Hi Carmela. I'm sorry I can't offer any opinions about your choices.....and I apologize if I am about to complicate things, but have you looked at Shiloh cabinets? That is what we decided to go with and everyone on this forum who has used them seem very happy. The only reason I suggest looking into them (further complicating things:) is that there is ZERO upcharge for glazing, distressing, sand through etc.

I have Showplace cabs, which also appear to be mid price range (mine was a bit more than yours but I think my KD just had a high markup) and have no upcharges for glazing. I'm hoping that a KD with experience in all of these lines sees your post and can be of more help.

Picking out cabinets drove me crazy too! I think it might be helpful if you could decide which was more important the stain color or the door style. Have you already selected a floor? That might also make it easier to narrow down. Here are some pictures of the door styles and stains. I couldn't find the Decora Davenport. I've seen the Schrock Palomino color in person and it looks much nicer than the image.

Kraftmaid Rutherford

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Praline Finish
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Toffee Finish
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Toffee Finish

Medallion Valencia
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Hazelnut Finish
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Schrock Asbury in Palomino

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Schrock Asbury in Wheat
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Decora Galleria
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What Decora color are you looking at? The Galleria style is gorgeous!

Carmela, are we related? I just went through this very thing - it took me *months* to choose cabinets!!! I think I had the same concerns as you too - wanted good quality at a manageable price. I wanted shaker style rather than raised panel, not too orangey (or pinky or yellowy).

Boy, was it ever hard to find the right color! For a while I was trying to get my head around Medallion because my contractor had recommended a dealer with very good prices. Hazelnut is very orangey, IMO. I saw a sample Hazelnut kitchen at the dealer, and one of my contractor's references also had a Hazelnut kitchen. *Beautiful* but definitely orange.

Considered Kraftmaid Toffee, too. It's a much lighter color, more warm yellowy with a definite pink cast. (At least the sample door my dealer brought over when she came to measure looked very pink in my kitchen.) It's pretty, though - the Lowe's near me had a sample kitchen in Toffee. *Very* different from Medallion Hazelnut.

Kraftmaid Praline is a very nice finish. It seemed like a warm but neutral brown - darker than what I wanted, but really nice. My dealer said it's her most popular color.

Haven't seen the other cabinet brands, so can't comment. But if you don't like orange and you don't like yellow, I'm not sure Hazelnut or Toffee will work for you.

Words of advice - don't go by the pictures of the colors on the web sites - the colors often look very different!!! (Toffee on the Kraftmaid web site doesn't look *anything* like it does in person!!!) Also, the cabinet doors in the display cases look different if you take them out of the cases - something about the lighting in those cases.

Finally, if you can possibly see samples in your own home, it makes a huge difference. (I still can't believe how Toffee looked so pink!) Most cabinet brands have wood samples that you can take home. (Kraftmaid doesn't - boo on them!)

Thanks all.

The Galleria is nice I agree lsandler. We are looking at Pheasant as the color. I brought a sample home and it's not orangy or pink. I think I agree that the Medallion Hazelnut is too orangy so will skip that line as the only other color, Sesame seemed gray.
Re the Toffee for Kraftmaid, my mother has it and in her lighting it doesn't look pink, But I better check that out.
Charlikin, what did you finally select since we both wanted a neutral. I also thought Praline was a little too dark for me.
Haven't seen any local dealers selling Shiloh and I'm not sure I have the strength to pursue more options.

I am considering decora for my bathrooms, the same door! I think it has enough detail. In looking at the medallion, I think the styles are too wide. The Kraftmaid was actually very nicely detailed with the edge bead look.

I think the decora is very good quality, I have them in my kitchen now and I am VERY satisfied with the quality, though the hinges are awful!! I was told they updated the hinges on todays versions, (mine are 11 years old).
Good luck

With Toffee, it's all about the lighting, apparently. It looks very warm and golden tan in the display cabinet - I *wanted* that color! Yet the sample kitchen in Lowe's was much more yellow (with a *slight* pink cast), and in my house, it was ridiculous. There are two photos of Toffee kitchens in my Kraftmaid catalog - one looks warm golden tan gorgeous, and the other looks yellow like in Lowe's. I'm glad it looks good in your mother's kitchen - compare your lighting to hers.

I finally chose Kraftmaid Ginger Glaze (just ordered the cabinets on Monday!). I didn't really want a glaze - I thought it might be too traditional-looking and I'm going for a more contemporary/transitional kitchen. But the overall color was beautiful, very rich (if a little darker than I was originally thinking), and with the fairly simple shaker door style I'm getting, very little of the brown highlight will show (which is fine with me). Home Depot and Lowes charge a fortune for glazes (anywhere from 10-20% upcharge), but I used an independent dealer and it wasn't too bad - plus, Kraftmaid had a promotion going and I got a free upgrade to all plywood. I've also heard of promotions at the big box stores sometimes where glazes are free. I guess it's a matter of getting your timing right on ordering the cabinets (or lucking out, as I did).

I agree that Medallion Sesame looks kind of gray - people on this forum told me it looks like it's old already, and when I saw it, I had to agree. Medallion Wheat is actually quite nice, though it's so light it's practically like natural maple.

One more note: There are differences in the "shininess" of the wood finish between brands. Medallion is a much more matte finish, while Kraftmaid has a bit of sheen. Once I realized the difference, I found I liked the slight sheen better. Just another factor to consider. :-)

I have Decora's Rivington door (maple) in Wheatfield. The cabinets are really really nice (the hinges are great too, soft close comes standard). I'm not familiar with the other brands but just wanted to let you know that the Decora line is great.

Thanks all, after reading all the posts and going back to the dealers, I will go with Decora since I like the door and color best. No one seems to have any opinions on the pillow miter and at the end I think I'll just go with the simple but elegant Galleria in Pheasant. OK, time to go to the appliance forum.
By the way Charlikin, didn't realize about the sheen and will check that out. I think Decora finishes are nice and have a sheen too but you are right about the Medallion. Wheat was nice but a little too light for us.

I wouldn't rule out Medallion. I think their cabinet structure was superior to Kraftmaid. After looking at both lines, I chose the St. Andrews in Hazelnut. It is orangish, but it depends on the lighting. The Valencia is a fairly expensive doorstyle, and I thought the pillowing was just a little *too much* when I saw it in person. I too, agreed that Sesame was a little gray, but I *adored* the Sesame glaze. I went with Hazelnut because I think it coordinates with our current oak flooring a little better.

Good choice, carmela39. I love my Decora cabinets in the Yardley style, with Brandywine Expresso glaze and Teaberry.
Decora looks and feels quality. Here's pics:

Brandywine Expresso:

Teaberry: