What I carry and enjoy working with:

Super budget: Hard to beat J&K Cabinetry (Asian Import)

Entry level: KraftMaid One (thru Indy dealers only) or Silverline by Medallion

Middle Price: KraftMaid or Medallion Gold series

Upper Middle: Shiloh!!!

Top of line Custom: Plain & Fancy

After you do all that brand research, check into what local craftsmen can put together for you. For our last two remodels, we got much higher quality cabinetry, including doors, hardware, deep pull drawers, hand made by local people, for less than any of the brands. We wanted custom height bottom counters which meant custom height for the uppers, too to reach the ceiling and give a 19 inch work space on top.

Budget--IKEA

What many homeowners don't realize is that with MANY middle range cabinet brands (ie Semi-custom), you can do custom sizes. With both Showplace and Shiloh, if I can draw it, they can build it.

What good is it to investigate stuff that isn't in your target zone? What is your budget, and that will determine where you should be looking.

I spent too much time comparing brands, but believe the best value for my $$$ was Shiloh. Once I discovered inset, was happy Shiloh had no inset upcharge.

And I found that if I wanted Shiloh in my price range, which was not shabby, I'd have to make way too many compromises. For example, they wouldn't do a shaker door in quarter sawn oak and for me to do uppers above my regular uppers would have blown my budget.

I'm having my cabinets built by the Amish.

I'm thrilled with my Shiloh cabinets! They were able to build several custom units for me at a reasonable price. But I wanted painted, not stained.

People actually DO know their budgets. They just don't want to acknowledge them at first as a kind of defense mechanism against spending that much. And sometimes, they think they can get something for nothing. Sorry, but where you live and what you drive tells you what level your renovation will be as well. If you are a cute entry level cottage and drive a Honda FIT, you are not going to be doing Plain and Fancy cabinets. If you are in a wealthy suburb and drive the latest Mercedes convertible, you are not going to want Aristocraft.

The last car that you bought tells you exactly what your budget is, and tells you what you value in a style. A silver mid range sedan or crossover like a Camry or CRV is the popular white shaker safe resale chooser 8 out of 10. A buyer of a 3 year old used truck is gonna want to contribute DIY labor, and probably wants some wood somewhere. Etc. You think you can escape market studies. You can't.

Interesting theory. I must break the mold. I drive a Porsche, live in an upscale neighborhood and chose KraftMaid from an independent dealer. Their white painted finish beat out all the others in terms of durability- and I have been in plenty of renovated kitchens near me to see. Still looks new 3 years later.

Thanks for all the replies! I mainly want to be conversant in the different cabinet makers as we interview people. Since we will likely go with a design and build, we will probably go with whatever cabinet fits our budget and aesthetic.

Our last car was a 2016 Subaru Outback and we're in the DC suburbs. Sophie Wheeler, want to just tell me what cabinets I'll end up picking right now so I don't have to go through the hassle?! I'm not looking forward to all the decisions.

The last car that you bought tells you exactly what your budget is, and tells you what you value in a style.

Sometimes I just can't even...

I drive a Toyota Rav 4 but live in a neighborhood with Lexus, Porsche's and Beemers.

Of course I'd rather put the money into my house than into the car I drive, so while Sophie's comment is somewhat accurate, it doesn't take into account all the differences.

People actually DO know their budgets. They just don't want to acknowledge them at first as a kind of defense mechanism against spending that much. And sometimes, they think they can get something for nothing.

Disagree. When people are just starting out, they may have absolutely no idea what cabinets are going to cost. Sure, most people have an upper limit on what they can /should spend, but not most people are not able to set a budget until they've done the research and determined what they can get for their money ... and until they've set priorities for cabinets and other items in their project.

Sorry, but where you live and what you drive tells you what level your renovation will be as well.

Totally disagree. I drive a 10-year old Honda Civic. My husband drives a truck, but he is not a DIY guy. I bought a "new" top at Goodwill this morning, but few of my shoes cost less than $100. We live in a large 1970s all-brick ranch and also own a (separate) working farm. In reality, we are low-upper earners, but we spend like a low-middle family because we value saving. I suspect if you looked at various aspects of my life, you would be completely unable to "peg me" into a socio-economic group ... much less know whether I'm buying cheap-and-trendy cabinets for my current, soon-to-be-sold house or whether I'm splurging on the cabinets I really want for my retirement house.

Of course I'd rather put the money into my house than into the car I drive, so while Sophie's comment is somewhat accurate, it doesn't take into account all the differences.

Yep, my husband and I are not "car people" at all; I bought my Honda Civic new and have treated it like a baby -- but I value a paid-for, safe, reliable car more highly than a high-status vehicle. As for houses, we live where we live because 16 years ago a relative offered it to us for a good price, and it was in an excellent location -- best school district, convenient to my husband's work -- not because we love the house.

Neither of these things have anything to do with the house we're building.

A ScoobyDoo says frameless cabinets, not traditional framed, and leaning towards a more modern look with perhaps slab door if the house is non traditional enough to support that, or variant of Shaker if the house bones are more traditional. Maybe a natural cherry, with some painted accents. Durasupreme, Omega Full Access, or Brookhaven for a inside the Beltway type lawyer owned medium to upscale house. Outside the Beltway in a lower cost GS10-11 government worker older suburb, Kitchencraft, Belmont, or Cabico, if there's a dealer there. If you're into DIY, Ikea or Scherrs.

A 10 year old Civic says look past the flash to longevity and build quality. Probably splurging on a local real custom guy, if one can be found, but only after exhaustively grilling him on every detail.

Haha! Nice, Sophie. You should charge for this service :)

Yes to frameless cabinets ... and I'll add full overlay doors to that

No to modern look, no to slab doors, no to Shaker

Close on natural cherry, but I wanted something with a bit of "knot"

No to painted accents

Can't relate to the Beltway thing, but my husband's a tech-y type (Engineer) instead of a lawyer-type ... yes to older suburb for where we live now ... moving back to family farm in a rural area for the house we're building

No to the name brands

Yes to looking past flash in preference to quality

Investigated the local custom guy, but rejected him

You didn't say lots of drawers, some glass fronts, cabinets to the ceiling, splurging on hardware, no fancy pull-out for organizing.

Sophie a lot of what you post makes me shake my head but this is over the top. You assume quite a bit. I actually drive a Honda Fit and spent more on our cabinets than I did on the car. I didn't consider IKEA for a second and I searched and searched until I stumbled across an local custom cabinet business. You have mentioned that you have been in the industry for years. Maybe in your working years the above was true but the children of baby boomers are a whole lot different than their parents. We live in an amazing neighborhood because we know it will hold its value and has the best schools. We put money into things that will appreciate and secure our future.... not depreciate like a car.

My husband thought we could redo our kitchen for 20K. Even I knew that was crazy but was not willing to spend 50K. We completely redid our master bath, kitchen and closet for around 60K with beautiful materials and our contractor is amazing. It is all about waiting to find the quality you want in materials and workmanship for a price you can stomach. Of course that price went up once we realized what things actually cost! (Hence the original poster's question)

Sophie Wheeler, this is the best parlor game ever for those of us who are kitchen obsessed :-)

Thank you for the new perspective I am really enjoying.

If you tell me if you own horses, I can tell you what cabinets you'll buy.

Answer: Ikea, you fool. Your horse needs a new flysheet!

I've also heard that men are like automobiles. That Porsche is gorgeous and SO exciting, but the maintenance will be VERY high. That Taurus sedan is functional and ordinary and will never stand out in a crowd. A Suburban is highly functional and will last forever if maintained.

I married a Suburban.

I agree with Sophie but only about taste level. I drive an Audi Q5 - I lease it as I can't afford to buy one. But my kitchen was very low budget. I went for simple and timeless plus I used much of what I already had. I was able to get the "Audi" taste level/design, but the bargain basement budget.

This conversation is great! I love all of the insight into our consumer-minds. We interviewed local custom cabinet builders and shopped around at cabinet stores. In the end, we went with a local cabinet shop who offered Crystal Cabinets and we are very happy. We went with white shaker because I've always loved that look. I grew up near a Shaker village (N.H.) and fell in love with the aesthetic of the clean simple design that their village used. I also drive a 12 year old Honda sedan, since we are talking about cars.

Good luck with your remodel. It's a journey! You will get lots of advice here and some very talented people lend their time to this board.

So, our latest vehicle purchase was a 10-passenger van. What kind of kitchen will we end up with? :) Hopefully, it will be more along the lines of what I like, since my husband likes very different styles than I do.

Good look with your research! It can be daunting, but you'll get there.

Considering the fact that both our cars are Huyndai and one is 14 yrs old, we're slum material. I think the only way we can go lower is Yugo.

The lowest brand that our neighbors drive is a BMW. Most drive Hummers, Jags, Porsche or Mercedes and will only keep them for 3 yrs max.

I happen to consider cars to be a depreciating asset. My client who's worth $125M would be considered homeless as his car is a beat up 25 yrs old wreck and he does look homeless.

I don't think what the OP is asking is out of line. However, real dollar range would have been more helpful to him/her. I had a budget and told the designer what it is but they still quoted me 3x over what the total budget is just for cabinets.

For the OP, Shiloh was quoted to me at $65k bare bones. Custom is between $45-70K for basically IKEA frames and custom doors bare bones. Install is on top.

I ended up with IKEA and self built cabinets. Everything in the kitchen is from Restore, scraps, Craigslist and EBay but the entire project will still cost me $125k. Our labor here is very high plus extra costs for things required by the city.

Plumbing alone was almost $25k. Flooring is at $8.35/SF for labor.

You have to factor in all the trade labor and unknown costs to your project. One clamp that the inspector was unfamiliar with cost me an extra $800 in plumber's time to provide required documentation over a week which includes multiple calls and emails to the manufacturer and plumbing association. I should have had him rip it out and use a cheaper clamp.

A design/build firm may be a better choice if you have a fixed budget. I became my own GC after firing the third one.

The cost savings came from materials purchased, not labor. For example, I got a full 9' slab of quartzite for $216 but my labor for install will be around $1400. Some quotes were up to $4000 for install. Full retail purchase would have been over $8000.

You also need to get multiple quotes on labor. For example, I negotiated with my fabricator to charge based on complexity. A backsplash is less than a counter with edging. His cost was $25/SF vs. $45/SF. Others charge $45/SF plus $10-30SF for anything extra like miter edge.

OP, one thing to think about ahead of browsing a zillion cabinet lines is whether you prefer framed, frameless, or inset cabinets. That cuts it down some. If you love inset, realize that it will be more expensive by a noticeable amount. Framed and frameless cabinets are both fine choices, but they are different. You can google "framed vs frameless site:gardenweb.com" and get lots of discussion on that subject including why you'd want one or the other.

Categorize me, please, and tell me what to buy. I just totalled my 2014 Qx70 Infiniti and couldn't decide between a BMW or a Lexus. I eventually chose the Lexus because my husband drives a 13 year old Toyota Highlander and because that thing will not be killed by conventional means, I determined that the Lexus is a better car. Beneath the bells and whistles, it's a dependable Toyota. Plus it had a red interior instead of "oyster." So we've learned I like nice cars and he doesn't care what he drives.

We live in Westchester County, NY in a very well built 90s neighborhood. The old Toyota looks very out of place. But we're building a lake house downstate in the fingerlakes area. Lots of farmland, vineyards, barns and cows in the area. The lot was $300,000. We now have a (real) architect and a building engineer changing our plans. We're into this firm $15,000 so far. I've looked at Shiloh, Candlelight,. Medallion lines, fieldstone, Showplace, Homecrest. Planning to get to Plain and Fancy and many others. I won't go to the Amish because of the puppy mills and anyway I thought factory finished are better?

What should I do now?

None of what you looked at so far is quite your level if you'd pick a Lexus over a Toyota. Plain and Fancy, Rutt, Omega, with the edge towards P&F if you want painted, and Omega if you want stained. Omega's line of 1" doors and faceframes are especially solid and satisfying though. Or, you could mix Dynasty by Omega (the Toyota) with select pieces of Omega (Lexus), and only pay the upcharge for the special pieces better done in Omega. Best of both worlds for quality and value.

In the DC-area, you will have a lot of choices -- from the very budget friendly and highly regarded in many circles IKEA to the highest end cabinetmakers as well as local custom cabinetmakers. It's tough to give you a rundown of all the various cabinet lines. (BTW...I also live in the DC area.)

In general, I think semi-custom is probably a good option -- not cheap but not horrendously expensive. You will have many, many options in a semi-custom line, including unusual sizes to fit your space, if needed, as well as better finishes, etc.

If this is a lower-end budget Kitchen, then "stock" lines or IKEA are probably best. Both offer set sizes -- usually in increments of 3" only, and sometimes not all increments -- and limited options. However, IKEA offers many higher-end options as standard that many stock lines do not offer or offer only as an upgrade (e.g., soft-close drawers).

Ready-To-Assemble (RTA) cabinets can be a good option if you are planning to assemble and install your cabinets yourself (or your contractor is willing to assemble them). Most are probably b/w stock and semi-custom in value. Some are as good as most semi-custom.

I would avoid "builder grade" at all costs -- they are usually the lowest line a cabinetmaker makes and are generally of low quality. This is the build quality that you find in most big builders around the DC area -- Ryan, Ryland, Toll Brothers, etc. Most likely this will not be a problem for you as Design/Build firms usually don't offer that low a grade of cabinetry.

Be careful of local custom cabinetmakers -- "local custom cabinetmaker" is often thrown around here with the implication that they are superior to the various cabinet manufacturers. They may be, but there is no guarantee. "Local custom cabinetmaker" does not necessarily equate to "high quality" or "low cost". There are many very good custom cabinetmakers out there, but there are many not-so-good ones as well. Just b/c someone is a "custom cabinetmaker" does not make him/her a good cabinetmaker. (Note that you are often limited in what the custom cabinetmaker is used to doing -- if you stray from his/her "comfort zone", you may not get the best s/he can do.)

And, it's not just their skill at cabinetry...how are their business skills? (However, since you're going the Design/Build firm route, you will most likely not need to worry about business skills and similar as the firm will be responsible for that relationship, assuming they offer local custom cabinetmakers.)

In our case, we used Omega's semi-custom Dynasty along with some of Omega's Custom line, now called Omega Pinnacle. We used Custom when either the semi-custom line did not carry something or it cost less to use Custom than to upgrade/modify the semi-custom. (Many of the Omega Dynasty doors & finishes are offered in both their semi-custom and custom lines -- very useful!)

Finally, I will warn you that this area is rife with contractors that assess what they think you can afford based on where you live, the car you drive, etc., and charge you accordingly. [Yes, Sophie has a point about cars! However, keep in mind that the people who frequent GW Kitchens are not typical -- we probably defy many of the cues contractors, etc., use to determine what they think we can afford or even what they think we want.]

As Buehl pointed out, you will be charged for what people think you can afford or what you're told you should pay based on your perceived social status. It's what my husband calls a city discount.

They mostly depend on ignorance and laziness of the homeowner. For example, my neighbors all paid $75,000 18 yrs ago just for the watering system in their gardens and they were thrilled because everyone was being charged the same amount. I refused to pay $250k for landscaping just because someone think I can afford it.

I paid $2500 because I gave my other home address for contact that was in a different city THREE miles away. That was already an $800 bump for extra driving for the crew once the owner knew the address. He actually tried to bump it to $25,000. He couldn't adequately explain why his bid went up 12x just because of three miles.

I would recommend that you focus on what you can afford or the value that you assign to looking good to other people. Use a real dollar amount to set your budget and shop from there.

Unfortunately I don't have anything to add to this discussion regarding the original question. However this thread is a hoot. And on another unrelated note, As a permanent resident of the Finger Lakes, welcome Lisa! I hope you have had the chance to enjoy some of the wonderful parts our area has to offer.

The car thing is funny. I live in a high cost of living area. When the house across the street was for sale. The new potential owners always came by in their Kia minivan. The day they moved in they brought the 2 Bentleys over. Obviously they wanted to appear more frugal as buyers ... as owners they then proceeded to gut the house and remodel.

Don't be too quick to judge a book by its cover!

I probably send out a bunch of mixed signals. Currently driving a Hyundai Santa Fe, pre-owned. Previous car, Subaru Forrester, gave up the ghost alas at 184K miles. Unfortunately with my back, SUVs are the only comfortable vehicles. House: quartz counters, IKEA sleeper sofa. Cabinets, custom, but competitive price with standard big box cabs. Currently live in southwestern CT. Moving to rural MA. Clothing: whatever fits comfortably, I have no concept of style when it comes to garb. At any rate, i do high end very selectively, when I think something may call for it. So I would want to know price ranges.

Here here Chispa! I am going back to the original question...I have a couple of things to share about our recent cabinet purchase after researching for Countless HOURS....Our home in CT ..we have custom. It was a new build and they were pretty close in price to other options. Our home in the Panhandle 30 years later...I researched ALL RTA, big box stores, semi and custom. We ended up with Shenandoah and so far so good. Lowe's screwed everything up on the order... pushing the delivery back....and I called Shenandoah customer service explaining I had paid for my husband an 2 brother's flights to install ...and I would also be back in CT on delivery date (meaning they would not leave cabinets and we would have a hefty restocking fee:(........Shenandoah fixed it....They have been WONDERFUL. Our kitchen is not large but we have 10 ft ceilings and went to top. Most estimates were 14,000+. I went back and forth with Lowe's and the rep from Shenandoh and a 13,000 original quote..we ended up after a 10% rebate Lowe's card paying 8,000. We still have all of the details and trim to finish. Many may bash going with Lowe's or Shenandoah. I can only share our experience. We will always do DIY because we Love too. Other's hate it and that is fine too. Final thought: I drive a jeep with the top down BECAUSE my Golden and chihuahua LOVE it and it's FUN! Haha and looking at this pic just told my husband his idea to do different levels on the cabinets looks horrible :( so we

now have another DIY in September:)

I agree that semi-custom is the way to go. They really are "custom" cabinets as they are built to your order - they're not just pulled off the shelf in the warehouse. They can build pretty much any size one wants. There are a few limitations, but really very few. I went with Shiloh for multiple reasons. First of all, the dealer who sells them was the only one to give me the time of day - Amish and local cabinet makers were no-shows. Second, there is no up-charge for inset and I very much wanted inset Shaker cabinets. I also wanted painted cabinets. I agonized over factory finish and having a painter do it and went with factory. I'm very glad I did - painter not only would have charged a fortune, he fell off a ladder and would never have gotten them done anyway. There was NOTHING I wanted from Shiloh that I couldn't get! NOTHING! The dealer makes a huge difference. I'm lucky that the owner couldn't be nicer and more honest and agreeable. We worked very well together, and as other GW members know, I'm picky and I don't suffer fools gladly. I give him and Shiloh highest marks.

How are Fieldstone cabinets? My kitchen designer carries them wanted to know peoples opinions about them. Looking at the white shaker's from them.

I hope it's alright for me to jump in with a question about cabinet brands while we are on this subject.

My new to me kitchen is filled with Wood Mode cabinets. It's a gorgeous kitchen. However, the kitchen designer, with 30 years of experience installing Wood Mode cabinets, filed to give me any drawers! There are many things I do not like about how the kitchen was laid out- none of them specific to Wood Mode- it was a very lazy kitchen designer who put in zero work that I can see- at any rate- I will be doing the cabinets over- should I stick with Wood Mode- they are very nice looking and seem sturdy or go with Crown Point. My cabinets are white (I ask only because I someone said CP has the best painted finish.)

The last car we bought was a 2007 BMW 335i. My daily driver is a 2011 Nissan LEAF. We live in a small city in the Midwest in a neighborhood built in the 1960s.

We bought big box cabinets (Schrock at Menards) and installed them ourselves. We might have gone to IKEA for cabinets if it wasn't 3 hours away. We did get IKEA pulls.

For me, buying cabinets was not an easy process. I didn't shop around for cabinets like I probably should have. I didn't realize that different finishes have vastly different costs until we got a quote. We got espresso stained cabinets because white painted cabinets were 20% more! I was expecting painted cabinets to cost less than stained, since that's how trim is priced. We also downgraded our initial door selection to slightly thinner rails/stiles to save another almost 20% - thank you to the kitchen man at Menard's! I don't know if I got what I paid for, but my new cabinets do seem sturdier and nicer than the 90's Merrilat cabinets that we replaced. We spent about $7k on our cabinets before the 11% rebate, and according to the IKEA planner, roughly the same cabinet layout from IKEA would have cost at least $5136, so I don't think I got fleeced.

I just found this comparison of several cabinet lines that I think could be a useful starting point for OP.

Erin, thanks, that was a great website. The list comparing price to quality was very useful.

Why would they rate Shiloh a C along with Aristokraft and Merillat. Shiloh is standard plywood. It's an awesome value! Shiloh is very highly rated amongst Gardenwebbers too!

Ugh, I was hoping the ratings were somewhat reliable. Back to the drawing board for me. I think I'll just re-order what is already in the kitchen.

On the website I linked, it appears the letter grades can't be compared directly between cabinets of different price ranges. So, Shiloh is average for the 3/6 price point, based on specs for as upgraded as it can get. If there are fewer upgrades available than for other price level 3 cabinet lines, Shiloh will get a lower Quality grade, even though Shiloh is presumably of higher quality than any price level 2 cabinet line. In the comments it also says they may have been a little hard on Shiloh.

Thanks for that comparison- it's nice to have all the brands listed together in one place for easy reference. I will bookmark that for future projects and to refer to friends.

I think there is a much better list on GW somewhere.

Do not agree with that comparison list at all. Home Advisor lists them as in business since 2010, so perhaps they have only 7 years experience.

@Lisa Gaylor - you need to look into Candlelight cabinetry - a beautiful cabinet well made and well priced - built in Lockport NY... you will love them!

@ jackiep9 - if you go with a design and build firm they usually have a kitchen designer/showroom/shop they deal with... before making your head spin with dozens of cabinet companies, I would settle on a builder first. Some builders want you to only work with their teams and others are more flexible. There are many many wonderful cabinet lines out there in many different price ranges. Once you have that narrowed down and have an assortment of options, let us know and we will all chime in!.

Good luck!

I actually drive a Honda Fit and spent more on our cabinets than I did on the car.

I hadn't considered it in those terms, but -- yes -- I will spend more on my cabinets than I did on my car.

I've also heard that men are like automobiles. That Porsche is
gorgeous and SO exciting, but the maintenance will be VERY high. That
Taurus sedan is functional and ordinary and will never stand out in a
crowd. A Suburban is highly functional and will last forever if
maintained.

I married a Suburban.

I think my husband is a Jeep or a good, solid truck. He's solid as a rock, highly functional, can stand a little abuse, and will last a lifetime. Incidentally, that's one of our goals for the next two years: Buy him a Jeep as we head into retirement, a very real possibility being that he will never buy another vehicle.

I drive an Audi Q5 - I lease it as I can't afford to buy one.

You bring up a good point: A lot of people are leasing cars they couldn't afford to buy ... others are making payments that are probably beyond what's wise for their incomes. So how does this "game" work for those people? A person might have "Lexus taste" but a "Ford budget".

In general, I think semi-custom is probably a good option -- not cheap
but not horrendously expensive. You will have many, many options in a
semi-custom line, including unusual sizes to fit your space, if needed,
as well as better finishes, etc.

I agree with you. I started with the idea that I'd go with Custom. My current cabinets are Custom, and they're pushing 50 years old. They really did last well for a lot of years. However, as I've become better informed, I've realized that Semi-Custom will give me 95% of what I wanted ... for not too much over half the price.

My agreement with my husband: I'm allowed anything I want in this house, but I have to be sure it's good value.

I probably send out a bunch of mixed signals. Currently driving a
Hyundai Santa Fe, pre-owned. Previous car, Subaru Forrester, gave up the
ghost alas at 184K miles. Unfortunately with my back, SUVs are the only
comfortable vehicles. House: quartz counters, IKEA sleeper sofa.
Cabinets, custom, but competitive price with standard big box cabs.
Currently live in southwestern CT. Moving to rural MA. Clothing:
whatever fits comfortably, I have no concept of style when it comes to
garb. At any rate, i do high end very selectively, when I think
something may call for it. So I would want to know price ranges.

We are the same person.