A family owned and operated company, Contemporary Kitchens has roots in the craftsmanship and artistry of the wooden boat  building trade. Our president & founder, Paul Sherwood, moved with his family to the Middle Peninsula of Virginia in 1977 to  escape Wall Street and embrace a love of woodworking and  boat building. Sherwood Boatbuilding Company was born  in the back  yard of Paul and Mary Ellen in 1981.  For eight years it remained a one man operation selling small craft throughout the eastern  states.   The reality of the economic pressures of raising and educating 4 children forced Paul to seek out other means of income while still  employed exclusively in the woodworking business. A small boom in home building locally provided the opportunity to grow the business  of building custom furniture and cabinets.  With the fine carpentry skills he had developed, Paul found a great demand in this area, one  that greatly exceeded the demand for wooden boats!  Sherwood Boatbuilding ceased to exist with the completion of a 26' skipjack sloop built for a customer to a Gregory design.  Cabinet  making soon required all the necessary time and then some.  The building shed became a cabinet shop and soon after it was apparent  that demand could not be met by one man with the help of part time employees and family support.  The new business was named  Contemporary Kitchens. In 1996 a new facility was opened in Campbell Industrial Park in Topping.  Orders continued to grow and slowly employees were added.   In 2000 an addition was added to the original building more then doubling it's size from 1500 to 3500 sq ft. In 2000 Contemporary  Kitchens was incorporated and is now Contemporary Kitchens Ltd. Growth continued and Paul was able to beg one of his sons, then building homes in Richmond, to come to work for a short time to get  past a particularly busy period.  Ben is still here.  A couple of years later Matthew, the youngest son, was hired full time. In 2005 another  building was constructed on the site in Topping. This one is 5000 sq ft and designed to be expanded easily in the future. The finishes we use are the most advanced available to cabinet manufacturers We use the finest materials available, and maintain climate- controlled storage. The same experienced woodworkers who craft our cabinetry also install it, assuring unparalled precision and attention to detail.