The in-laws just had Kraftmaid installed within the last two months and they seem to be happy with them thus far. They were going to have ***** (a major name) reface them and when the sub-contractor came out to measure he told them they could have brand new cabinets for the same price (I'm sure ***** would be less than thrilled with that kind of sales pitch but it was too good to turn down). We visited them in October and I was impressed with the self-closing feature (brand new thing for me - I've really been out of it in terms of what's new in cabinetry). Of course, most (all?) of the companies have self-closing features but I've noticed that, since being back home and visiting cabinet stores, some don't seem to close/function as well as others (which could be a result of being in showrooms (?)). We had custom cabinets in the last house and the quality was terrible so in comparison, the Kraftmaid seemed well-made. I had Amish-made custom cabinets in the house before that and thought the quality of the Kraftmaid was more in keeping with those cabinets (which were built in the pre-self-closing era but were very well made). Unfortunately, Wellborn Forest is not available in California - at least not according to their website, although Wellborn appears to be available. I've always had the impression Wellborn were well-made cabinets but I don't know anyone who has owned either line. I've been somewhat leery about Schuler because they're owned by the same conglomerate that owns Medallion (Elkay) and when I googled Medallion a few weeks ago this is one of the first 10 entries that came up (and from Gardenweb): "My frustration with Medallion Cabinet Co." I haven't ever looked at Koch cabinets because even though their website indicates they're available in California, they don't list dealer names and require a phone call for more information. I'm weird in this way - but a little thing like that aggravates me. I've actually emailed a handful of cabinet companies for more information on dealers and have never heard back from any of them (apparently the economy is better than I thought). I'm curious about Big Blue. Is it a store like Home Depot or Lowe's?

Did you see that Forevermark has a gorgeous new color called lait gray? It has the painted look you seem to want. I am using it on my lower cabinets and the ice white shaker on the upper ones.

1. Don’t confuse Wellborn with Wellborn Forest. Different companies, sorta the same family, but estrangement and other issues might as well have them be strangers. KM and WB each have different levels of price and quality within their fold. If you are Comparing KM Vantage to the lesser specified WB Premiere or lower, and not their top Estate product, of course WB’s price will be lower. It isn’t a valid comparison. KM Vantage is a great mid to upper mid market line that has almost as many customizations as do some “custom” lines. WB’s Aspire frameless is a stepchild among them all, and doesnt really receive the support that it deserves. KM has no comparable frameless lines, or inset. That is KM’s market lack. WB is an odd company, and does some construction techniques differently that results in issues that they do not view as problems. They also refuse to use white oak, and only use red oak. They also penalize sellers for warranty claims or miss ships that every other company routinely assumes responsibility for and takes care of. That’s just a few among other idiosyncratic and borderline company behaviors that wouldn’t make it in a publicly held company. Because it is a family held company, they choose to create their own world. Their Estate quality is good, if you can design around their issues, but overall, I choose to not work with them due to their other issues.

Neither is all that great. If you want something OK, with a budget in mind, look at something like Diamond Vibe or Kraftmaid One. For modern, Kitchencraft.