I'm having a pretty frustrating time trying to rectify a kitchen cabinet discrepancy and could sure use some perspective. Background: we bought a cabin in West Yellowstone last Oct. and I'm trying to update the interior throughout the winter, particularly the kitchen (we live here full-time). In trying to save $$$ I elected to paint the upper kitchen cabinets, and actually quite like them. I've had a slab paid for since summer so needed just the lower cabinets before I can have the counters cut and installed. I did a lot of research trying to find the best quality cabinets for the money, and finally settled on Waypoint Living, as they have soft close doors/drawers, don't use particle board, and shipping is covered by the company. The only dealer they had nearby was Sage Kitchens in Bozeman, whom I paid $340 to come out, consult and measure. She only brought 1 sample color and wood type with her, which should have been my first red flag... Long story short (well, not really), I was talked into the sample she brought, maple cognac, which I thought was a little too red, but settled on it anyway, being anxious to get the ball rolling. I also wanted the trimmed out drawers instead of the modern flat faced ones, but the designer didn't order those (when I asked: "ohhh they just get stuff in the grooves and are more expensive, so I didn't order those...") After paying for half the cabinets in early Dec. I finally got them in Feb. due to sitting with Redmond delivery company for over a month (that's a whole other sorry situation). Low and behold, not only were the cabinets not what I had expected and looked forward to for being really red and blotchy and unlike the sample, an entire cabinet base was broken on one side; I also had a door with a significant black splooge. Here it is 3/5 and I still have not received a replacement cabinet (sitting once again with the delivery company), but did get the door replacement in the mail - which has a different finish and shade than the originals!

Please advise, as my "kitchen designer" is extremely complacent, and blows me off ("ohhh they'll look fine!"), doesn't follow up, and is just basically MIA after she got the job, which is likely too small for her to bother with (even her installer flaked on me). She did, however, finally agree to switch out the drawer fronts to the trimmed out ones, but I fear they'll be a different shade/finish too! I have included a pic of my little kitchen, pics of the cabinets I got compared to the sample, and pics of the replacement door compared to the rest of the cabinets. Please provide any feedback you think would be constructive, I'd sure appreciate it!

The doors are just out of alignment, simply adjust the hinges.

Regarding color I would say it is accurate from the photos. wood is a natural material and you cannot get consistency like you can with paint.

The blochiness bothers me more than the color match (i.e. the replacement door looks like normally stained maple to me compared to the cabinets I got, which look like they're stained to try and look like real maple, if that makes any sense) - thanks for your feedback.

I agree. I think the sample looks less blotchy because your eyes are distracted by the lines of the shaker rails/stiles, but if you look at the actual center panel, it’s the same.

The installed slab drawers are simpler, which makes it more noticeable.

I’m confused by the different cabinetry. Are all of the other lowers (sink, left of oven) being replaced? What about the black uppers? And what is the freestanding cabinet by the fireplace?

ETA: ignore the last paragraph. When I posted, only Sativa's comment above was displaying for whatever reason.

Maple wood is inherently blotchy because some part of the wood are harder than others, the grain doesn't absorb evenly.

Like Hillside mentioned, it is more noticeable because these are slab fronts.

I wish you could see the actual comparisons; pictures just don't translate what I'm trying to convey... The blotchiness I'm trying to describe is from the stain, not the grain. Only birdseye maple should be swirly, except for naturally occurring random knots in certain areas

. For example, I like the grain of the new door replacement, but not the cabinet set I got last month, which are mostly still strewn around my house until I get the replacement from the one damaged last month!

The upper black cabinets are what I painted; the new one by the stove/refer is just a small cabinet I removed to sit a new one in to see the effect (since I was trying to compliment the pine ceiling and the oak floors, which is tricky anyway). Thanks folks!

That photo shows a little better.

I wonder if they just sprayed the finish instead of hand wiping it after? Hard to say unless in person.

I might be tempted to paint them, a color that would go well with your tops. What you picked for a color, does not go with your flooring at all. It also doesnt go with your beautiful ceiling. I dont think the cabinets themselves go with your tops either, but, since you already have them, maybe find an accent color and give all the bottoms a new paint job.

Ug, you may be right. After paying over 4k for base only cabinets, thats the last thing I want to do! I still think the sample, esp. in person, was much better. Sativa may be on to something when she wondered if the manufacturer hand wiped the stain after spraying it b/c that's it looks like, subtle blotches of stain where you don't see that with the sample or the replacement door I just got... Here's the granite that I'm waiting to have installed (once I finally get all the cabinets). What do you think?

It’s wood. You get normal variations. That’s normal standard within variances. The fiddle blotching starts from how the wood is cut. It’s how standard maple looks when you try to stain it medium to dark. Especially in a budget line. The blotch can get minimized by adding more steps to the finishing process, which doesn’t happen with budget lines. You have to move to the more expensive lines with better finishes. If you wanted a pretty reddish grain pattern, cherry was the better choice.

Did you pay for it with your credit card? I would talk to the cc company if you're that unhappy and they're unwilling to help.

I would also call the owner of the store, have a nice talk with him/her and letting him/her know how unhappy you are. If you get nowhere, then let them know you'll be happy to show on social media what they consider acceptable.

Greendesigns: Haha, I've refinished furniture for years, someone should have told me that a long time ago!... oh wait, I hired a kitchen designer to make sure what I ordered would look great with all the wood I already have going on... thanks

cpartist: Thank you, this kitchen design center is owned and operated by a sole proprietor. I have tried the nice route... I like your idea of the social media angle, mostly to alert other people considering hiring her.

From what I have seen of stained maple, the slab front drawers and larger doors look just as I would expect. Hillside is correct - the same varying/mottling is present in the 5-piece doorfront, it's just not the main thing you see because the millwork detail makes it less noticeable.

I am sorry you are unhappy; but I do not see how you can proceed except leaving horrible reviews about her “design” skills and abilities, especially since the doors are being changed. After all, “I was talked into the sample she brought, maple cognac, which I thought was a little too red, but settled on it anyway, being anxious to get the ball rolling.“ There is no contractual obligation for a cabinet person or designer to have good taste, knowledge, or a good “eye.”

If your contract states a different door style, you have a beef about that; if it states slab style or slab style id #, you do not. You signed the contract for the color and the wood species. If you took this to small claims court on the basis of color and splotchiness, I do not think you would win because there is splotchiness on the sample door. I know that is not what you want to hear, but it is the reality.

I had stained maple cabinets in my previous house. Here is a picture. You can see they are blotchy:

Man, that is so disappointing. There are things a woodworker can use to help maple take stain more consistently and evenly. But it looks like this wasn't done here. It is a lot of cabinet to look at if you don't like the color.

Do you think any sort of aging or glazing treatment would help tone down the red? I hate to suggest painting new wood cabinets, if there is a way to glaze over this to make it darker, duller, or more subdued that would be my first thought.

I’m in the minority here I guess but I’ve never seen splotchy wood cabinets like that. Unevenness in color due to grain, sure but I think the cabinets look awful. I think the color is darker than the sample too. I believe there is a more complicated way to stain the cabinets to avoid blotching. If the designer were any good, she would have helped you color match a bit more. I don’t think these cabinets will blend with your new pretty stone nor your existing wood. I’m really sorry this turned out like this for you. I actually think the existing color you have on the bottom and window trim don’t look that bad.

@mandy...it really is what dark-stained maple does. Even the most skilled hand finisher, which is not what hapoens with mass produced cabs, is going to struggle with splotches with maple..it may be less noticeable than the OP has, but there will be some. Unfortunately, this sales-person did not exhibit knowledge or a good eye. I, too, wish the end result was better for the OP.

I've sold Waypoint. That's always what the Maple Cognac looks like. It's what the sample door looks like too.

It's why I prefer the Auburn Glaze, which uses the Cognac as the base. The dark glaze on top tones down the harshness of the red of the Cognac. It's still blotchy. Because it's still maple.

Rantontoo - thank you for the post, I do appreciate it. I think it’s pretty splotchy - more so than the majority of pics posted. I’m no expert but I thought there was a gel stain that worked better. Not my area if of expertise. I do think the sample door looks way way less splotchy though, so I guess I would expect that look. And live_wire may have a point, the color he posted is very pretty and maybe its the red/darker tones making the splotches look so obvious.

I hate to even suggest this when you are dealing with new cabs...but if there is a damaged door that does not have to be sent back, you could play with different gel stains from General Finishes to see if you can get a result that you can live with as far as color. I do not believe it will do anything about the splotches (might make them look worse???). I would wipe in a light coat so it basically acts like a glazing.

The first link shows dry brushing, but I got a good result toning down orange oak with a light coat rubbed in with a rag. I did not want to totally change the color...just tone down the orange.

https://generalfinishes.com/videos/how-to-gel-stain-kitchen-cabinets

https://generalfinishes.com/videos/how-to-use-gel-stains-as-an-antiquing-glaze

Yes! I that is what I thought, there are some gels that can help with the blotchy.

https://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-tips/techniques/finishing/avoid-or-fix-blotchy-stain

@mandy: The link you posted deals with wood staining before the finish coat. OP has a top finish on her cabs. I have done what I explained on finished 1980s oak cab doors, and it worked for what I wanted to accomplish...not sure how it would look on maple.

There is info towards the end re if the staining is already done.

Good evening, thank you all so much for the time you've taken to post pictures and provide your opinions - it really helps (I esp. like Mandy ;-) as it's always nice to feel validated) I was resigned to glazing/gel-staining/varnishing to get a more golden tone to the cabinets,

until I received the replacement door in the mail yesterday. Then when I saw what maple could look like from this company when properly stained, I grew very worried that I received an order made by the new guy who just got trained! All things considered, the first batch cabinets I got are uniformly blotchy, and although that bothers me more than the color, since I'm working on remedying that, you can't match or fix that kind of blotchy, or the differences in darkness. FYI, I viewed the Waypoint internet pics dozens of times, and was satisfied with that representation on maple. FYI II, I would have kept the lower cabinets, as I did the uppers, but these cabinets were already repurposed and the lowers are really funky and mismatched; I figured I could always do the uppers another time and live with them painted for now, as they were in much better shape; plus I am elongating the floating peninsula (opposite the stove, etc.) for when the slab is templated. FYI III, this is a 1400 sf cabin (to include a loft), and the kitchen can be seen right past the open-concept living room off the front entry, so whatever I do to the kitchen will be either very pleasing or very off-putting. I may sell in a year or so - this house is great for now, but is too small for my family.

That said, few minutes ago I took another picture of said door I just got yesterday and put it up against the broken cabinet that I have been experimenting on so you could see the differences in the shade and final finish (Greendesigns, am I microscoping? Does it really look fine?). Keep in mind that the lighting is artificial for nighttime, but my kitchen will see all the light of day and night... Tomorrow I will try to unearth the sink base cabinet in the garage so I can show how the two side-by-side doors, for which the one pictured was made, do not match. I don't know what to do about this, or the drawer front replacements that I have not yet received. It seems that Waypoint may be inconsistent in their "lots", and I acknowledge (now) that this is a semi-budget company, although it still seems rather expensive for what I got.

Again, thank you all very much for your thoughtful comments and have a great night!

I like your granite, although, it seems a bit busy. My main concern is that your kitchen is going to be very dark once you have finished. I think, I would try to lighten everything up a bit. and the maple color, really doesnt go well with your ceiling either. Might be time to stand back, and eye things up, and decide on a more cohesive look.

cat_ky, that is a very good point you make.

Here's another granite choice I could go with. Still on the dark side, but maybe better?

I think they are both beautiful. I think way too dark though, but, I worry more about those red maple cabinets you are wanting, that are throwing the entire kitchen off, and really go with nothing.

I'm so sorry this happened to you - so very disappointing with such a big purchase.

I would not use that granite. It's very, very busy, and you already have the "business" of the "splotchy" cabinets. With the upper cabinets being black, your kitchen is very dark. I'd use a pure white countertop - either quartz, if that is what you prefer, or my own preference, Glacier White Corian.

Hey there - have you thought about using quartzite? I have it and its wonderful - harder than granite. Beautiful depth to it. I think something cream based with linear lines would be pretty.

If you do want granite, ivory fantasy may look good

Here are some pretty quartzites that may work

taj mahal

Wow, thanks for all your ideas/pictures! Yes, these red cabinets are DEFINITELY throwing me off. I was originally thinking to tone down the red (when I saw what I got) with a golden glaze and maybe some black glazing in the recesses, then utilize a naturally colored granite to tie all the many other tones and colors together. I've always loved a clean, white countertop, but thought it would look stark and make all the color variables in my kitchen stand out even worse, but maybe no?

Kim K., you need to come to my house! Sounds like you have a wonderfully efficient kitchen. Believe it or not, I do have existing vertical storage cabinet above the fridge and love it! I have a new black granite sink, faucet and garbage disposal waiting to go in (if I can ever get that far!), as well as an 18" black s/s dishwasher that will go next to the sink instead of the old Kitchenaid in the peninsula now.

This is the last kitchen I had (in TX) before we sold and moved up North last year. Kinda makes me sick to see the contrast - I loved that kitchen!

My response was for a different post lol! You must have been thinking what the heck is she talking about?! No idea how that happened. Sorry I will delete and relocate :)

A happy accident then... I now have something else to get: a new air switch for my disposal that I knew nothing about! Thanks and have a good day :-)