I'm ready to order the cabinets but have a huge dilemma. Help!

12 years ago

I'm ready to make a decision on the kitchen cabinets.

I've been working with two separate companies for quotes, layouts, etc. Cabinet company #1, a custom cabinet maker, has excellent quality cabinetry but cabinet color choices are limited. Cabinet company #2, a semi-custom cabinet maker, has moderate quality cabinetry but exceptional choices for cabinet colors.

The prices are comparable.

I'm comparing quality based on the samples that are in the showroom. Cabinet company #1 obviously has older samples are they still appear to be in perfect condition. (Who knows, they might repair the cabinets often.) Cabinet company #2 had a few cabinets on the showroom floor that seemed to be in bad condition.

Do I go with an excellent quality cabinet with an okay finish or a mediocre cabinet with a finish that I really like.

I thought of asking cabinet maker #1 if he could make a custom color door but he does not make sample doors, at all. Cabinet maker #2 offers a free door sample with the door style and finish of customer choice.

Help! What should I do?

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Comments (6)

User
12 years ago
A custom cabinet company that only has a few color choices is NOT a custom cabinet company. Calling themselves such would disqualify them from any consideration right there based on their misleading terminology.

I'd ask to see a few kitchens that were 5 years old or older that the second company has done, and if I didn't like how those were holding up, I'd opt for Option 3. Keep looking for a better company. It doesn't matter if you have a great design. If you can't find great cabinets to go with that design, you are NOT ready to order.
bahacca
12 years ago
Are you in love with some color choice that #1 doesn't offer?
The fact that a cabinet place has floor models that are not perfect would actually turn me off. That is their way of getting business-people being able to see in person the quality and look of the cabinets. Even if cab maker 1 is repairing/replacing to make their displays look perfect, at least it shows they CARE about their product's look and their image. I'd be more likely to go with #1 just based on this unless there was some look I HAD TO HAVE that only #2 offered. And, if this is the case, I'd find another place that also offered it to see an option 3 so I had an apples to apples comparison on exactly what I wanted. Maybe you can find another place with high quality that DOES offer the finish you want.
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remodelfla
12 years ago
Sounds like cabinet company number one orders their doors from somewhere. Otherwise, they'd be able to make you what you wanted in whatever stain/color you wanted.
summerbabies
12 years ago
I have to agree with live wire. A custom cabinet company should be able to offer many different types of wood and finishes.

Why do you feel that these are your only choices? Can you order the quality cabinets and have them finished by someone else?

I would DEFINITELY choose quality over finish. I suffered with mediocre, garbage-y, ugly, poorly constructed Merrillat cabinets for 9 years before remodeling. My new cabinets were made by a local cabinetmaker in natural cherry for LESS than I was quoted by any company. And I have 42 cabinets :-)

Perhaps you should look for a local cabinetmaker?
babushka_cat
12 years ago
agree with live oak, keep looking unless you get some good responses pretty quickly. you want both good quality construction AND good finish not either or! Trust me, a bad finish can stop a project in it's tracks - it happened to me and required a COMPLETE REBUILD of all door and drawer fronts. not to mention a major timeline delay. so hold out until you find the right company, you will be thankful you did.
aprilmack
Original Author
12 years ago
As it turns out cabinet maker #1 CAN match the staining from cabinet maker #2 for a "small upcharge." I have to find out if their idea of small is the same as my idea of small.

Oh happy day!!!

I'm ready to order the cabinets but have a huge dilemma. Help!

Comments (6)

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bahacca

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I'm ready to order the cabinets but have a huge dilemma. Help!

Comments (6)

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bahacca

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remodelfla

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aprilmackOriginal Author

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aprilmack
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