Cabinets arrived, how to negotiate the mistakes.

11 years ago

Our custom cabinets arrived yesterday and they are, on the whole quite lovely. However, there were some mistakes and I'm trying to figure out what to do, what's fair, etc.

What we've accepted:
The big one that we've decided to live with is: they arrived with painted interiors not clear maple as specified. My request is that the upcharge for this be removed from the invoice. I could not wait another 8 weeks when I've waited 3 months already.

The division of panels on the pantry cabinet is different than my architecturals and the final drawing I signed off on. Again, I'm ok with it.

What we're asking them to change/redo:
One cabinet is the wrong depth for the mud room and has to be remade. The bench tops for the mudroom arrived painted and we sent them back to be remade with stained wood as we selected. Also, the cabinets for our laundry area had pulls instead of knobs, so we sent the doors/drawers back.

The big question:
There is a peninsula in our basement that is 6'-6" and should have 4 brackets and 3 panels. This allows for three bar stools. It arrived with 3 brackets and two panels between each bracket. So, four bar stools are really tight, and if we do three bar stools, someone has to straddle the bracket. My husband is tired and says, let's just live with it, it will be hard for them to remake,costly and will draw this project out even more. I feel like we would be compromising in both form and function plus, I think we are being pretty mellow and reasonable about the other hiccups. I'd like them to remake it and have it here in 3 weeks.

What do you think? I drew 5 sheets of 24x36 architectural drawings for this project so I start to get a bit frustrated because it was all there, drawn and dimensioned. I was up all last nighting mulling this one over.

Featured Answer

raehelen

11 years ago

Oh dear. I so know what you are going through. Brings back bad memories of all the hassles we had five years ago with our cabinets and peninsula.

#1, why did you want clear maple interiors instead of painted? Has that reason changed? Waiting 8 more weeks is not really a long time if you are planning to remain living there for many years. Was the upcharge supposed to be for the clear maple or for the painted interior? I ask because if you really had your heart set on the clear maple, everytime you open the cupboards, you may feel a little twinge of regret...not worth it...IMHO

#2 Peninsula remake. If you are going to live with it, then why couldn't you have two and one bar stool? Then your 3rd guy doesn't have to straddle the bracket? If you live with it, I definitely think there should be some financial compensation. Cheaper for them than redoing it all over. However, you are under no obligation to do what is easiest for them... We also had so many mistakes and redos in our kitchen, that I started to feel bad for my kitchen company..but I put my foot down, and thankfully had my requests in writing, so they just had to keep redoing things until they were finally done right. They could not have made any money on our kitchen, in fact the company went bankrupt before everything was finished, no surprise...but it got to the point where I got really good at telling them what was unacceptable...(NOT an easy thing for me)

I hope you have not paid them 100%. Do not pay anything more until everything is completed to your satisfaction. (ask me how I know this....LOL)

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Comments (11)

User
11 years ago
If they are a true custom shop and not some place that orders the boxes and doors and then assembles them, then they should e completely mortified at these mistakes. Especially considering the level of documentation that you provided them for your choices.

Make them make it right. Period. At this point, you've been gracious about accepting the other mistakes. Mistakes that I agree are relatively minor, but mistakes that a custom shop shouldn't have made. It shows a lack of attention to detail that makes them virtually unusable to anyone.

They need to learn their lesson from these mistakes. And the only way that they will is if it costs them. Too bad. Someone needs to be in charge of quality control, and if they have to create a position at their shop that does just that, then that's their problem. Right now, their problem should be fixing the problems that they've caused you.

I repeat. Make them make it right. Period.
nycbluedevil
11 years ago
Two things. First, you say that you are ok with the painted interiors. I think it is likely that the interiors will scratch and look worn after not too long. Removal of the upcharge? Of course. Plus a discount. This is not what you ordered and it is less desirable than what you ordered, in my opinion.

On the peninsula. Why will it be costly for them to remake? Costly to whom? It was their mistake. Personally, that kind of mistake would drive me crazy. Have them redo it or give you a big discount for keeping it.
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mamadadapaige
11 years ago
at 6'6" you are allowing 19-1/2" per seated person... this is tight whether or not the brackets and panels are wrong. This amount of space would probably feel more comfortable only seating 3 people. Do you absolutely need seating for four in that spot? If not, perhaps this is a happy accident?

Maybe you could lean the panel against the wall and get the stools you'll be using and see how four chairs would feel there before asking for a change.

I'm glad they are taking care of the things you are asking them to. I would probably handle the painted interiors the same way you did although if you are also swallowing the mistake on the brackets/panel peninsula issue perhaps as nycbluedevil suggests, a discount is in order.
ArchitectMamma
Original Author
11 years ago
We planned on only 3 barstools because we couldn't make the peninsula longer and we wanted the barstools to have backs. Hence the 3 panel configuration to begin with...

They did not ask for any payment yesterday, we have only paid a deposit so far. Our kitchen has been under construction since September and we have two toddlers. This has been a very stressful time. I honestly couldn't wait for a different interior...I'm already losing my mind. I do think we will have to be more careful with this finish but it has a pretty tough finish on it so I'm not terribly worried. I was thinking of asking for a discount but I may use my leverage instead to move the schedule along which is my main beef.

I appreciate your opinions and energy. In my career, I would have been demanding a re-do but I was doing residential work with endless budgets and crazy customized shops who could deliver anything you designed. I know I need to dial back my expectations since I am not paying 50,000 for the cabinets but your perspectives are valuable!
localeater
11 years ago
You are being very gracious, a little too gracious perhaps. If the mistake had been on your end, I am unsure they would have been as understanding and forgiving.
I am all for working it out and accepting things to reduce wasted materials, resources and time. However, they should insist that you are over the moon with their work and your entire kitchen. Here is an example: when my custom cabinets were designed the plans specified to allow for a toekick heater. They did, all the spacing was lovely. They asked me for the grille to cover it. I handed it to them. They looked aghast at the ugly metal, utilitarian coverplate. They went back to the shop, made me a lovely walnut cover brought it to their spray booth as a rush, came back and installed it the next day. I never asked for it, they thought I should have, they made it and installed gratis.
This is one of the many reasons I love my cabinet maker. He will have many more jobs in my house and will be referred to everyone I know.
mamadadapaige
11 years ago
sorry archmamma... I misread your post. I would absolutely want the 3 panels and four brackets for the 3 stools (not sure why I thought it was seating for four that you wanted).
I would very much demand that this get fixed. It would drive me crazy too.
sorry this is happening and for all the stress. I hope your toddlers don't throw too many temper tantrums during this time!
kgwlisa
11 years ago
I have my M.Arch and worked for architecture firms for 5 years before taking a kitchen design job after being out of work in a down economy and I work mostly with semi-custom cabinets (although one line is a small line with a great engineer who will build anything I can draw, so it's nice). Anyway, I don't care if the budget is unlimited or $5k, if I don't get what I specified, it gets fixed. I try to be as reasonable as possible both with my customers AND the cabinet companies to find the least painful solution BUT the fact that you did not pay $50k for your cabinets doesn't mean that you are not entitled to get what you paid for! Whether you want to deal with the hassle is another thing and I think that your call on the finished interiors is a good one - it's unclear if that's an upgrade (it is on semi-custom lines) and if they are trying to charge you for an upgrade that you didn't ask for, of course I would not pay it. If it is more expensive for the clear maple interior, I would not only expect to not pay for what I did not get, but for a discount for accepting something other than what I wanted.

Anything involving layout and function and major aesthetics should be right and IMO, having a bracket dead center on a bar sized for 3 people is a big mistake that you will regret the first time someone smacks their knees on that and every time after. I would not accept it for myself and I would not accept it for a customer. I know this project has been going on a long time but you said it's in the basement - which is not the main kitchen? which is not stopping you from getting that back together? If this is a custom shop, did they send you shop drawings back for your approval or did they just go based on your drawings? I have never worked (as an architect, as part of larger overall projects) with a custom shop who did not produce their own set of shop drawings for my review and it is amazing what kind of assumptions cabinetmakers make, even given a full detailed set of drawings to go on. It's like a game of telephone or something and larger projects have taken much back and forth to make sure everyone was on the page before a stick of wood was touched.

I am way more assertive when it's someone else's stuff that is messed up though... for my stuff, I just get tired and want it overwith, so I empathize with you. And I have a 4 year old. But down the line I think you will regret taking too much of a beating from these guys.
CEFreeman
11 years ago
I think you've already made concessions. The peninsula thing will make you crazy every time you try to squeeze in there.

BTW.
If you're already losing it over this kitchen and only September? You might want to reconsider the mom thing. Toddlers are easier than adolescents any day. On 2nd thought maybe you should just let your mind go and you'll be well prepared for adolescence!

In the meanwhile, you've made enough concessions. Fix the peninsula. They're not giving you trouble over this, are they?
ArchitectMamma
Original Author
11 years ago
Kgwlisa-you hit the nail in the head about being assertive for other people. I've ripped contractors "new ones" for lesser mistakes when overseeing projects for work. Kind of makes me laugh that I even posted this!

Yes, they are going to redo the peninsula. They are working to do it quickly so we can get all the counters for the kitchen and basement area installed at once. Overall, I am happy with their willingness to fix the mistakes and so quickly.
beekeeperswife
11 years ago
I missed this earlier.

Ok good. Yes, the peninsula should be done without question.

The only good thing is you know they will make it right. They WANT you to be happy. They will not try to make you keep what you did not want.

I kind of like my painted interiors.

Cabinets arrived, how to negotiate the mistakes.

raehelen

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