Ask the carpenter for references...clients who will allow you to visit their homes and see the quality of his work.

I’d want to see his work, in person, not photos. Lots of possible red flags here

"We want a custom and professional look. But don’t want to pay a ton."

You want a Mercedes for the price of a Chevy. That puts the largest burden on you--not the contractor. He'll do what he does and you have to decide if you can live with it.

Your bottom photo shows inset cabinets, which aren't frameless or modern.

Modern, frameless and inexpensive from IKEA

Another, with link to her blog makeover, here.

You’re dreaming. And not in the pleasant Brad Pitt serving you a martini way. You don’t get something for nothing. Especially from a Bubba who isn’t talented enough to actually make a living doing it. Because if he could, he would. That’s how you end up with a disaster. You sell yourself on a terrible job because you can’t afford the job you want. Wanting doesn’t make it happen. Wanting doesn’t make a 15K job cost 2K. That’s just you selling yourself BS.

Go to HD or Lowes and get a price using the standard cabinets available through their various cabinet lines like Kraftmade, Thomasville, Diamond, etc.

http://www.kraftmaid.com/imagine/photo-gallery/?search_query=&page=1&limit=20&sort=featured&Room=Office%20%2F%20Library&category=6969&is_category_page=1

Thank you all! I will look into his references!

I've had bookcases built in two rooms in my house, over the years. My re-modeling builder did them. They are birch and they have Shaker partial-overlay doors on the bottom. We had them hand-painted.

Do they look as good as the ones a local cabinet specialty shop builds? No, the do not. Their cabinets are either full-inset, or full-overlay, and they use the same spray specialty paint that is used on kitchen cabinets.

However, I have no regrets. The ones in the room that is now used as a breakfast room (and was our TV room/library when the bookcases were done) have been there now for over 34 years. They have been re-painted once due to water damage from a burst pipe in another room. The ones in our library (when we moved the TV etc to a larger room), were built over 19 years ago.

Frankly, I doubt that anyone really looks at the bookcases very much. They are stuffed with books and a few other things mixed in on shelves, The bookcases themselves are NOT the "star" in the room - they are to hold books.

Cabinetry of the type shown in the photo is best produced in a controlled shop environment by a person who builds cabinetry for a living.

I don’t know what the skill level of your carpenter is. I just remodeled and all of my cabinetry for kitchen, baths, built in for office and large room divider was custom built by a local shop and they are gorgeous. The advantage is that every detail was specific to my design both aesthetically and functionality. I did check out two places to see his work in person and he was also recommended. He is capable of producing fine furniture and I actually had his brother replicate an Art Deco table I had fallen in love with

If you are dealing with a handyman type of carpenter the work product won’t be on this level. My father was handy and made built ins and simple furniture in the pre IKEA days strictly for our home. His stuff was functional but certainly not on the level of cabinetry from a mid level factory brand.

You have to have someone with both the skill set and the tool set. :-) Which is part of the expense. A lot of the specific tools, or even blades for those tools, are quite expensive. It's not something you can throw together with a table saw and a drill press.

Dad could do it, but I've been banned from requesting additional case goods. (After which ban, he turned around and made me another set of bookcases, but I was not going to point out the discrepancy. I took the bookcases and ran!) Then again, he's also made me a gorgeous black walnut octagonal table with 8 prefect wedges that make up the top. Among other things I will never be parted from and decorate to incorporate. His other rule is that if I want it painted, I get to paint it. Try negotiating for better terms with your guy. ;-)

You need a cabinet maker not a contractor or a carpenter. Not that one is better than another just different skill set and tools. And do you want inset doors, not modern and not easy to do, or inexpensive. Or a similar look, full overlay that is readily available ready made and can be very reasonable. The installation is the key. Ready made cabinets correctly installed are beautiful. Custom slapped in look cheap. You need to set a budget and do a lot more research. And see what you are buying. Cabinet companies stand behind their products and you see examples before hand. Your carpenters assurance could be good as gold or fools gold. Think it thru.

FWIW I did a recent kitchen remodel...a local cabinetmaker did all my cabinets, with lots of bells and whistles, and it was about half the price I was quoted for a semi custom cabinet line through a local kitchen designer (Belmont cabs). The experience felt much better too (for Belmont you had to pay in full upfront, and pay someone else to install...the cabinetmaker took a modest deposit and didn’t expect to be paid in full until the job was totally done and cabs installed, and he even came and put on all my hardware!). My kitchen is gorgeous and highly functional and I’m thrilled with the quality, the experience, and the savings. Check out some local cabinetmakers!

I have often found custom cabinets made by a local cabinet shop to be affordable. IMO some contractor who thinks he knows how to build cabinets in his garage is not what you need. IMO I would do Ikea before that scenario. As for style that 1 st picture is a long way from frameless or conteporary.

Google IKEA built in bookshelves hacks.

"We want a custom and professional look. But don’t want to pay a ton."

You want a Mercedes for the price of a Chevy. That puts the largest burden on you--not the contractor. He'll do what he does and you have to decide if you can live with it.

Yeah, you're hoping to get something Pinterest-worthy for the price of ... well, I don't have an analogy.

My best suggestion: Ditch the idea of custom ... but at the same time, don't go with the cheapest of the cheap. Go middle-of-the-road with semi-custom. A huge assortment of cabinetry is available, and you can get an excellent look for MUCH less money.

My personal opinion -- which, of course, you're free to reject -- is that custom is ONLY worthwhile in a kitchen. People see your kitchen. It's tremendously important. But a mudroom /office ... eh, not a place for a splurgy spend.

MAYBE a master bath because you can get more drawer space in a modest space -- bathroom vanities are wonky things -- but ONLY if money really isn't an issue.

Love this one -- really, really love this one:

Frankly, I doubt that anyone really looks at the bookcases very much. They are
stuffed with books and a few other things mixed in on shelves, The bookcases themselves are NOT the "star" in the room - they are to hold books.

Yeah, how much are you reacting to the bookshelves vs. how much are you reacting to the lovely staging?

Helen I don’t know what the skill level of your carpenter is.

Yeah, that's the thing. Some carpenters can totally pull off your dream ... but they won't do it for a budget price. Others will tell you they can do it ... but it'll look like someone's final project in high school Carpentry 2.

A handyman would be an electrician if it weren’t for the experience and licensing requirements. If someone could do the higher skilled and higher paying job, they wouldn’t be in the lower skilled and lower paying position that they currently occupy. They’d be getting the bigger specialty paycheck. All of the skilled trades have a big shortage of manpower right now. So you have some of lesser skills hanging out their shingles. Buyer beware!