<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0k4eIi_1Dopzt7a00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0k4eIi_1Dopzt7a00" width="1600" height="1067" ></figure><h2>As homeowners stay put longer, Mark</h2><h2>Hall Cabinetry sees more renovations</h2>Mark and Stephanie Hall have been building custom cabinets at Mark Hall Cabinetry for 31 years, and their “make anything you want” business model is more relevant than ever. Why’s that? Because with lofty house prices and higher mortgage rates encouraging people to stay in their homes longer, homeowners are more inclined to update things like cabinets.According to realtor.com, the average 30-year fixed annual percentage rate for home loans in Columbia currently stands at 6.45 percent. Nationally, a Redfin analysis found that 80 percent of today’s homeowners have mortgages with interest rates below those being offered today. It’s no surprise, then, that the same source showed 65 percent of homeowners who recently renovated chose to upgrade their home rather than moving and buying a new one.It’s a national trend that Stephanie, the company’s president and designer, sees reflected locally. “Since COVID, I have definitely seen more people doing renovations, and especially in Columbia,” she said. “That makes me really happy because we have some great older neighborhoods that I hate for people to just be like, ‘Ah this house is old. Let’s move somewhere else.’”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=05ykyx_1Dopzt7a00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=05ykyx_1Dopzt7a00" width="1600" height="1067" ></figure>Creativity in CabinetryStephanie said that while she loves to work on updating old homes and making them fresh again, she also enjoys getting to work on new construction projects. She added that the process of updating cabinetry in an existing home requires more creativity because the space is already there, and they have to improve on what was previously filling it.“That makes it a little more challenging because if a house was built, like, in the ’80s, there’s some quirkiness that we have to work around,” she said. “So we have to be a little more creative and think out of the box, which for us is not a big deal because we are custom. We’ll make anything you want.”Stephanie noted that when trying to update cabinetry in homes, it may be harder to find mass-manufactured cabinets that fit existing spaces. Fortunately, as custom cabinet makers, they are up to tackling nearly any assignment. “If you want a drawer that is an extra three inches tall because you have your grandma’s casserole dish, and that’s the only way it’s gonna fit, we can do that,” she said.The shop makes all stains and finishes in house, Stephanie emphasized, so they can accommodate any color customers are looking for. And they use real wood to ensure their cabinets’ durability and quality.When the designs are done, projects get handed off to Mark, who considers himself a “cabinet maker by trade.” His father, Jack Hall, had a cabinet shop in Columbia, and Mark grew up there learning the craft. When Mark met Stephanie, he told her that he dreamed of opening his own cabinet shop, so they combined her art background and his cabinet-making experience to start Mark Hall Cabinetry in October 1995.“After selling factory mass-produced cabinets for a couple years, we realized that we could produce better products, with more options, for the same price,” Mark said on the company website. “Since then, we’ve made it our mission to treat every piece like a unique work of art and every employee like family.”Stephanie observed that when she and Mark started the business in 1995, things were a lot different than they are now. There were only a couple wood species to choose from and about five colors of stain. They drew everything by hand, and there wasn’t any automation.Now, the shop uses technology like computer-aided design machines and spray booths with robotic arms to speed up both design and construction.“We can definitely produce faster and more accurately because of the machinery,” Stephanie said. “And then on my end, the CAD allows me to produce quicker and more detailed drawings.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4BtQ1K_1Dopzt7a00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4BtQ1K_1Dopzt7a00" width="1600" height="1200" ></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=36F2yM_1Dopzt7a00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=36F2yM_1Dopzt7a00" width="1600" height="1067" ></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3uJMlv_1Dopzt7a00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3uJMlv_1Dopzt7a00" width="1600" height="900" ></figure>AI and the Future of Construction Tompkins Construction, which frequently partners with Mark Hall Cabinetry, uses similar technology. Felicia Tompkins, the company’s office manager and designer, said that the program offers integrated AI-enhanced renderings to create more realistic models of houses.“People are able to see what their home will look like more than the old 3D renderings that my program was able to produce,” Tompkins said. “We also have a lot of clients that will come to us, and they’ll be like, ‘Hey, I had Chat[GPT] show me what my office is going to look like, and this is the cabinetry I want.’”Tompkins is seeing an increasing number of people using AI to ask questions about construction, generate questions to ask about construction, or seek design inspiration. She said that while this can be helpful, people need to be careful because AI tends to give general advice that may not align with what houses in Mid-Missouri need.“It’s a tight line of helping people feel comfortable using that information, but also [making sure they are] getting correct information,” she said.Tompkins Construction has been working with Mark Hall Cabinetry since about 2008 and uses the Halls’ cabinets in about 90% of their custom homes.“They’ve grown over the years and have a much larger shop now and are able to do a lot more volume of work, but they still prioritize us and our projects and our clients,” Tompkins said.Crafting the FutureMark Hall Cabinetry moved to its current location about 12 years ago and undertook construction that doubled the shop space in 2024. Stephanie said that the shop tripled the size of its finish department, installing a robotic arm sprayer and a dryer, while also adding several pieces of equipment to the door department.Even with using more technology in their business, Stephanie and Mark still think of cabinetry as a work of art. She noted that with the precision that machines offer, they don’t have to sacrifice functionality to make something look aesthetically pleasing.“[Technology] gives us a lot more opportunity to bring in a little creativity as well as make it pretty and functional,” she said.Looking to the future of custom cabinetry in Columbia, Stephanie reported that the future is in good hands, as Mark Hall Cabinetry will remain in the family with their youngest son, Jack.“Jack is vice president, and he oversees the shop right now,” she said. “He’s young, and he’s got a lot of ideas and a lot of growth in mind. We already have the next couple pieces of machinery that we’re looking to purchase.”Thanks to this combination of tech and tradition, Mark Hall Cabinetry will continue to ensure no casserole dish in its care will lack a proper home.<h2>Timeline</h2>1995 – Mark and Stehpanie Hall found Mark Hall Fine Cabinetry2008 – Mark Hall Fine Cabinetry begins contracting with Tompkins Construction2014 – Mark Hall’s shop moves to its current location on Stadium Boulevard2022 – The business is well positioned for an uptick in home remodels2024 – New location undergoes construction doubling shop space2025 – Mark Hall Fine Cabinetry marks 30 years in business</div></body>

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Mark and Stephanie Hall have been building custom cabinets at Mark Hall Cabinetry for 31 years, and their “make anything you want” business model is more relevant than ever. Why’s that? Because with lofty house prices and higher mortgage rates encouraging people to stay in their homes longer, homeowners are more inclined to update things like cabinets.

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Mark and Stephanie Hall have been building custom cabinets at Mark Hall Cabinetry for 31 years, and their “make anything you want” business model is more r

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