I hope she realizes the quote she is sending you is for your information only. The quote is for her to pay

A quote? Meaning for you to consider replacing them? She should be handling all that, with you being oblivious to the whole process.

Is this an independent or does she have a boss somewhere? If she works for someone else, deal with them, not her.

She did a beautiful job. It's a piece of art and the history just makes it that much more special. How great to reuse that wood!

So, where are you? Can you live with the cabinets (apart from whose paying) or do you need new fronts?

I am just catching up on your thread Saida. First off, WOW on that reclaimed wood island top! Gorgeous and so so cool!

As far as the drawer fronts. I think the fair thing would be to get a quote from Cabico for what it would have cost you originally for the special order 3" fronts on all drawers like you requested, except of course the skinny top drawers.

That option should have been offered to you by the KD orginally, but it was not. Your KD, in all written correspondence, photos etc, only gave you the two options. Either all slab or all shaker with the skinny rails. (I think that neither option was made clear to you at all. Plus that second option just looks like a bad mistake imho) Yet, those were not the only two options. That was not true, because there actually was a third option available to get them the way you wanted. Why did she did not know this? I assume because she was ignorant of what this cabinet line offers. This is totally her fault.

However, let's pretend she ordered them correctly in the first place, it sounds like you would have been charged something for the upgrade. Find out what that charge would have been and minus what you already paid. That's all you should be responsible for. I cannot imagine it being a huge amount per drawer front.

No way you should pay for her ordering mistake AND the new fronts. I hope it works out because your kitchen is going to be fabulous. Keep us posted.

That island wood top is stunning. Talk about the star of the show! What are your perimeter counters going to be?

Snookums2 - well, no. The quote is for me to decide if I want to pay to have them replaced. She doesn't have a boss but works for herself. But...the place I ordered the cabinets from use her to help customers choose and design their kitchens. They highly suggested we use a kitchen designer so that we don't mess up when we place our order :|

I'm going there today and will be speaking to the manager.

barncatz - I don't know. I'm waiting to see the quote before I decide. I may just replace that one drawer that sticks out like a sore thumb. There are so many other places I'd rather spend that money :(

I'm thinking I'll wait until everything else is in and then I'll see how it all looks. Thank god, they are all down below eye level and not on the uppers. I think it's probably true that once the kitchen is finished that I will be the only one who will know (plus everyone that's been listening to me ranting...).

We're building a custom home and we are at the end stage and money is running out despite so many little things that we still need to do like grading and sodding. It seems like an awful waste of money to have them all replaced.

blfenton - We're doing Bianco Drift Caesarstone on the perimeter.

I'm hoping it looks as good as it does here :)

I agree with debunks that all you should pay for is the difference between these drawer fronts and the upgrade. Additionally if you ordered the cabinets through a store that recommended the KD then they should work with you to make it right. Bring all your documentation and speak to the owner or at least the manager of the store and NOT just a sales person or secretary.

If the store balks at the idea of you ONLY paying the upgrade for the doors let them know there is a thread on Houzz where you'd be happy to post the store and designers name and that you'd also be happy to post a yelp review. Of course don't say that upfront but only if they are refusing to help you

I can appreciate your frustration that you are not happy with the cabinets you ordered, but honestly they are the cabinets you ordered.

When you sign off on the final design and approve the quote provided by your designer that document becomes your contract, it doesn't matter what you have talked about prior. If you failed to check all aspects of that document, you can't really blame anyone but yourself.

While the designer could have communicated more clearly she did provide pictures showing exactly what the cabinets would look like and you approved them.

On a side note, the rails between drawers are meant to be taken in together, top of one drawer and bottom of the one above equals the width of stiles, or close to it. That is why they are narrower. If they did not do that, the rails would look heavy in my opinion.

I agree with you designer that the only one that really looks funny is the single large drawer because you don't get that effect.

That's a good point about them being taken in together. I feel like she should pay if she ordered something so bizarre that you never saw and isn't even standard. But, what you requested is two levels away from their standard. Try to make it work without filing a small claims case. I can guarantee the judge would have no idea what you are talking about and the evidence is in her favor. I wouldn't try to ruin someone's business because of this either or make threats on social media. I honestly feel like it was miscommunication on both parts. Let's put our pitchforks down! I know it sucks, and you didn't get what you wanted. Trust me, I get that! Just trying to see the other side.

Measure Twice Building - it's a long post but one of the main points is that Saida DID NOT get pictures showing exactly what her cabinets would look like or a document with the measurements. She received the below.

Another point was that she ASKED for larger 3-inch styles and rails and the designer did not give that to her or tell her that it was an available option, albeit an upgrade with an extra charge involved. After the fact, she told her that she could get them with all with skinny rails or not at all.

Romy718: if that is the only picture she received during the design process I would hire another designer, even Home Depot will provide elevation drawings of all cabinets.

That said, even that drawing clearly shows thinner rails than stiles on the drawer fronts.

i am not saying the designer did the best job possible, but she did her job and ultimate responsibility lies with the decision maker/homeowner, to approve the design.

Things get forgotten/ misinterpreted during the design process all the time that is why plans and specs are provided for review before final approval.

Again, I am sorry they aren't what you wanted and if it were my business i would offer some compensation to make it right. But it doesn't seem like anything short of all new fronts would satisfy you and it really wasn't your designer's responsibility to ensure the order reflected all of your needs.

Remind me Measure Twice Building to never use you because you just want to blame the buyer because you assume she should know exactly what all those numbers and pictures mean. Someone who doesn't have the experience or the knowledge the KD is supposed to have.

I still can't get my head wrapped around why someone would want a 3" rail all around a top drawer of a three drawer cabinet. At some point you have to size things to scale. Those top drawers would look ridiculous with a three inch stile. There is a reason companies generally use slab fronts as the default on shorter drawers.

I don't know the width of that glass doored wall cabinet but if it is 24" or less I would have gone with a single door with rails that wide. If not a single door than a custom sized rail at the butt that would equal 3" with them closed.

I prefer partial overlay framed cabs to frameless or full overlay but when I plan layouts (for my own home, I'm not a designer) I plan for stiles, rails etc. to be in scale with once another. Especially when two widely unequal sized cabinets share a space. That pretty basic to my way of thinking.

I also think the OP's kitchen will look just fine once completed. No one is going to come in and notice the narrower horizontal rails when all is said and done. Few people will even remember they were shaker. LOL Most people don't look beyond the function of other people's cabinetry. They view the whole ambiance of the room. In real life away from these forums the average person is simply not that kitchen obsessed.

"On a side note, the rails between drawers are meant to be taken in together, top of one drawer and bottom of the one above equals the width of stiles, or close to it. That is why they are narrower. If they did not do that, the rails would look heavy in my opinion."

Well, there are other areas where there are 3" pieces side by side, such as, the doors and pullout in this picture:

If you are going to have a theory to CYA, at least have it be consistent.

The drawers with the narrow rails don't even align with the other rails here:

The designer was too rushed and lazy to update the drawings to reflect the changes (if there were any drawings to begin with). All she did was grab a photo and point a vague arrow. What do you think is going to happen?

It's a long post & some people have either not read all the posts or don't understand. The KD told Saida that she would have thin horizontal rails on the top drawers. Saida approved that. The KD did not tell her that the lower drawers would also have thin rails. The KD states that the picture with the arrow, showing all 3 drawers with thin rails, covers her responsibility for the error.

This KD needs to take some responsibility for this, IMO. I'd also go to the builder & the cabinet company & give them a chance to resolve this. If I was the owner of Cabico or the builder, who referred the OP to this designer, I'd want to know the details of this situation.

I'm not trying to bash KD's. I had a wonderful KD & have the utmost respect for her and the KDs that share their knowledge on this forum.

edited many times for typos

"i am not saying the designer did the best job possible, but she did her
job.... "

I disagree. This designer didn't even come close to doing her job.
The problem is that a typical consumer isn't renovating a kitchen and
ordering cabinets every decade let alone every week, which is why the
cabinet company suggested using this designer. The easiest part of the
job should have been establishing the door and drawer style(s) that the
client wanted. This is from the website:

UNIQUE is what Cabico is all about. This fully customizable hand-made cabinetry gives you the complete creative freedom
to design dream-come-true projects featuring top-quality materials and
outstanding Cabico craftsmanship for long-lasting beauty and
functionality.

The designer made the statement (after the fact) that "you can't do the top drawer different; that it is an all or nothing choice." Nothing in the above statement suggests that you have a choice of "this" or "that" and there is no reason to assume that the OP could know that the designer thought there was. These are not Ikea cabinets.
I've
had Cabico cabinets, and I had three different drawer styles, so I know
without doubt that "all or nothing" is not correct.

Words, so many words...

Saida - I'm sorry you had this happen. That said, I really like what we're seeing of your kitchen and I look forward to more pictures - the Bianco Drift Caesarstone will be lovely!

Have you reached out for quotes on what it would cost to replace the drawer fronts? GW Experts - what would it cost? $40/drawer front? $50? Times... ? I like to establish scope. As mentioned, perhaps the cost can be split.

MeasureTwiceBuilding - Thank you for checking in. I was hoping someone from the other side, would.

it really wasn't your designer's responsibility to ensure the order reflected all of your needs.

If the needs were communicated, and the HO is paying an industry professional - who's responsibility should it be?????

Click to enlarge. Does this look heavy and unbalanced?

Main Line Chef's Kitchen Design · More Info

"it really wasn't your designer's responsibility to ensure the order reflected all of your needs."

Then what is the job, and the point of having, a DESIGNER ? That is one of the most ridiculous statements/excuses I have ever heard. You are describing an order taker not a designer. Salary needs to be reduced accordingly, commensurate with skills required and abilities.

Measure Twice Building: I appreciate you chiming in. However, I must respectfully disagree with you that this was the customers fault for approving the design and that the KD did her job. I do think maybe you missed a few key facts the first time you read or skimmed the thread. Maybe you should double check? ;-)

I am sure we have all skimmed long threads. I am certainly guilty. However, I think that PROS do need to be clear of the facts before giving professional advice or opinions. You are held to a higher standard. I think that's why you are getting a little backlash here.

Also, regarding this statement you made, "...and it really wasn't your designer's responsibility to ensure the order reflected all of your needs."

I was pretty confused by this as well. I am sorry, but I thought the point of hiring a kitchen designer was to ensure that the cabinets are properly ordered so that the customers' needs and desires are reflected. Pretty much the exact opposite of what you said. Care to clarify? Maybe we are misunderstanding you?

The main issue I have is that this "proof", the drawing was only shown to Saida after she questioned the KD regarding the top drawer style. She was told the two options in the drawing are the only choices. And, it's "all or nothing", either all slab or all skinny rails. Okay, so let's give her the benefit of the doubt and pretend she made three little red arrows pointing to each drawer, instead of the one vaguely placed arrow. It still doesn't excuse the fact that she said all the doors had to be the same, slab or skinny rails. That was flat out not true!

There was a third option. But for some strange reason, the KD did not offer it. Let's call it Option C) top drawer only with skinny rails, the rest 3" shaker like the door style.

If the KD just ordered this option in the first place, we would not be discussing this thread. Hello! Saida would have exactly what she thought she was getting and been thrilled to pieces right now. Instead she is probably crying. Seems like such a no brainier. I cannot come up with one good excuse why the KD did not offer this option to Saida. Did she really not know that it was readily available as an upgrade? That seems highly unlikely to me, since I see a photo that looks like it on Cabicos website. Ironically right next to the one the KD send Saida with the red arrow.

Notice the top drawer ONLY has the narrow rails with the wider styles. The bottom two drawers have equal styles and rails. They look like the doors.

I have to apologize for making the statement "she did her job." Without actually being involved I really can't make that determination.

I will defend my statement that, ultimate responsibility lies with the person approving the order. If final drawings weren't provided or explained to your satisfaction than I would say she did fall short there.

I build houses for a living and every set of plans I work off of bear the disclaimer that I, as contractor, am liable for any errors and omissions on those plans. If I don't catch a structural mistake or code violation before I start building, I pay to fix it. Not the best arrangement, in my opinion, but it's part of the responsibility I take on when I agree to do a job.

I would be surprised if the contract the original poster signed by approving the quote did not bear similar language.

While it would be nice to put the blame on the professional who should know better. If you sign a contract saying you understand and approve a particular design who is to blame?

I don't usually comment on these sort of things and didn't really intend to give my professional opinion as a builder. (Should have set up a seperate account) I am just giving personal opinion, colored by my life experience.

Measure Twice Building - It is a long post. I don't blame you if you just skimmed the thread. Those of you who joined this thread late in the game and skimmed through all the posts, let me clarify a few points for you. Here is the time line of what transpired:

1. KD asks me what door style I want. I choose the shaker door style. Not the standard 2" but the upgraded 3" because I like the thicker stiles and rails. She, by the way agrees with me that they look nicer. We then move on to other design concepts. I assume that since I have picked shaker style doors I will of course, receive matching shaker style drawer fronts. After all, the showroom shows kitchen models with shaker style doors with matching drawer fronts. It did not occur to me to ask if the drawers matched my chosen door style. I assumed that they would. Next time, if I ever plan another kitchen - I will be sure to ask this question. This time around, I didn't know that I had to ask.

2. Measue Twice Building - of course, she sent me drawings of the elevations. These drawings told me where everything went and measurements for cabinet and door sizes, etc. Ofcourse, I doubled checked a zillion times that everything would fit properly and that I was getting what I wanted. These drawings did not tell me anything about my drawer fronts.

3. During this whole process, I was looking at hundreds of pictures here, and I realized that the top drawer on shaker style drawer banks were sometimes a slab drawer and sometimes a shaker with a narrow rail. So, I call her to clarify that I actually want a shaker drawer on the narrow top drawer and not a slab drawer. I ask her what it is right now and she tells me well, "the standard is a slab drawer". I say no! I want a matching shaker drawer. She says but the rails will be narrower. I say, that's fine. I'm ok with that.

4. She then sends me those two pictures to show me what my drawers will look like. I assume that since I took the initiative to call her and since I have called to discuss my concerns about the TOP drawer of my drawer banks - that we are in fact still talking about the TOP drawer. It turns out that we are somehow now talking NOT about the top drawer but ALL the drawers.

5. In other words, she realizes at this point that I have assumed and am expecting shaker style drawers and "oops" Cabico offers slab drawers as their standard drawer front. So she takes it upon herself to now change my order to include shaker drawer fronts, and according to her she has explained to me that the standard drawer has narrow rails and 3" stiles.

Measure Twice Building - Did you get the part about how I called her to express my concerns about the TOP drawer being a slab and that I wanted the top drawer to have a shaker front like all the others????

We weren't discussing ALL the drawers. We were discussing the TOP drawers. And IF we were talking about all the drawers, now would have been a good time to say, "hey, the standard rails are narrow, but you can upgrade to 3" rails on the drawers if you want".

watchmelol, I too cannot begin to fathom why anyone would want 3" rails on the top drawer. I certainly didn't.

I'm sorry, but as a KD that orders from Cabico all the time, she should have asked me right from the start if I wanted my drawers to match my doors. I don't know Cabico's product line. She does. If that was something that I had to specify, she should have asked me to specify it.

Also, after the fact, when I called her in a panic after the fact, she did tell me that it was and all her nothing choice. Not true. I could have had narrow rails on the top drawer only and 3" rails on the 2 bigger drawers - if I had known to ask for this.

Snookums2 - love that kitchen you posted. The island is almost the same colour as mine :)

rebunky - yes, that is exactly what I was expecting...

After all that, I forgot to give an update!

I went to the company I ordered from and explained what happened. The owner agreed that it was a frustrating situation and should not have occurred.

Long story short, he has offered to foot the bill for the one drawer that looks really odd against all the 3" shaker cabinet doors.

The KD got back to me about the cost of the drawers. To replace the white perimeter drawers will cost $400. To replace all the island drawers another $654. Plus tax. Plus handling fees. Grand total $1283.

I don't see any point in fighting this any further. I really don't think it will get me anywhere. So...

I'm going to go ahead and change the 2 banks of white drawers. It will cost me about $390 with taxes, etc. And the owner is replacing that one odd drawer. The blue island is already different (colour, wood counter, etc). I figure it can have different drawers as well. The island also bothers me less than the white cabinets.

That's what I'm thinking to do. I'm going to sleep on it.

I only read the comments right after you posted so I missed the bulk of this discussion, but this is one of those things that would bother me for eternity; the wrongness would shout at me every time I walked in the kitchen.

You can correct all fronts for $1283? I'd cut the budget somewhere else if I had to.

MTB: I appreciate your response very much and commend you for 'getting it'. You sound like one of the contractor good guys... :-)

Saida, this is totally your call of course. If you don't want to make waves, I completely understand. But it seems you are afraid to ask a simple question. "What would it have cost me if you ordered it correctly in the first place?"

$1283? Maybe? I'd have no problem paying that if it was the original quote. But now? Hmmmm, somehow I am not really trusting that. Up to you.

Me? Personally? I'd rock some boats. I usually am very non-confrontational, but in certain cases I get a little mad....

Very unimpressive. It's just wrong.

Long thread, skimmed through and read the update. If you're not happy, I think they should pay for the door fronts. We have had a lot of issues in our house/kitchen, everything and I know at some point we just want to give them $$ and be done with it all! I hope you come to a resolution you find fair.

But I did want to post my cab handles! They are the Amerock Rochdale you had upthread. We love them. They are on a shaker door, biggest drawer is 36" and I don't feel like they look lost at all!

Put it all in writing and send it up the chain to the KD, the builder who referred the KD, the company that sold the cabinets & Cabico. You've got nothing to lose & just possibly, you may get a better outcome.

"You can correct all fronts for $1283? I'd cut the budget somewhere else if I had to."

Ditto this. Not to say that the OP is any way responsible for this mishap. But in such a big kitchen with all those beautiful details, it just makes more sense for everything to be consistent.

Saida, I do hope you will refer the manager of the company to this thread. Perhaps reading through it will enable him to see things from a different perspective.

perhaps (yes, i have read the entire thread) If you have the manager/owner's agreement that it shouldn't have happened, can you go back to him and say that you are willing to live with the island (more than half the cost) but you really believe that he should replace the white ones??

This is a huge error but really not that much money to correct. That this KD/company would put a customer through all this for $1300 really demonstrates how cheap they are and that they are not a good selection for projects. I would not trust them not only because they don't stand behind their work and are unable to both communicate or take responsibility for their errors, but that they would also probably be cutting corners and quality anywhere they can. At the customer's expense. Seems rather cut throat business practices to me. Their hands are deep in people's pockets. I wouldn't trust them.

Nowadays I spend most of my time on
here reading, rarely posting. And when I do I go on too long, sorry. I've read this in it's entirety as
it unfolded. Some may know I
have no interest in defending less than stellar performance by some
of my peers, nor am I the customer under all circumstances. I also
know that we rarely get the entire story. I am hesitant to jump in here but maybe something useful can be added for the future.

My thoughts- and that's all they are,
FWIW. There is plenty of responsibility to go around here. This was waiting to happen thanks to all involved.

First- I see a problem where the
designer is not writing the order, that the cabinet supplier
recommends this is beyond me. Everywhere I've ever been there is an effort to cross check everything as a team, don't see how that can be done this way.

Second-The KD is responsible to provide
clear and complete documentation to the consumer, the maker and the
installer. I often say that “I live at the bottom of the hill” …
and proceed with that in mind in all phases of a project. Mistakes,
miscommunication, faulty installation,... cost money and create bad
feelings. It is my job to prevent problems. Overall it appears that
the documentation is lacking here.

(BTW- there is NO insurance available
to dealers or KDs to cover mistakes, NONE that is a fairy tale.
Architects can get “Errors and Omissions” insurance, not us. Some
dealers will put in a small amount to cover odds and ends that come
up in the acknowledgment/order checking process; an extra stick of
molding, a finished side, etc. It is usually a small amount but I've
still outlawed the practice here.)

Third-(this section is longer because I believe it is more useful, not because I believe
there is greater blame)... the consumer, must have some
responsibility for what they sign. A kitchen is a big deal, a lot of
details, communication is hard, words can be misinterpreted in both directions (as
happened here), Remember that the KD is merely human, this should be a collaboration. Clear accurate
documentation is the only way to ensure that you get what you want.
Be a pest, it's your home, own your job.

In the end: phone calls don't count,
emails only help assign blame, but documentation avoids problems. You need to look at the documents and
ask questions until you understand them thoroughly. Assume NOTHING. The details get complicated and there is no reason to believe that just because you (or I) think it should be done a certain way the maker is going to do that. You should see what we go through to make sure what is delivered is what we and our customers expect.

Everywhere I have
ever worked clients must sign final plans at a line something
like: “I clearly understand and unconditionally accept these
drawings” Do not sign if you don't mean it.

When I look at the
documentation provided so far here, albeit incomplete- photograph with
arrow pointing down to counter (implying the whole cabinet not top
drawer IMO), and door cut- there is
nothing that would lead me to expect that what would be delivered was
anything but was received. There is no indication of drawerheads with 3" rails, just not there.

If I were checking an acknowledgment for
accuracy simply based on what is presented it would pass. Actually I'd give
it back and ask for more as we have not seen elevations or plan. That said, I absolutely agree that I would not
want to have things look this way and would bring it up but if it
were on my desk.

That the company website shows other cabinets with full rails means
nothing. Are those the same door style? were they specified that way? is
it standard? no way to tell from a photo. That there is an assumption that
the photo only applies to the top drawers, or not to the job as a
whole is a mistake. Heck, there was an initial assumption that the
job would have framed drawers but it did not. What was that
assumption based on? When the discrepancy was discovered I'd have
been pretty demanding to ensure the change was exactly what I was
after. OK I get it building is stressful so that got lost.

IF it is not shown you are not getting
it. Either you were not understood, failed to clearly indicate your
wishes, it was forgotten, lost, or you are dealing with an incompetent. No matter it MUST be shown-demand it.

I
doubt that after the change a second set of elevations was done-which
should be showing exactly what you would get in this instance. THAT
is a failure on the part of the KD. If changes are made ask for new
drawings.

For reference I
checked an old catalog. The price given above for replacing the
doors appears to be "at cost", no markup. The price for the “upgrade”
if done to begin with would have been zero. I'd say split the
baby-the cabinet seller and the OP split the combined cost of the
parts and installation of them. The cabinet seller is making the most
on the deal so can afford it, they can
work out what they will with the KD. The OP shares some
responsibility.

Please, if you get anything at all
from this-

ALL of the documentation you are
given is part of your contract, make sure it is complete and
accurately shows what you expect. Everyone gets tired at the end of a
project but take the time, demand the time, to thoroughly go over the
contract, drawings, and samples. It will take at least an hour and
likely two. If for some reason drawings need to be changed then come
back when they are re-done and do it again. Don't allow for changes done on the fly unless they are very small-that leads to mistakes. Changes lead to mistakes. If for some reason you
“break the law” and make changes after the order- do it all
again. Even if it means delaying the order, lot better than regrets or mud fights.

I get tired of saying “who you buy
from is more important than what brand you buy”

Jakuvall

Thank you Jakuvall. Through all the years have appreciated and carefully read your comments. I especially appreciate your teamwork point of view, as well as your front line advocating for your client approach.

Thanks for all that advice. I'm a little surprised about the not knowing all drawers would be slab as standard. All catalogs I have looked at show the drawer style right above the door style. Some are slab, others not. But for my own reference, should the exact door and drawer be presented in the elevation drawings that you sign off on? Did the designer cut corners by not doing elevations or presenting a document with the door AND drawer style? Or did the client just say shaker style and that was it? Putting these questions out there for everyone to learn from as well. It's odd to not actually see a picture of the door and drawer style you choose isn't it?

I question that there is no business insurance
available for errors and disputes. That contradicts things I have been told. A quick search returns business liability insurance for designers. It includes this very type of thing.

http://www.einsurance.com/business-insurance/professional-liability-insurance/architects-engineers-draftsmen/interior-designers-liability/

Eating mistakes also goes with the territory of being a business
owner. It’s not always practical or economical to file a claim.

I have heard discussions by
professionals about padding prices to account for possible errors or to avoid underestimating the work. Have read
contractors here state that as well.

High hourly rates can also be used to cover these things.

So, I'm not sure that across the board, they do not exist or go on.

When my tile guy built us a leaky shower...twice, his liability insurance did not cover the cost of him being incompetent. Unfortunately he was paid before we realized it was another bad job.

Then he was unreachable and it wasn't worth pursuing him. We sucked it up and hired a different tile man that did a fabulous job. And paid for it again.

If the original tile guy had flooded my house, then his insurance would have come into play.

I think the OP should only have to pay for half of this mess-up as well. Just to be able to make things look right and put it behind her. But, someone else has to step up to the plate and pay the other half.

I hope it works out. What a beautiful kitchen she will have.

Snookums...interesting links. It looks like the first one refers to voluntary supplemental insurance for errors and omissions whereas liability insurance is not optional. I would guess that few designers carry the supplemental policy.

Thanks markjames I think your advice is basically what I was getting at, but worded much better.

I'm new to the discussion, but I'm also with Markjames on this one. Minor miscommunications on both sides of things mean that no one is to "blame", so the person paying the bill is stuck paying the bill. I think it's interesting that I've seen a ton of postings on this forum where people post, say, a backsplash that came out not how they were expecting (offset v not offset, one wall is misaligned with another, a surprise with edge trim, etc) and the response from this group is always unanimous of "Well, what does the contract say, and if it's not in the contract you are out of luck!" The implication being that it was the poster's own fault for not putting every minutia in the contract. And I would argue that a backsplash is so much of a smaller project than a full kitchen, that it is far less of an oversight to not contract for a backsplash in writing. And i'd bet that most of us hire a tile guy without putting anything in writing at all! But everyone on this site is so quick to blame the poster for lack of putting "offset" in the backsplash contract?? But is all rushing to the support of the poster here for what was a miscommunication on all sides? I think there is a weird double standard going on.

I forget, how did the OP miscommunicate what she wanted?

Saida - If you're still reading this - Because the island is already a different colour I don't see a problem with leaving the drawers different as well. If you haven't already bought the hardware for it you could also consider buying different hardware for it as well. Make the hardware complement the perimeter cabinets but just a little different. Really set it off. Just a thought and may or may not work.

"the place I ordered the cabinets from use her to help customers choose and design their kitchens. They highly suggested we use a kitchen designer so that we don't mess up when we place our order :|"

I do hope that the manager will not be using this KD or recommending her ever again!

Saida, I'm wondering how much this 'professional designer' charges. Did she have an hourly rate? That is usually quite high.

Oh my goodness!

I haven't been on here for awhile as it's been very hectic. I have at this point moved on from the kitchen cabinets. Dwelling on it is pointless and just makes me angry. Besides I've had other things on my mind (some of you may have seen my post regarding our backsplash disaster). Also, we noticed later that we didn't have any sockets on the island despite my having specified I wanted a socket on either side of my large island. KD said she didn't have anything in her notes about sockets on the island. Really??? And what do her notes say about the code for electrical outlets on a kitchen island to pass inspection????!!! Of course, there was NO room for us to add them in. Her solution: cut two of the drawer backs to shorten them, buy new shorter soft close rails for the now shortened drawers and then add sockets behind them.

I. don't. think. so. We were left to sort that out on her own. Couldn't be bothered to deal with her anymore after that.

Anyhows. I thought I'd give a quick update. I re-ordered the white drawer fronts and decided to leave the blue island drawers as is. The new fronts just arrived today and have yet to be installed. I still don't have any hardware on the blue island. I want it to be different but haven't really had time to properly look. I'll get there eventually. I think it's a good compromise. The drawers don't bother me as much on the island and I'm pretty certain that after a few months I won't notice it at all.

Or as much ;)

The KD was worthless and a hazard. The lack of outlets on the island proves her incompetence.

I second that.

have you held money back? a basic expectation would be the design complies with current electric code requirements.