3 common custom-cabinet traps, and how to avoid them
Before you spend a single ringgit, make sure you don't fall into these common renovation traps:
1. Quotes that take weeks
Have you asked for a kitchen cabinet quote, only to be told they must measure on site and finish a design first, and then waited 2 to 3 weeks for a price?
2. Materials and hardware you can't judge
Too many technical terms to tell good from bad? Do you know which boards they use, whether they are safe and certified, and what grade of hardware goes in? Cheap materials and top brands differ hugely in price and lifespan. For the same budget, why not choose branded, long-lasting components?
3. Cabinets with no plan for how you cook
Many cabinet makers only ask where you want cabinets, never how you cook and move around the kitchen. A kitchen without a proper workflow means extra steps and frustration every day.
How easy is it to get a Panelmax quote?
No 2–3 week wait for a site measure. Three steps to an accurate quote:
No site measure needed first
A photo of the developer's floor plan, or rough wall sizes, is enough. Send it on WhatsApp for a budget quote in 30 minutes.
Face to face at the Experience Centre
Visit our Miri or Kuching Experience Centre and our team lays out your kitchen's 5 work zones with you on the spot.
Transparent, fixed module prices
Every module has a fixed standard price, so you leave the Experience Centre with a complete, itemised quote.
Not sure where to start? You're not alone.
Renovating should be exciting, but the market can be confusing. Every day, homeowners face exactly the same worries.
Meet Panelmax: a transparent modular cabinet system, planned by professional designers
From Favourite Livin, a leading Sarawak and Brunei interior design firm founded in 2009
Accurate quotes, fast
No more waiting. Send your floor plan on WhatsApp for a budget quote in 30 minutes, or bring it to the Experience Centre, where we sketch your layout with fixed module prices and give you an accurate quote on the spot.
Top international brands as standard
No guesswork on quality. Standard components from our brand partners: Maxworld low-formaldehyde E0/E1 boards, Blum hardware and Kompacplus worktops.
The designer's 5-zone method
No design experience needed. Our team uses Favourite Livin's own 5-zone workflow method to plan the most practical layout, step by step.
Your Experience Centre visit, step by step
When you bring your floor plan to our Experience Centre, this is how we plan your space:
Talk through the details
Before drawing anything, we learn how you live: which appliances you use (oven, hood, fridge size), how the space is used (wet kitchen, dry kitchen, pantry) and how you cook day to day.
Plan the 5 work zones
We sketch your layout on your floor plan right there, placing the washing, prep, cooking, storage and food zones in a natural flow.
Touch the modules and hardware
Then we walk you through real installed modules: deep double drawers, spice pull-outs, moisture-resistant sink cabinets and Blum soft-close runners.
Your quote explained
We go through every line of your quote and show you the difference between quality boards (Maxworld), Kompacplus 6mm worktops and cheaper materials, so you know what to avoid.
Make it your style
Once the quote is confirmed, mix and match door colours and textures and pair them with a Kompacplus worktop for a look that's yours.
Precision-made in our own factory
When you're happy with the plan and the price, we send it to our automated factory in Miri and schedule your installation.
3 things that decide how long your cabinets last
Cabinets that look alike can be very different after 3–5 years. Panelmax uses three leading brand partners for lasting quality:
Favourite Livin's 5-zone kitchen
A smooth kitchen starts with the right workflow. We divide the kitchen into 5 core zones, so storing, washing, prepping and cooking flow in one direction with fewer wasted steps:
Food storage (Consumables)
Fresh, chilled and dry food: fridge, tall pantry pull-outs and dry-goods cabinets, so groceries go straight in after shopping.
Dishes and utensils (Non-consumables)
Bowls, plates, cutlery and glasses in divided drawers and shelves, so clean dishes go straight back and are easy to reach at mealtimes.
Sink and washing (Cleaning)
The sink and dishwasher area, with a moisture-resistant sink cabinet, built-in bin and cleaning storage below to keep the worktop dry and tidy.
Food prep (Preparation)
The prime worktop between the sink and the hob, for chopping and prep, with spice pull-outs and knife drawers below.
Hob and oven (Cooking)
The heart of the kitchen: hob, hood, built-in oven or steamer and deep pot drawers, so every pan is within reach while you cook.
Why 5,000+ homeowners trust Panelmax
Automated precision manufacturing, leading brand partners and 15 years of interior design experience.
15+ years
Designing homes since 2009
Brand partners
Blum • Maxworld • Kompacplus
Automated production
CNC cutting and automatic edge banding
Warranty and after-sales
Our own installation team and after-sales support
Behind the scenes: how Panelmax is made
Our Miri factory uses CNC nesting and automatic edge-banding machines, so every module is cut to the millimetre and finished flat and true.
✓ 5,000+ spaces installedKitchen + TV cabinet + foyer: the RM 70K package
For new homeowners in selected housing estates: a full Panelmax kitchen, living-room TV cabinet and foyer cabinet, with Blum hardware, Maxworld E0/E1 boards and a Kompacplus worktop, installed by our own team.
Add a dining set
A Kompacplus 6-seater dining set for RM 1,000 more.
Add a sofa
A sofa for RM 1,000 more.
Wardrobes too
Wardrobes and bedheads can go on the same quote.
Panelmax Experience Centres in Miri and Kuching
See and touch the real thing before you decide: open Blum drawers and lift-up doors, compare Kompacplus colours and board finishes, and walk through a kitchen planned in 5 zones. Bring your floor plan and leave with a full quote.
Miri
Lot 7206 & 7207, Jalan Desa Pujut 1,
Bandar Baru Permyjaya, Miri, Sarawak
Also our nearest centre for Brunei homeowners.
Get directionsKuching
26 Pines Square, Jalan Batu Kawa,
93250 Kuching, Sarawak
Serving Kuching and Samarahan.
Get directionsPlease WhatsApp us to book a time, so a planner is free to sit down with you.
Book a visit on WhatsAppQuestions homeowners ask us
Can I get a price without a site visit?
Yes. Send your floor plan, or rough wall sizes, on WhatsApp and we'll reply with a budget quote within 30 minutes in working hours. The final price is confirmed after we measure on site.
Do I need an interior designer?
No. Panelmax is a modular system. Our team plans the layout with you using the 5-zone method, so you don't need to hire a designer.
What's included in the price?
The cabinets with Blum hardware and Maxworld E0/E1 boards, your worktop (Kompacplus is priced per foot run) and installation by our own team. Appliances, tiles and lighting are not included.
Which areas do you cover?
Miri, Kuching (including Samarahan), the rest of Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei.
Do you serve Brunei?
Yes. Brunei homeowners pay the same prices as in Sarawak. Visit our Miri Experience Centre, or send your floor plan on WhatsApp.
What warranty do I get?
Blum hardware comes with Blum's lifetime guarantee. Ask us about the warranty on your cabinets when you get your quote.
Prefer a call back? Leave your details
