Ten bucks no one would notice it but you. When I see a lamp, unless it's a pair on each end of a sofa, I see them as they are. I never notice if the other lights match or not. If you like it, get it. I think a mixture would be great!

We have two different colors and style of cabinetry. We used different hardware on each. The painted cabinetry has ORB bin pulls and knobs. The stained alder has wooden knobs that match the cabinetry as does the island. We also have a Hoosier kitchen cabinet that has brass latches. I like that look. You can add so much personality with a small thing like hardware.

I don't think I was being brutal, I just wanted to state the technical details of why the overlays were wrong. However I see a few people disageed with me, I can assure you that I know what I am talking about when it comes to technical details of a kitchen, especially hinges. To do a full overlay with butt doors and face frame cabinets you would have to notch the frame out to 3/4" and use a frameless hinge to get the gap that you want. So as I was saying the cabinets should have been built differently(not your fault) If you cabinetmaker is buying hinges from home depot, he is not a cabinetmaker but a carpenter. No offense to any carpenters but a jack of all trades, master at none, is a pretty common theme. Yes the finish is subpar, and is probably the most difficult aspect of cabinetmaking. I know that I can spay a finish that is on par or above any factory finish. All in all the design looks good, to most people the cabinet quality and overlays would never enter their radar. As far as the finish goes, did he show you samples beforehand, I would have requested that so I could approve the color and quality. Most of these issues you have I think would be tough to fight in court because there is no documentation, however I am no expert in litigation, because my work does not lead to lawsuits. I also always try to steer people away from maple unless they are going natural with glaze, it is a very difficult wood to stain with consistency. The grain tends to show variation and looks "splotchy" Again another reason to see samples before you buy. When I hear about the horror stories on here it drives me crazy to see people paying good money for subpar work. I guess the point I am trying to make is that everyone has different expectations of quality you have to trust your judgement. To answer your question igloochic, your inset doors open with minimal gap because you cabinets use inset hinges, not facefame. You may have a concealed hinge but it is still designed to open with zero clearance, it is not designed to overlap a 1 1/2" frame, or you may have butt hinges, and obviously you can see how that would not give you an overlay on a face frame cabinet. I was not saying it was not possible to have full overlay on face frame cabinets, I was saying that it is more difficult, and I did not think this builder had that knowledge or skill.

Yes, I think that the tiny panel area is too small for any hardware to fit comfortably and, more importantly, be used comfortably. I wouldn't like aiming for a small area and run the risk of scraping my knuckles on the stiles as I rush around the kitchen trying to prepare a nutritious meal from scratch for my loving family while the kids run around screaming, yelling, fighting, blowing the toy horns, stomping, tugging at me, and did I mention fighting? YMMV. I have slightly over 2.5" of flat panel space on my shallow 5 piece drawer fronts. I would not want to go any smaller. I've seen plenty of kitchens with cup pulls mounted on the stiles, and it looks great. Of course, I can't recall any names offhand. :)