Kitchen Cabinet comparison for 2017. Reviews of the top selling cabinet lines.

1 Replies to “Kitchen Cabinet comparison for 2017. Reviews of the top selling cabinet lines.”

1. 

   Renee

   Happy holidays! I am at the beginning stage of a kitchen remodel with a limited budget. I will adhere to all of your advice when I make my cabinet purchase. I live in Laurel, Maryland- a cabinet distributor in my area would be highly appreciated. I want my kitchen cabinets gray in color. Is it cost efficient to buy cabinets and paint them or purchase the cabinet in the color I desire?

   Thank you in advance

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Here is a link to two Mareyland dealers that look good:
   https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/recommended-kitchen-designers-cabinet-dealers-outside-service-area/

2. 

   Mackenzie

   Hello Paul, Happy Holidays to you and your family! Thanks so much for sharing your professional insight and knowledge. It’s really helpful for end users like myself. The lower cabinets from Decora suffered from water damage and we are debating if we should repair or replace them. As we are going through info online, we found that Decora is a decent brand and we are not sure if getting rid of it would be a good idea. We have a budget of 30K to redo a relatively small kitchen (175 SQFT) and wonder if it’s a good idea to replace Decora with affordable brands like Fabuwood. Do you know if Decora and Fabuwood are US made brands?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   If You have a 30K budget for a small kitchen I would redesign the kitchen and get inexpensive but well made cabinetry. If you have soffits in your kitchen without crown moldings and not reaching the ceiling, or oak cabinets, or arched wall cabinet doors for example then keeping the existing kitchen would be valueless.

   Almost always there are only two sensible approaches to kitchens:
   Do as little as possible just to get by, or do it right. And definitely never splurge on expensive appliances, expensive cabinetry, and quartz countertops while keeping an old out of date design.

3. 

   Drk

   @pmcalary

   Hello Paul, thanks for this blog. Its a great help.
   Wanted to ask you, what are your thoughts on Major Kitchen Cabinets, i think they are out of Brooklyn, New York.
   They are being sold in the Philadelphia area now. They boust 5/8 plywood box construction.
   Also your thoughts about 21st Century cabinets. (http://www.21stcenturycd.com/cabinets)

   I was told 21st century uses glue and staples and in quality no worse the Fabuwood. Your thoughts?

4. 

   Igor

   @pmcalary
   Hi Paul, my thanks for this blog. Its a great help for landlords such as I who need technical info rather the marketing brochures.
   The asymmetry of information when it comes to the cabinet industry is huge but understandable due to the complexity of the product.

   Im looking currently at a few brands of cabinetry and wanted your take.

   Firstly, Major kitchen cabinets. I cant find a website but found their number and made some inquires and found a distributor. They are a RTA New York operated outfit.
   Was told by warehouse
   * Cabinet sides and bottoms are 5/8″ thick
   * 3/4″ plywood shelves
   * Solid wood dovetail drawer boxes

   My concern is quality. Any experience with the brand. Its an RTA manufactured in New York.

   Also do you have any experience with mountaineer woodcraft cabinets? http://www.mountaineerwoodcraft.com/

   I was wondering on your take on them too.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Both of these lines I not only have never heard of but they barely have the credentials to be considered professional suppliers. Why scrape the bottom of the barrel when there are inexpensive better made lines that show you how their cabinetry is made and with a track record of sucess. Examples would be Fabuwood, Wolf, Solid Wood Cabinets, CNC, and many others. If a company has a no web site or a barely one that says they aren’t a real company.

5. 

   Kim

   I know this has nothing to do with kitchen cabinets. But do you know of some good closet system company’s. I know calif closets are very nice but on the pricy side. Just thought you might have a couple ideas on that subject. Thanks

6. 

   Overwhelmed!

   Hi Paul, Happy Holidays! Thank you for your amazing site!! Have you ever heard of a Canadian cabinet brand called Avanti? They were installed by the developer of my condo (5/8″ furniture board construction, frameless, full extension drawers, boxes with i braces on top and back of base cabinets, white melamine doors).

   Due to extensive water damage in my unit caused by my neighbor, insurance is paying for new cabinets but I have no idea what cabinetry would be considered ‘like kind/quality’. Can you please help point me in the right direction? I have no idea what price point they would have been.

   I tried to find Avanti’s website but they only talk about cabinet doors and the website is in French.

   Additional info: My cabinets were rock solid with no chipping after 10+ years despite their age and non-plywood construction. How do I get that kind of durability today?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   We know nothing Avanti other that they are poorly made from your description. 5/8″ particleboard on a frameless cabinet is just about as bad as you can get. If they lasted 10 years you were lucky. I would get a different line now.

7. 

   Susan from Florida

   I’m in the process of renovating my kitchen. Our KD has suggested the mid-line Signature line of cabinets. My husband has also been looking into Kraft Maid cabinets at Loews to see what the difference would be. We plan to get stained flat/slab panel maple doors. What is your opinion of the Signature vs Kraft made line of cabinets?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Sorry I don’t know Signature well enough to be certain.

   With a slab door if you want truly the most modern look a frameless cabinet will look better but be less durable. If you are willing to sacrifice the durability for the better look I would probably go Signature. They seem to specialize in this look.

   I would think that for a framed cabinet the Kraftmaid would be a better bargain but that you still might like the finish better on the Signature since modern styling is their “Signature”. If you like the finish on both equally then make sure you are getting plywood construction and go Kraftmaid if it saves money.

   As always who the designer is very important and the Lowes designer is less likely to be any good. But of course there are exceptions to the rule.

8. 

   Gary Hughes

   Hi Paul- Found your ratings to be helpful. We are in the beginning stages of a kitchen re-do and are planning on painted shaker inset cabinets. Among your listings, we were drawn to Cabico and Woodmode. Cabico had price rating of 4 and B on value and quality. Wood mode was rated a 5 and A+ A. What is the % difference between the ratings In order of magnitude and is the differential worth the $. If possible, which would you choose?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   If the price difference is worth the cost has a lot to do with your design and what door style and finish you are selecting. If your kitchen needs no unusual sizes or colors and you are selecting a shaker white door style than you should be in an inexpensive well constructed line. If you want an unusual wood in a stained furniture type finish then you would probably be happiest with a custom line like Woodmode. The real thing that customers need that they seldom appreciate is a better design. When people send us designs 90% are terrible yet they are consumed with choosing a cabinet line for this poor design.

   Do a great job picking the designer you will work with. And if you do a really good job they will help you figure out what’s the best value for you.

9. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   We no longer have their spec books. I only remember that crestwood was the least expensive line. But I would not buy from a company that does’t honor their warranty.

10. 

    RuthieG

    I spoke to the designer. She said the line she quoted is Durasupreme (framed) Crestwood line. Are you familiar with this line and if so, what is your opinion on it?

11. 

    RuthieG

    Thank you for your quick response. How do I tell if it is upgrade or not? What is frameless construction?

12. 

    RuthieG

    We have bought a second home that needs a kitchen. At this time it will be a weekend place on the water, but we may end up retiring there. We want to go with white cabinets. This home needs some work, so we are trying to decide where to cut the budget and not feel the effect of the cut. We want cabinets that will last, but not break the bank. Our designer recommended Wolf (because of cost) or Duraupreme. Wolf doesn’t seem to carry a white (only off white) unless we go with the shaker style. Another company recommended Homecrest. We like the color but her price was a little pricey (actually more expensive than the second designer’s Duraupreme). So I guess my question to you is which line do you like best for quality? Where do you think these should fall in price?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Durasupreme must be upgraded to be a well made cabinet so be carefull. We aren’t a fan of DuraSupreme and no longer carry their line as they didn’t honor their warranty with one of our customers. Wolf is inexpensive but well constructed and Homecrest I like too. If the home crest was more than the DuraSupreme I’d bet the homecrest price you got was upgraded and the Durasupreme not or even in Frameless construction.

13. 

    Kim

    We are a kitchen bath dealer looking to pick up a good price vanity line that is not in the big box stores. looking for ideas
    Thanks Kim

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Since we don’t design and sell bathrooms we have very limited knowledge about vanities. Fairmont is very good but not inexpensive.

14. 

    Claire

    We are looking to add a 4 × 6 island in our kitchen and our options are Galleria Custom, Holiday Kitchens, and Waypoint. Have you ever heard of Galleria and Holiday?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   I don’t know Galleria. Holiday Kitchens is a custom line far more expensive than Waypoint. Adding an Island when one doesn’t presently exist is usually not as simple as people might believe. And if the design can fit such a large Island comfortably then the existing kitchen was not well designed. So putting a custom Island into the space probably doesn’t make a lot of sense because if the existing kitchen used such expensive cabinetry it would probably have been designed differently.

15. 

    Ryan Nadherny

    We are looking to add a 4 × 6 island in our kitchen and our options are Galleria Custom, Holiday Kitchens, and Waypoint. Have you ever heard of Galleria and Holiday? Are those 2 custom lines worth the added expense in terms of quality compared to Waypoint?

16. 

    evg

    Hi Paul, have you heard of cubitac cabinetry? http://cubitac.com What do you think? Thank you!

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   No I have heard of them but don’t know much about them. They appear to be another import with no documentation as to how they are made. They do say they will be at the Kitchen International Business show in Orlando so we will see their product in person on January 10th. I wouldn’t expect to be impressed considering the focus of their web site and it’s lack of transparency.

17. 

    Betty

    Love your blog and have been following for a couple of years. I’m looking into Crystal and Brookhaven. Any thoughts on these which to choose and why between the two? I saw Brookhaven was rated 4 in value. Also not sure if you new if Crystal had a back rail with the backside. I saw a crystal cab and it looked like just the 1/2 particle board, maybe it was old though. I thought it would be plywood. Thanks for any advice!

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Both Crystal and Brookhaven as with most higher end semi-custom cabinet lines can be ordered with inferior construction if you choose it.

   Of course why would you want to purchase relatively expensive cabinetry and not upgrade to better all plywood construction. Especially since there are now inexpensive cabinet lines that only come made with better construction.

   But less expensive companies will never have the finish and construction options available with lines like Crystal and Woodmode’s Brookhaven. Both Crystal and Brookhaven offer particularly nice options and finishes. Product wise I like them both similarly.

   As a company I like Crystal better but that is just from my experience with their reps and customer service. It always bothered me that Woodmode doesn’t even have a phone number that a customer could call and all inquiries must go through their local representatives who can take weeks to get back to you. Being sort of snooty seems to be a Woodmode company attitude that probably gets them as much business as they might lose from it. Crystal was always a much friendlier company to communicate with.

18. 

    Paul McAlary

    Unfortunately you will find out as soon as you price your kitchen that cabinets are not sold by the linear foot. That formula is a misleading one designed to compare door styles to one another but it always underestimates the cost of cabinets. It leave out many of the parts and pieces a complete kitchen needs. Sort of the way a car dealership promotes a car price that you will never pay. While getting your cabinets for under 5K is possible for a simple kitchen, the installation of the cabinets and the cabinets for that price is not. The Philadelpha area is less expensive for cabinets and installation than in Northern New Jersey. And around here the cost of a complete kitchen renovation your size including cabinets, countertops, flooring, appliances, backsplash and all the plumbing, electric, lighting, and other construction costs is always at least 20K. So you may need to adjust your overall budget. Solid Wood Cabinets, Wolf, or CNC are the lowest cost cabinets I would ever use in an expensive renovation like a kitchen. And if you can afford paying about 20% more for cabinets it is a big step up in quality to an inexpensive brand like Fabuwood.

19. 

    Concerned

    Thank you so much, Paul. You are a gem. I wish I could work with your firm. Just a couple more questions: (1) do you have a guess as to what the cost per linear foot would be for cabinets like GHI? (2) If you had about $5k to spend for cabinets including install (about 16 linear feet of uppers and 16 linear feet of lowers, which brands would you recommend?

20. 

    Paul McAlary

    We don’t work in Northern NJ but here is a link to recommended dealers closer to you.

    https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/recommended-kitchen-designers-cabinet-dealers-outside-service-area/

    Cabinets have improved a lot very recently compared to builders grade cabinetry from 15 years ago. So even very inexpensive cabinetry now could be better made than mid priced cabinetry from 15 years ago.

21. 

    Concerned

    Thank you, pmcalary. Your insight is sincerely appreciated. It doesn’t sound like these cabinets are like kind/quality to what I had before (since those were in place for 15 years without any issue), which what I am supposed to get. It also confirmed my suspicions about the cheapness of the cabinets.

    Do you do projects in Northern NJ? If not, can you recommend anyone who serves Northern NJ or the greater NYC area?

22. 

    Concerned

    Have you heard of GHI Custom Cabinets? I didn’t see them on your list. My contractor would not tell me the brand of the cabinet. I only found out after the cabinets were delivered. I am concerned because at least two of the base cabinets are cracked on the inside where the face frame meets the side frame (near the staples) and appear to be only stapled together with no glue. From my google search it appears that this is a Chinese cabinet company. Is it typical for this kind of cracking to occur?

    Note: I had builder grade particleboard cabinets before and never had any problems (a Canadian brand called Avanti, I believe). The cabinets are being replaced only because of a flooding incident caused by my upstairs neighbor’s contractor who destroyed my apartment by hitting a sprinkler pipe in my kitchen.

    One more thing: the GHI website claims that the cabinets are Carb2 compliant. Can this be believed given that they are Chinese made?

    Thank you!!

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi,
   Never heard of GHI but I looked them up. They appear to be very low cost Ready to Assemble cabinets. While they are cheap and not the best of the low cost brands, I wouldn’t worry too much about not seeing glue if they were put together in the factory and not by your contractor. The glue is possibly hidden. If it were visible that would be something customers would complain about as well. The cracks also can be covered with skins and base cabinets take less stress than wall cabinets so that is probably OK too. The drawer tracks and boxes are very cheap which would be my biggest concern. You can’t get much less expensive a line than this. In general spending about 30% more on cabinets would have gotten you a well made line still mostly produced in US factories based in Asia but with much better construction, better looking finishes, and most importantly solid wood dovetail drawer boxes and Blum soft close Hardware. All of the less expensive lines we sell would meet these minimums.

23. 

    Tyler

    What’s your opinion about Norcraft Cabinetry with 1/2″ all plywood box construction? Norcraft also makes Mid Continent, UltraCraft, StarMark, Fieldstone, Brookwood, and Urban Effects. Some of these have a good quality/value rating above and some are poor so I’m having a hard time judging the Norcraft from the other ratings. I can get these cabinets for about the same price as Schrock with more options.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Norcraft is not a great value. Their Pro line is poor quality and the Signature line is nowhere near as well made as many other less expensive lines. There are better values than Schrock to. If you want a Masterbrands cabinet Decora would be a better choice.

24. 

    pmcalary[ Post Author ]

    We would be happy to adjust the Showplace ranking if things have changed and the box now meets our criteria for a well constructed cabinet. We adjusted Starmark and Fieldstone recently when they improved their box.

    We had a request earlier from Showplace but no one from Showplace followed up with us showing cabinet specifications. The showplace web site leaves people in the dark as to how the back of the box is made and this was what concerned us all along. Feel free to email me directly at Paul@MainLineKitchenDesign.com

25. 

    Director of Marketing

    Still unclear of the rating for Showplace cabinetry being anything less than GREAT! Every product attribute described in your ratings for a great cabinet are available, if not standard, through Showplace. A couple of years ago, you did follow-up on a posting saying you didn’t realize that 1/2″ end panels were available from Showplace, but knowing they are available didn’t change the rating for Showplace.

    When compared to American-made lines you do rate highly, Showplace is a better value; in some cases, like Decora, a MUCH better value.

    You are doing a great service trying to help educate here, but with inaccuracies like those that drive the rating for Showplace lower than it should be, it calls into question the whole ranking system.

    Help us understand…obviously, this posting is coming from Showplace; we’d like to answer your concerns about our product so your ranking will become more accurate.

26. 

    Cath

    What is your opinion of Designers Choice cabinets? Looking at both painted and stained finishes for our new home. Are they comparable to any lines you have ranked in terms of quality and value?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   The Designers choice web site no longer shows or tells anything about how the cabinets are made. A sure sign that they still have nothing to brag about. Lack of transparency is also the sign of a bad company. With so many well made inexpensive cabinet lines out there I’d steer clear of this one.

27. 

    Cath

    We are being nudged to Designers Choice Cabs in order to meet budget. Earlier in the post (April) you were asked about DC and you indicated you didn’t like them. Can you elaborate please.

28. 

    Denise Boyce

    I actually took the design from an Omega cabinet catalog so it looks fabulous and not silly at all.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   A design you see in a catalog could never be transferred in a sensible way to a customers individual kitchen. The measurements would never be that similar. You need design help.

29. 

    pmcalary[ Post Author ]

    Wellborn. But when ever we see what customers are thinking design wise there are always more important decisions to make. The designs we get to see are usually terrible. Mostly because designers were following the customers directions and not being kitchen designers the customers ideas look silly and don’t function well.

30. 

    Denise Boyce

    Yes I thought it was too high also. The “extras” I’m lusting after aren’t inside like pull outs and spice racks. They are the library molding, beaded trim, furniture molding and under cabinet shelving which is often called “condiment shelf” two curved shaped brackets with a 6″ shelf perfect for the original vintage look I’m after. Can you think of a line that has multiple price points with the same finish? I’m going with a white.

31. 

    Deb

    Thank you for the comparisons. I am trying to decide between a Kraftmaid kitchen from Home Depot, which is on sale for 30% off right now, and the Deerfield preassembled cabinets sold by Cabinets.com. Even with the sale on the Kraftmaid, the Deerfield are about $3,000 cheaper for my kitchen. I had a Kraftmaid kitchen in my last house and loved it, even after 11 years. We only had one problem with the trash cabinet about 8 years in, and Kraftmaid sent us an entire new unit, no questions asked. However, the Deerfield cabinets have many, many wonderful reviews by people who have purchased them. What are your thoughts comparing these two brands? I am leaning towards a simple white shaker style, which both offer, so style is not an issue. Thanks for any info you can offer.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   While Deerfield is an OK inexpensive line it is far from the quality of Kraftmaid. I would get the better line but be careful. Home Depot sales and their inexperienced designers breed poor design and mistakes due to rushing. Personally I believe cabinet sales are unethical. Kitchen cabinet dealers should give their best price everyday and not rush their customers. Kitchens are too complicated to force people to purchase cabinetry possibly before all the bugs have been worked out of their design and the project has been organized in a professional manner.

32. 

    Denise Boyce

    I want to thank you all for the continued effort put into this blog and the professional help given freely. It’s really wonderful!
    I’m wondering whether there are manufacturers that have budget lines in the same finishes of their semi/custom lines. I have a tiny 1940’s saltbox with a tiny galley kitchen [83 sq ft] as well as a tiny budget. I have my heart set on condiment shelves and slab drawer fronts and was hoping I could get the cheaper boxes and just add some of the higher end accessories to match. I love the Fabuwood Quest Discovery but can’t find a dealer in Texas. My local showroom is steering me toward Omega or Kemper with a 20,000 and 14,000 price tag. Way too much for such a small space.
    I’d also like to know how you get a kitchen designer that’s not attached to a suppler? No one wants to even discuss my remodel due to it being so small.
    Thanks again for all you guys do.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Those sound like ridiculously high numbers if you are talking about just cabinet pricing. Don’t look for a designer look for a cabinet dealer. Never cheap out on cabinet construction as it costs very little to make cabinetry well constructed, so select a line that gives you a well built box. Rev-a-shelf sells most of the interior conveniences that cabinet companies install in their cabinets so you can purchase pull outs, spice racks, and other units on line and have them installed in any cabinet line.

33. 

    Mica

    I’m really torn between the Crystal’s beaded inset french villa square and Decora’s beaded inset Prescott, both in maple painted white. Hoping to do the island in Cherry with a darker stain. Any advice on quality between the two? Our family has 3 kids with asthma, not sure if one off gasses better too, not sure if you had info on this? Thanks so much! Love your blog and have been following extensively with cabinet researching!

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Both are good cabinet lines. As far as off gassing ask the reps if they are Carb Compliant. If both are and you want to be extra careful unbox all cabinetry carefully in the garage and wait at least 4 weeks prior to installing. That will help significantly.

34. 

    pmcalary[ Post Author ]

    It is not that I’m angry. I am telling you something that you don’t want to hear. As Picasso said “Learn the rules like a pro so that you can break them like an artist. “Thinking outside of the box” is something that the best designers know is incredibly hard to do successfully and requires many years of experience. In general the people that do it are the least qualified to.

35. 

    Sienna

    Thank you for your response.

    That is not at all what I expected to hear from you. I apologize if I angered you with my questions or plans.

    I had followed your advice given to others and went to get free designs at the showrooms prior to asking this question or looking at RTA websites. Three separate designers came up with the same solution for my kitchen and needs (I think outside the box and have designed my kitchen so that every inch is utilized while keeping it simple). I took the professionally designed plans and used them to price the kitchen on RTA website. The advice I got from one designer was to order 30″ cabinets or order a 62″ vanity and modify them to fit my 30″ ovens side by side to avoid the 5″ gap a 33″ cabinet would create. I don’t think that any of the designers I worked with were lacking creativity or were stupid or that my final kitchen design is poor.

    There are no Fabuwood or Wolf cabinet styles that suit my design needs.

    Again, thanks for taking the time to give me advice, it is just a bit difficult to swallow.

36. 

    Sienna

    Hi, I have been coming back and reading your reviews and comments for the past month. Based on your advice to others, I have gotten a quote for Kraftmaid quartersawn oak cabinets with upgraded construction. Wanting to explore more options and because we are very DIY and handy, I went online for RTA options. After long consideration and review of construction diagrams on online suppliers and observing that in terms of material thicknesses and general approach, the construction appeared to be the same as Kraftmaid and Decora displays I have seen in store. I have found a door I really like from RTA website, so I ordered samples and they just arrived… I still really like it – it is a grey eucalyptus shaker (with opaque grey stain, leaving just a bit of wood grain). Catch is… that it is Forevermark (didn’t say that on the website I ordered from). Based on your comments, Forevermark is nearly a no-no. Here is my question: considering “upgraded” level of construction on Diamond and Titanium line (seems to reflect in the pricing too), do you still feel the same about them?

    I also read what you said about ordering RTA cabinets pre-assembled and although we have that option, we would like to assemble them myself so we can hack a couple of them to fit side-by-side ovens and use wood glue, as well as save on shipping (one retailer offers these pre-assembled).

    Thanks so much for reading and your input in advance!

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Having been a general contractor for ten years and a designer for over 20 I am more than handy. And what you are attempting I would never attempt. It makes no sense to people that do this for a living. There are well made cabinet lines that will be inexpensive but RTA cabinetry is usually of poor quality and the design of your kitchen is guaranteed to be poor and it’s execution disorganized without the help of a professional. RTA companies don’t have real designers only order takers. Go one level up from RTA and get Wolf or Fabuwood shipped assembled if cost is an issue. There will be good designers to work with in these lines as well in most areas.

37. 

    paul mcalary

    Hi David,
    If your ceiling height is 99″ or very close to it you are fine. If however you have 8 foot ceilings you need 36″ high cabinets and a different designer. If he or she made this mistake there will be others possibly just as bad. And your design is most likely pretty poor even though you may not realize it. Bad designers are not capable of creating good designs and since most customers are not kitchen designers themselves they don’t realize how poor their designs are.

38. 

    David

    The customization involved in our kitchen is actually about some configuration issues, like creating cabinets that are rotated 90 degrees at the end of one run (galley kitchen) to create wine racks and bookshelves facing toward the dining room, but the designer did in fact stick in 39″ cabs, which I questioned. We plan to use a cove molding that wraps the dining room and kitchen, which measures 3.5″ vertically, and he said the gap between that cove and the cabinet would be too large, i.e. unattractive, so he went to 39″ cabs with a 3″ riser on top. I haven’t looked closely at the cabinets in the store to see how the space lays out above the cabinet doors myself, but I’m still leery of this. Thanks for bringing that up.

39. 

    David

    Hi. Great blog here. We’re replacing all of our kitchen cabinets due to the flooding here (a remodeling opportunity) here and after reading this blog visited a dealer selling Fabuwood, Wolf and some higher priced lines, and have contacted Clique. Our layout includes about 40′ of cabinets, and the designer told us that our layout requires some cabs that Fabuwood does not make. He directed us to the Wolf Designer line because of the customization we need and it’s within our budget, barely. Is this specific Wolf line a good buy? (Your Wolf rating doesn’t break down the lines.) Would there be a better alternative at that price point? Thanks

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   I think Wolf is a good buy but I don’t know the lines well. I like Fabuwood better which is why we carry it. Your designer is wrong about sizes Fabuwood won’t make. There really are no sizes they don’t make since they do custom sizes, you just have to wait 8 weeks for custom sizes.

   Possibly Wolf makes 39″ high wall cabinets standard and this is what your designer is referring to. But good designers almost never use this size wall cabinet. Your ceiling would need to be to be around 99 inches for that height cabinet to look good and make sense.

   Less experienced designers and builders use 39″ wall cabinets in 8 foot high rooms to foolishly try and maximize cabinet space. Ceilings around 96″ should use 36″ high wall cabinets and stacked crown molding to reach the ceiling. One small piece of molding on a 39″ cabinet looks cheap and since ceiling are never level it accentuates however off level your ceiling is, instead of disguising it, which the stacked molding does.

40. 

    Michael

    Hi, any thoughts on Bridgewood cabinets out of KS? It’s supposed to be a more affordable alternative to Mouser. We’re in St Louis, MO. Thanks!!!

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Michael,
   I gave them a quick check on line. All three of their lines are well constructed, but I don’t know them other than by their online specs.

41. 

    Helen

    Hello,
    Thanks for your wonderful blog. We’re in Albuquerque, NM and one of the kitchen design stores carries Debut, BJ Tidwell, Mastercraft Heritage, Kraftmaid, and Shiloh. I see your reviews for Kraftmaid and Shiloh, but do you know anything about the other 3 brands?
    Thanks so much!

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Sorry, I don’t know those lines well. We will release a more complete cabinet review list in spring of 2018. All our designers will strat working on it after the new year.

42. 

    cliff

    This was actually super helpful…..I would love your insight, we are working with a contractor and figuring out cabinets. They are suggesting Wolf the Carver model or the Woodmark Savannah. It really is scary and frustrating knowing nothing in this market about price/quality. Any help or suggestions would be GREAT. Thanks so much

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Both are fine choices. The wolf will be less expensive and not quite as nice, but both are well built.

43. 

    Wayne

    We have spoken to several designers from lows, Home Depot and a few custom kitchen shops in the area. I may be explaining it wrong but everyone agrees this is the best for her kitchen and for the look she wants. If you could give recommendations on cabinets to look into that would be appreciated. If you want to send me an email I’ll be happy to send the full measurements and the design she is currently going with so you can see everything.

44. 

    Lisa F.

    Hi Paul,

    I’m doing a small bathroom. One upper cabinet, one lower vanity base cabinet modified to 12″ deep and 24″w sink vanity. I’m waffling between Kemper and Kraftmaid, painted Shaker style. Kemper has the MDF door panel, Kraftmaid has the entire door MDF. Any thoughts on the MDF? It’s a high humidity area. Who has the better quality paint job? Thanks!

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Never heard of a MDF Kraftmaid shaker door. So it must be something new or you are mistaken. In any event we wouldn’t know, and in a bath it probably doesn’t matter.

45. 

    paul mcalary

    Sounds like everyone involved in this project is inexperienced. She should be using 36″ high wall cabinets and a stacked crown molding based on what you say. Having done several kitchens makes you as experienced as a professional kitchen designer after their first day of work. Find good design help and listen to it. Helping you here would only be empowering poor decision making.

46. 

    Wayne

    One side will have 3.5” crown the other side 2” crown, we have been to 5 different designer and had 3 measurements done plus my own. We took a lot of time and considered all input and suggestions to make sure she was getting the kitchen she wants. I have done several kitchens in my own homes and tried to help her by reflecting on mistakes I made and things I learned to consider when planing a kitchen. Thank you for any help or suggestions.

47. 

    Wayne

    1/2 the kitchen is an addition she wants 42” but the addition ceiling is not high enough, designers have told us that going 39” and adjusting the crown would be less obvious to get the look she wants. There is a support beam separating the 2 ceilings. The brands are the big concern right now as I am a experienced negotiator I will help her get the best price possible. She will be going with granite countertops and she has good quality appliances. I want to help her get the best cabinets she can at the best price. But there are so many I was hoping you could recommend a few brands that would fit all her needs. She is looking for only all wood, solid doors, dove tail, soft close, other than that she is not interested in too many fancy options. All the cabinets she needs for her design are pretty basic (other than the 39” uppers) and a 12” pantry

48. 

    Wayne

    Hi a good friend of mine is remodeling her kitchen, she wants a natural maple shaker style, uppers need to be 39”. We have viewed and priced many cabinets and it is becoming overwhelming for her. I have fabuwood in my home but they don’t do a 39” upper, we were considering waypoint but someone has been pushing her towards Mid, she also considered RTA but a few people discouraged her based on the fact they are made in China. Is there a few brands you could recommend her checking. Obviously from the brands we have checked she is looking for a good quality and a very good price. We love in CT thank you

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Melissa,
   I would first question why she needs 39″ wall cabinets. Often people mistakenly want 39″ wall cabinets when they have 95″ or 96″ ceilings. Any experienced designer knows that you never put 8 lbs of sausage in an 8 lb wrapper. Since no ones ceiling is level you need to stack molding to level the cabinets and reach the ceiling. It also looks nicer to have 36″ walls with the stacked moldings. You would only use 39″ high wall cabinets on a 99″ high ceiling and that would be an unusual ceiling height. In the spirit of Thanksgiving. It is far more likely that your friend is just a sausage suffer.

49. 

    Melissa

    Hi Paul,

    I commented on one of your threads this summer and took your reply to heart. You had mentioned that I might be better off with a semicustom line rather than Fabuwood. The kitchen company I had planned on working with sold Fabuwood and I really liked it. After reading through tons of your comments and blogs about how good you thought Kraftmaid was – when upgraded to all plywood construction (as well as Fabuwood) we ended up ordering Kraftmaid and using a different contractor than the kitchen company that sold Fabuwood. We love our contractor, he is meticulous. I upgraded to all plywood and ordered with lots of bells and whistles that Kraftmaid offered. I am very disappointed with their quality control. While I feel that yes they can make a quality product with a nice finish it is quite difficult to actually receive an entire kitchen in that nice finish. They do not seem to have any type of inspection prior to shipping the product. We have had to actually replace the first kitchen they sent us with a different color. Maybe this was partly to blame on the designer for not alerting us that the cabinet face and doors would be completely different colors, but who could actually know how drastic that difference would be without seeing an entire cabinet, and not just the door. Obviously the Home Depot store manager, customer order specialist, Kraftmaid rep and the parent Masco cabinetry had to agree that it could be replaced since their were unacceptable issues. While we no longer have issues with the drastic color differences with the new color chosen from door to cabinet face or other decorative items we do still have issues with many of the finished doors. Many need to be replaced because their work on them is very sloppy, or should never have been painted in the first place, because the wood or section was subpar. I wish I had done more research on the end user satisfaction with Kraftmaid since there are plenty of complaints out there. I’m not sure if their quality control has just gone downhill recently or if it is just hit or miss, but it seems they spend a ton of money having to replace items not made/finished correctly the first (or second/third etc) time. I thought maybe I was being too picky but my contractor assured me that I was not and he has installed many other brands of cabinetry and has not come across these issues with other brands. I wish I could say that all the problems are due to the glaze, but they are not. Yes, most of the issues we have are glaze related but they also have inconsistent paint coverage on doors, cabinet faces, sides and wood that should never have been released to be painted. A gnawed looking wood section of a glass mullion door should never have been painted. We also have cherry stained cabinets some of them have come in where some pieces are clearly not the right stain color, or it is not evenly applied. A decorative spindle which they have sent us the wrong glaze color, then the next did not have adequate paint coverage, and the third was not glazed at all – and they were always packed in a box for the color we were supposed to be getting. We have a good KM rep that has come out to the house 3x and always gets the problems replaced, but the waiting is what is very frustrating, especially when it is the same piece they can’t seem to make right several times. Sorry to rant to you, but since I noticed you have downplayed online consumer reviews to others, you may want to reconsider doing so, because the problem with quality control is very real with KM. We have been without a kitchen since mid July and I am very disappointed and upset about that.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Well I guess we determined that you needed to be in a more expensive line.
   And you are very lucky you bought your kitchen at a home center. No independent dealer would have allowed you to not understand what you had bought and then given you a free replacement kitchen because of it. When you are especially fussy you should expect any non custom cabinet line to need some replacement parts and they always take longer. Why people think buying a complex specially made cabinet order should be as simple as buying a toaster always mystifies me.

50. 

    Britt

    Thank you for your thoughts, Paul. I am currently looking further into Brighton for the inset cabinetry option. You mention with a full overlay shaker door style being able to do less than 6 Square Cabinets and getting a nice product– do you have an alternative brand you would recommend exploring that would be cheaper?