I don't know how much help this is....but here's my 2 cents. I would think that any painted cabinet is going to need to be repainted anyway in about 10 yrs. or so (not sure about this because I've never had painted cabinets). But I would suggest going with the cabinets you really like, and cross that bridge of yellowing when (if) you come to it. We've had oil painted woodwork (doors and trim) in our house for many years, and it hasn't yellowed, at least not such that I can tell. Good luck with your decision!

Sugar,
I thought the Schuler White Icing was one of the prettiest cabinet whites I have ever seen. I thought the KraftMaid was just ok, but it could be because I had a door preference. Do you have a preference as to door style with either company?
Sorrt I can give you no input about paint, but do suggest you post at the paint forum, they really know their paint over there!

Sugar cookie,
My Kraftmaid cabinets in Garrison door style and Canvas color are being installed right now. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the color. It is off white, though. Can't speak too much about comparing the quality except to say my husband is helping the installer, and he is pleased. Certainly Kompy knows a lot more about this, but just thought I'd throw my 2 cents out there for you.
good luck!
joan

Thank you all for posting!

fiddleddd: thank you for the encouragement and the feedback on your woodwork and trim. It's reassuring. :)

blondie: yes, the finish of the white icing seems very nice! In my kitchen lighting, the two colors are fairly similar, but it's the finish that is different. Posting was a little scary for me, but it's a good suggestion to try over in the paint forum.

kompy: you are so wonderful for posting! I've googled all your gardenweb posts on cabinets, and read them several times! My eyes regularly fall out of my head, lol. I'm just choosing the very common shaker-esque (your word!) Potter's Mill in the Medallion. I'm not sure what the KraftMaid name is, but at Lowes's it's Mapleton Square. The Central Park West you suggested in one thread is really nice, but I think it will be too expensive. I wish I lived near you to place my order!

joan2121: I'm so glad you love your cabinets! That's what I'd like to do, too! Light in the kitchen makes a big difference, so I'm sure the Canvas looks great. I ordered the sample thinking it would be off white as well, but it is much darker in my kitchen. Enjoy your kitchen, and thanks for the encouragement.

I'm going to stick it out and keep pricing the Medallion. I'm not much of a shopper, but I'll try. Thanks so much everyone. :)

I hate to go OT here, but what exactly is the difference between Medallion and Schuler? I figured I'd ask since you have Kompy's attention!

Medallion is for independent kitchen dealerships (like me) and Schuler is for the box stores (ie. Lowes, Menards). They are the same thing, just different names.

Kompy, I remember you from years ago! Do you sell other lines of cabinets? The house I built a few tears ago, we had Schuler, from Lowes and they were beautiful. The builder though we paid a LOT more for them. Now I'm looking at inset cabinets for my new kitchen, and see that Schuler/Medallion now offers them..? Do you know how they compare to Brookhaven (wood-mode) line?

Hi Tink! I've been coming here a LONG time. I don't remember the exact year, but definitely sometime in the 90's! I remember doing a "Netscape Search" (if that doesn't date me!!!) on how to take care of a raw butcherblock top...instead of a sealant. But anyway....

Yes, I sell other lines (from low to high): United Series by Legacy, Debut by Legacy, KraftMaid, Showplace Wood Products, Medallion, Holiday Kitchens and Plain & Fancy.

Most builders wouldn't have allowances high enough to have a nice Medallion kitchen. At least that's true in my neck of the woods. So, I believe that your builder thought you paid a LOT more for the cabinets...you probably did. But, you won't have to spend the money to replace them in 12 to 15 years either. Most builder grade cabinets don't look nearly as good after that amount of time.

When Medallion first came out with inset, we laughed. The price was SO high, it wasn't that much more for Plain & Fancy cabinetry!!! So, we didn't even bother getting brochures or displays. Since then, Medallion must have figured out they were too high and have since lowered their prices on inset. A while back they had a promo that really brought down their inset prices. I almost ordered a built in entertainment center for my home....that's how great it was.

If you have a Showplace dealer in your area, you should check them out. Nice looking cabinet and less money than Medallion inset! But price out both just to be sure. And if you have a P&F dealer, give them a shot too! Their painted finishes are incredible!!!

I would say that Brookhaven would be in the Medallion price range. Both are upper end semi-custom cabinetry. KraftMaid is middle of road semi-custom....while Debut is lower end semi-custom!

I went to a showroom today to look at an inset kitchen, it was medallion. I wasn't impressed because there were gaps between the door and the frame. I could see right through, the shelves showed from the outside!!! Help!!! Is this normal?????

@kompy this is an old post, but Im wondering if you or anyone else might know a paint color match for the Medallion icing cabinet? I love its creamy white color!!