures, hospitality pieces, office furniture, and FF&E procurement.

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SP Fabrication & Design

Made-to-order furniture with commercial-grade fabrication standards.

Based in North Plainfield, NJ, SP Fabrication works with homeowners, interior designers, retail teams, hospitality groups, offices, event producers, and commercial project managers.

Retail and hospitality

Display fixtures, seating, counters, bars, product walls, salon/spa furniture, and guest-facing millwork.

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Office and workplace

Reception desks, conference tables, storage, built-ins, lounge pieces, and branded furniture installations.

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Project support

Budgeting, production planning, material coordination, logistics, and installation support for single-site or multi-site rollouts.

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Working from an architect's drawings

Most commercial work reaches us as a drawing package rather than a brief, and the first job is to read it properly: elevations against plans, finish schedule against details, and the dimensions that are stated against the ones that are assumed. Where a detail cannot be built as drawn, or will not survive the use the room is for, we raise it before fabrication rather than improvising in the shop.

Shop drawings and sign-off

Fabrication runs from shop drawings, not from the architectural set. They resolve what the design intent leaves open — joint positions, substrate, hardware, how a run breaks for access and where the scribes fall — and they go back for approval before any material is cut. That approval step is what prevents the expensive class of problem, which is a correct piece built to a misread dimension.

Site measure, sequence and install

Commercial interiors move. A site measure taken before fabrication and checked against the latest drawing revision catches the walls that were built off-plan, and the sequence matters as much as the measurement: millwork that arrives before the floor is laid or after the ceiling is closed creates problems that no amount of shop accuracy solves. We would rather agree the sequence with the contractor early than negotiate it on the day.

Coordinating with the other trades

Millwork is rarely the only trade in the room and it is almost always the one that shows. Electrical has to land before a reception desk closes up, a stone top needs its substrate dead level, and a ceiling detail that changes after panelling is set will be visible for the life of the fit-out. We would rather sit in the coordination conversation early and flag the clashes that affect our package than discover them when a piece is already on the truck.

Common questions

What is the difference between millwork and casework?: Casework is the boxes — cabinets and units, often to repeatable sizes. Millwork is the bespoke work around and beyond them: panelling, reception desks, feature joinery, trim and anything shaped to the building. Most commercial packages contain both, and they are usually drawn together.
Do you work from an architect's or designer's drawings?: Yes, that is the usual route. Send the drawing package and the finish schedule and we will come back with questions on anything ambiguous before quoting, because the questions are cheaper at that stage than later.
Do you produce shop drawings for approval?: Yes. Nothing is cut until shop drawings are signed off. They resolve joints, substrates, hardware and how the work breaks down for access, and they are the document fabrication actually runs from.
Can you work to a written specification?: Bring the specification with the enquiry. Grade, substrate, finish and tolerance requirements change how a piece is built and priced, so they need to be in front of us before the quote rather than after the award.
Do you install, or supply only?: Both are possible and the choice usually comes down to the site. Where access, sequencing or scribing to an irregular building is involved, installing the work we built is generally the lower-risk option for everyone.

Plan your piece

The right details make a better brief.

Whether the project starts as a custom furniture quote, a luxury furniture commission, a commercial millwork package, or an FF&E procurement request, the workflow is structured around dimensions, materials, budget, drawings, and delivery.

Approximate dimensions and how the piece will be used.
Material, finish or upholstery references.
Quantity, target date and delivery city or ZIP code.

Shipping is quoted separately based on the product and delivery location.

Start with a precise quote

01Share dimensions, photos, drawings, inspiration, and finish preferences.
02We review material choices, build approach, timeline, and budget range.
03You receive next steps for fabrication, procurement, or commercial production.

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