I did an IKEA kitchen last summer (from midcoast Maine). We rented a honking big pickup and picked the cabinets up in one day. Putting the cabinets together got easier with every cabinet.

We used a pantry cabinet and wall oven cabinet with drawers, 2 12" pullouts by the cooktop and remainder all drawers. You might need think outside the box a bit to accommodate IKEA cabinet sizes, but it can be done. Our cabinets came to $2900, the total for all but flooring and electrical was $7225. The countertop at $3100, was more than the cabinets! I would do another IKEA kitchen (and hope I get to) in a heartbeat.

My kitchen reveal

Stay away from cheap imports. Cliq is a not so cheap import.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5647040/white-shaker-battle-ikea-vs-the-rest-of-the-cabinet-world

For the midwesterners, I kind of appreciated Menard's semi-custom Cardell Designer collection line. https://www.cardell.com/products/cardell-designer-collection/ It is another Masco brand, who also does Kraftmaid for the other box stores as well as Merillat among others (Masco also owns Delta faucets, etc). Menard's promotions tend to be a bit more favorable than the other box stores and their cabinet displays pretty much dwarf the displays of all the other stores in my area. That makes it easier to see more styles, colors, and to kick the tires a bit. Obviously, it is not an in-stock take it home deal and depending on what you choose, it may not be cheap either. However, certain options can be quite inexpensive as well.

The thing about Menard's is that they don't have "designers" to really help you plan stuff out. You need to plan yourself and know what it is you need. However, you can walk right in and you can talk to anyone in the cabinet area at any time and they can sit with you and quote whatever it is you want on the spot. At the Lowe's in my area, you have to set up an appointment with one of their cabinet sales people at a time convenient for them. If you ask any other associate for pricing or details on their semi-custom, they can't tell you anything. For the true DIYer that knows their stuff, Menard's has one of the easiest and least intimidating processes I have seen. If you do need more detailed help, though, you may want to look elsewhere.

Menard's doesn't offer installation. They can give you a list of contractor's but it's up to you to make arrangements if you don't want to do it yourself.

Beautiful job mabel! Did you decorate yourself?

I have also used Ikea...I like the fact that they have a 25 year warranty plus, since the basic boxes are all the same (diff sizes, but basically the same), if one gets damaged, you can just switch that one out.

My dad and I did their small kitchen ourselves. Easy.

What a pretty kitchen area you have, Mabel! That blue is wonderful...so refreshing!

This looks so nice and the price tag is fantastic. Good job!

We were very happy with A Home Depot shaker style cabinet line. Not the stuff that's on the shelf - it's special order and fairly limited sizes but at the time we did our entire kitchen for around $2500 for cabinets alone. The doors are real hardwood. The boxes are particle board with paper and melamine covering. We've had them for 3 years and I've had to re-attach some drawer fronts but other than that, they've been great.

J&K are a great bang for your buck if you want something nicer (and WAY sturdier) than off the shelf particleboard cabinets at the box stores We have put them in new homes that range from $90k to $900k. They are great for new homeowners, flippers, renters,garages, basements, mudrooms...etc. And still make a very nice looking kitchen.

Here is a basement bathroom in a higher end home in my area. This home is valued at over $900k on zillow right now....sold for $850k in 2017. This is Java Coffee Maple.

Model Home: Rustic Timber Framed · More Info

Also anyone skeptical on this brands quality need to watch this video on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvmIjEMwywA

Thanks, pennydesign We did everything ourselves except the electric and flooring.

I had not ever heard of J&K cabinets, thanks The Kitchen Place!

I have read good things about Conestoga RTA cabinets, as well as Barker Cabinets.

I had mine made by a local cabinet company at a moderate cost -- but more than Ikea for sure.

Cards on the table people. J&K is a Chinese import. And you both sell it. That is not exactly a completely unbiased recommendation. It is very close to SPAM, if not over the line into shilling.

Green Design - I sell J&K cabinets because they're high quality RTA cabinets & the clients like them. If clients want something else or custom, I accommodate the clients preferences.

Your assumptions shows your generalizations. Generalizations are often bias.

Not everything made in China is junk. Your computer or phone you typed your comments with are probably made in China.

There is good & bad products that are manufactured in China. There are good cabinets made in China and there is bad, too.

Companies who have things made in China can pay a manufacture to build high quality products. Unfortunately, the companies always push ways to lower costs. Fortunately some companies insist on higher quality and pay more for the manufacturing.

It is unfair & misleading to say all cabinets from China are junk, it simply is not true.

There are good & bad in every country.

Generalizations are often bias.

Not everyone can afford locally harvested wood and custom cabinets.

China does manufacture some high quality RTA cabinets with thick plywood construction boxes, soft close, with solid wood or MDF doors available. There are also cabinets that surpass CARB2 standards. CARB 2 Compliant cabinets, which are manufactured with premium quality plywood that meets the California formaldehyde emission standards for indoor air quality.

Consumers should do full research on the quality of the cabinets and see them in person before investing into a cabinet purchase.

Thomasville (comes assembled) & Scherr Cabinets (RTA) are 2 other quality cabinets to consider.

Thomasville is not RTA. It’s Depot’s name for Kemper/Diamond/Schrock. Made in Aurthur, IL. and comes fully assembled. Not a budget line. Mid grade. With a standard mid grade price.

Scherrs IS RTA, but is not a budget line either. It’s high end RTA, as is Conestoga. You’ll spend all most as much on a high end RTA as you would a medium grade already assembled. Then you have to assemble.

You don’t get something for nothing. There are no shortcuts. Quality always comes at a price.

We used the Cabinet Joint. My husband engineer was very pleased with quality. He's also a woodworker hobbiest. They're better than the ones I have seen in the million dollar show homes I painted ours, but I think you can get them prefinished.

Yes, corrected. Thomasville comes assembled.

Paying extra to get good quality constructed cabinets is highly advised. Especially if putting an expensive countertop on it.

If it's a kitchen remodel for a homeowner. Highly recommend the higher quality cabinets that will last.

A countertop change is possible on well constructed cabinets. High quality wood or solid MDF doors can be professionally repainted, too.

However...

Poorly made cabinets, like MDF constructed boxes, or cheap foil cabinets don't age well. They often need to be replaced years earlier due to noticeable wear and tear. Usually can not even repaint chipped, peeling cheap doors, either.

When it gets bad, & have to replace cabinets, again...

the countertop often can not be salvaged. Ouch. That's bad for the pocket book and filling up the landfills with more junk.

If adding up the time line of keeping a kitchen looking good. It's usually more cost effective to pay for the higher end products upfront than redoing a cheaper kitchen twice.

My favorite budget cabinets for a DIY kitchen ? Those Klem build's in his garage.

I'm considering Thomasville or KraftMaid cabinets from Home Depot. The reviews are harshly split on both brands so I've looked online for other options and am trying to understand ways to mitigate bad results, like choosing plywood over MDF when possible. Most of the other cabinet companies in my area carry Wolf brand and some others that I've not heard of, but seem to have the same specs as the HD brands. Do any of you have experience with any of these brands? Is there another brand you would recommend? Thank you in advance.

My parents have Thomasville stained cabinets. The cabinets look like new still. The mechanisms still working great. My dad installed the kitchen. He's a retired contractor of 30 years. He would know a quality cabinet.

I have heard mix reviews from other contractors about Wolfe & Kraft aid. Wolfe is better over Kraft aid.

Hope that helps.

I suggest seeing a cabinet put together in person before purchasing.

Before buying from a big box store check out local cabinet companies to compare prices and quality. They can be significantly less costs due to lower overhead. At least send a layout to a local store to compare. Even try a custom cabinet maker. You may be pleasantly surprised. I have seen up to 30% less often when shopping for cabinets compared.

Yes, the big box stores run sales, but 10% here or 20% off Sale still doesn't end up being the best deal. Sometimes there's a great sale where a big box makes sense, it just depends.

I had a client insist on taking advantage of a sale & didn't shop around. He went with the big box, but when I heard how much he spent later, I didn't tell him he would of saved even more on similar quality cabinets from a local store nearby when I heard the price. I did not want to ruin his happy moment. But I knew, He would of saved an extra 20% at least when the local places were having a sale at the time he bought.

What I learned about big box stores is if it's on the floor in the store the pricing is competitive due to buying in bulk, but if it's ordered from another supplier the price goes way up. Bigger store is not necessarily better. Plus, you will probably get better personalized service from a smaller, local cabinet store. These big box stores are under staffed and unfortunately finding support throughout the process can be a real hassle.

I shop big boxes a lot, but not for everything.

It pays to shop around.

Hope you find a deal without sacrificing quality. :)

This is hilarious. Where do you think Thomasville cabinets come from? Only a big box, that’s where. And what price point do you think they are? Just the most expensive line that HD carries, which is mid grade in the real world. Certainly NOT budget. And in another breath, you’re recommending a stock Chinese line like J&K.And Wolf over KM? Nope. Where exactly do you work that all of this questionable knowledge was obtained? Home Depot? And why don’t you appear to know what you want people to think you know? Home Depot again??

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Please let me know if there is another mid-grade brand that you recommend.

Ikea cabinets are framless; most of the other brands mentioned are framed cabinets. There are those of us who love frameless cabinets, base cabinets with all drawers, and high end hardware; all of which Ikea offers at a reasonable price.

GreenDesigns, Cards on the table? I've been coming to Houzz aka Gardenweb since the early 90s and I have always been up front and honest about everything I post here. I take offense to you regarding me as Spam. If you re-read my post, I made it clear that I carry the J&K brand I am recommending. People come here for opinions and I gave mine.

Back in the old Gardenweb days when I was Kompy,...it was more anonymous. It's not my fault that Houzz has "outed me"....but I am definitely not a spammer. I don't try to advertise myself here. My business profile here on Houzz is how I get my leads from homeowners in my area. I do this forum because I enjoy it (have been for almost 30 years)....not for leads. Plus I learn a lot from all the homeowners here too...as much as they can learn from me and other pros.

Also, of course I recommend all the brands I carry...why wouldn't I? I research cabinets brands and pick brands that I like. I don't self promote...I'm here to help and give my opinions just like everyone else.

Regarding J&K? Admittedly, at first I didn't want to carry an Asian import. But I learned about J&K a bit more and artistsharonva is right...they are a great value for the price. I'm in a small business, I need to feed my family and they filled a niche that needed filling in my area to be competitive.

My cards are all on the table...are yours? Your registered as a PRO but it appears you don't list your real business name. That's fine if you want to remain anonymous. I get it...but please don't accuse me of spam.

Kelly aka Kompy from olden GardenWeb Days

Ps. I've always enjoyed your feedback here....but not this one.

The OP asked about Thomasville so I gave them feedback. They are offered through Home Depot and they're one line of cabinets I would use from Home Depot. The extra cost at Home Depot for Thomasville cabinet's quality is worth it over the lower quality cabinet lines.

I also suggest shopping around for similar quality products or custom cabinets to possibly get a better deal locally.

No I do not work at a big box store. I am an independent designer who works for mid to upper remodeling contractors and some new build projects. I am also been in the real estate business for over 10 years. Our clients can choose where they get their cabinets from & I try to steer them to better, quality so the cabinets will last a longer time. It makes better financial sense to get a better quality cabinet than end up fixing subpar cabinets later.

My only goal of posting on Houzz is to help point others to sources, so that they can find the right solution for themselves.

I've never understood why some sneer at the brands like Thomasville and Kraftmaid. Other, more expensive brands may be indeed have finer fit and finish or more elaborate styles, but for the vast majority of homeowners in this country those brands are just fine and suit their homes and budgets.

I may be wrong, but I don’t think that box store brands are being sneered at so much as not fitting the original question, which was about “budget” brands. None but the in stock choices, or American Woodmark/Shenendoah/Waypoint fall into the category of budget brands.

I did a comparison using real world budget brands, with a real world kitchen. I have some new data that I still need to add, and maybe Easter weekend will see that happen. Perhaps that post would be useful. https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5647040/white-shaker-battle-ikea-vs-the-rest-of-the-cabinet-world

Graywhitehome, I dont see pics of your current situation or dream board. IKEA would still be a great fit for you to explore. I did three kitchens 350 miles from the nearest IKEA. For my fourth kitchen they built a new one two hours away so I drive rather than have them delivered freight. They are very easy for DIY enthusiasts and you get great bang for your buck.

We put in IKEA cabinets around five years ago, and have been nothing but happy with them. We got one of the white finishes though (Lidingo), but in terms of construction, how they've held up, how easy they are to wipe down, etc., I have nothing but raves. Sorry these pics aren't the greatest.

Addition Planner - did you buy your ikea drawers as it is (4 drawer cab) on the outside of your island? it has 2 shallow drawers and 2 lower drawers that are deeper or did you need to adjust the drawer spacing for them? I want a cabinet like that (4 drawers, 2 shallow and 2 deeper). I've look on Ikea site but didn't see any in those proportions. I thought I'd probably need to settle on one with 3 shallow and 1 deeper drawer, but that isn't what I really want / need. What I looked at online also said they were 3/4 ext and I really need full ext but figured that wouldn't be a difficult change out to do.

desertsteph, the drawers come in 5, 10, and 15" depths so you can configure what you want. Use the Ikea planner because all of the choices are not listed in the on-line store. Where is it stated that the drawers are 3/4 ext? When I pull my drawers out they fully extend.

Ikea does offer a lower cost 3/4 extension drawer, but standard is full extension. The buyer can specify if the lower hardware is wanted.

Ah yes, the Forvara! I've never considered anything but the Maximera.

@desertsteph - I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but I do remember that the other side of the island are actually 12" upper cabinets that we used as base cabs and put drawers into. the door / drawer front sizes It didn't match the height exactly, which is why there's that strip of trim at the top, but it looks fine to me. This was right before IKEA changed their whole kitchen line over, though, so I'm not sure how it works now. But my contractor found it pretty easy to customize -- we used uppers for bases, and then cut down a 12" deep cabinet to about 6" deep for storage on the other side of the fridge, which was an amazing use of space.

My husband and i just returned from a visit to IKEA. We were also curious about all the hype of IKEA. We both left with the same opinion, and this is just our opinion. We wouldn't waste our time or money. Junk. Mostly pressed board. The doors were not solid. The shelves were held in place with small rivets that were so cheap if you were to put more than 5 or 6 mugs it would cave in. Locally we have an American Woodmark Cabinet company that works closely with Lowes and Home Depot. Nearby city also has a Shenandoah Cabinetry. AMERICAN MADE!!!!! Yes it is more expensive but you get what you pay for. Not all RTA cabinets are pressed board. Some of our local cabinetry companies are offering alternative less expensive cabinets than custom made. They are built with plywood backs and sides. All wood. We too are remodeling our home and most of the work we are doing ourselves. When leaving IKEA I definitely know what I don"t want. Yes there are other options. YOUTUBE has many options for DIY cabinets to restore or build your own. I have found sources like Craigslist Facebook, Rerstore {habitat for humanity} where i know i can find something alot cheaper and get more for my money.

"AMERICAN MADE!!!!!" correct IKEA cabinet boxes are made in Ohio (still part of America last I checked). I'm sure somebody's used "junk" off Craigslist will look better than this customized IKEA kitchen we just finished.

Good luck with that.

FWIW we did our own kitchen remodel and used Ikea (Side Note: They do ship and the price can be reasonable depending on where you live!). We didn't want to spend a lot and we only needed to purchase 3 base, and 1 wall cabinets. I was weary of the quality but we are very handy and took steps to further strengthen and reinforce them, especially when building our custom island with them! The two biggest things we did to strengthen them was we (#1) constructed our own cabinet feet out of lumber and (#2) reinforced the back wall of the cabinet (it comes with thin/flimsy MDF type material) with thin plywood (we did this for the island only because the back side would be exposed, so we used cheap plywood to backfill the gap and then nice plywood for the finish).

My 2 favorite cabinets from them is the 36" wide (two huge drawers!) where I keep all of my pots and pans, and more! I currently have several stainless pots and pans, a large heavy copper sauce pot, and a cast iron wok in the top drawer and in the bottom drawer I have a set of 3 pampered chef rectangle stoneware baking dishes, 3 Ikea ceramic baking dishes, and a couple more big stainless soup pots, plus all the lids to my pots and pans. I may be pushing its limits but after two years I'm still really happy with them. I may eventually reinforce the floor of these because I do have a LOT of weight on them and they're really long drawers.

I also love the wall cabinet that actually sits on top of the counters. It has two glass doors where we keep glassware and plates, and two skinny/long drawers on the bottom where we keep our silverware. It gives a custom feel without the custom price. Really neat piece and everyone comments on it!

Having said all of that, we know this isn't our "forever" home. We don't have kids, and take care of our things. Within the next 3-5 years we are looking to (potentially) build a custom home that will hopefully be our forever home (if not, at least long term) and we will not be using Ikea. Simply because I'm not sure how they'll hold up over time.

I've only heard at how some renters can really trash a place so I'd be really weary of Ikea for your situation. Maaaaaybe consider it only if you're willing to do some extra work to reinforce their weak points. But even then, after watching my two brothers grow up, I'm not sure Ikea would've survived in my parent's house.

I'm a bargain shopper, and you'd be surprised what comes up for sale on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace. Also (if you have the time) check out your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore (and the like). We used to live in a high cost of living area and we'd always find high quality antique furniture, grand fireplace surrounds, marble tops, and yes, nice cabinets! Of course it's always timing game. Have to be in the right place at the right time, but it might just be worth a call or a stop. If I were going to have a rental I'd probably start by looking at these places first.