I used a local custom cabinet company near me last year. He had fabulous ideas if I had to do it all again I would call him and trust him completely. Like you he did not have the door in the exact wood i wanted completed for me to see but i saw a similar door and picked my wood. The cabinets turned out so fabulous. I think he would have made me a door to see had i asked him. As for bells and whistles I am sure he will provide you with anything you wish. If you can not think of what you should ask then ask him what is the most common up grades ect. Good luck

There are lots of US companies that make cabinets with a European contemporary design. I'd look for them first.

And 'bells and whistles' interior fittings are available thru such companies as Lee Valley or even Ikkea. But where do you find vision about how to use such things?

Many bells and whistles are just that, bells and whistles. Things you'll use once or twice and then never use again. Do lots of reading about what works for those here on this forum and go from there.

Obviously things are going to vary from shop to shop how they do things but all the bells and whistles can generally be purchased and added. Really the only thing I couldnt get with mine was frameless construction.

The main concern regarding local custom shops should be the quality of the finish, particularly for "paint."

Sounds like you need to investigate what you would get if you paid for the Euro cabs. Once you know what extras are available the next step is to decide if you want them. Then price those you choose with your local cabinet maker. If he can't supply something you may have to give up on that or pay the price. But first you have to go beyond bells and whistles and know exactly what is involved.

I like mine, but he'd probably balk at trojan colors. :P

You can buy custom sized maple and lexan drawer insets from various internet sources. I'd be more worried about finish, especially if modern style means you want a painted glossy (lacquer) or veneer finish that needs high quality control in production. For example Wood-mode/Brookhaven, Durasupreme, Ultracraft, and Bellmont all do a good job for their price points with modern slab front style cabinets and that gives you a wide spectrum of pricing high to low.

Your cabinetmaker should have a nice portfolio of previous jobs. These guys don't live in a void, they keep up on the latest things. They have to, they're often specified.

As someone who loves European style cabinets, it is very hard to find American manufacturers who are not niche makers who make great Euro cabinets.

What is your budget?

There are a few brands with the aesthetic you are looking for at a more modest price point. They are not as custom but the doors, paint/lacquer is wonderful. If you are ok with IKEA, I have a sample of Dunsmuir doors (they are based in LA). The profiles are limited but exact. For most, American cabinets with slab fronts are okay. There are come Canadian companies that make great Euro style cabinets too. The bells and whistles fitting perfectly in the cabinets is also important. You can always retrofit bells into the right cabinets. The euro retrofits are usually not cheap.

Regarding cabinets arriving damages, I had an experience with European windows that one of the panels was broken but was not noticed until installation, the new glass unit was FedExed from Europe in three days without issue by the manufacturer. Many Euro manufacturers have express services for damaged cabinets. You have tons of choices for Euro cabinets in the LA area.

Good luck!

You know the rules of production: between fast, cheap, and good you can have 2 but not all three. Your custom cabinet person will probably be good and fast, but not cheap. Or they might be good and cheap, but not fast.

(obviously it's possible to find all three, but in general you have to give somewhere)

If there are bells and whistles your cabinet person cannot provide you might be able to find it after market, possibly for less, like through Rev-a-shelf.

both cabinet makers i worked with here were able to make and provide absolutely everything. was a question of our needs, wants, and priorities

btw both could build everything but personally were very much into modern.

and yes they had samples, catalogs, whatnot

one was a very high-end guy, very upscale shop; another had much simpler shop yet still could add everything in case we'd decide to add it.

that's their bread and butter; they're custom cabinet makers meaning they work for a niche; they're knowleadgeable about bells and whistles I didn't know exist at all)) and they can very honestly advice on what's great, what's greater, and what's just that-bells and whistles.

again question of priorieties needs and budget.

every time I can choose between custom or not-I'd choose custom

I had a custom cabinetry kitchen experience abroad too, and was very pleased with it as well