We have custom natural cherry cabinets. We considered painted cherry, but were told they use a lower grade of wood for that.

Is Lowe's your only option? I would look at local kitchen shops to see what they offer. As said above, you are more likely to find a CKD - someone who will stand behind their product.

I think with natural wood any flaws will be more obvious, and impossible to touch up.

Contrast as dramatic as hickory? Wow. That’s not what I was expecting and it definitely sounds like I can expect the same from either company.

Lowes was what I narrowed down to, or at least defaulted to after getting discouraged. A few companies wanted to knock out two walls while using rta cabinets. There was a local cabinet shop who was clearly not a good fit for us. There was a reputable design business who I liked but who only used rta and full custom and the higher cost for rta was thousands of dollars less than the lowest figure for custom, a range where semi custom seemed to slip right in between but that they didn’t offer. Everyone said they only worked on projects where they would control the whole process- no we couldn’t do our own demo, painting or furniture moving. Lowes seemed to fit the bill in that they did semi custom and would allow for us wanting to do some aspects on our own.

Is it really less expensive for custom cabinets from a cabinet shop than semi custom from a big box retailer, or is it more of a situation where you should pay for the better quality because it’s “ideal” but it really will cost significantly more?

And on that note, a professional kitchen designer would definitely make the process easier but is it really worth the cost for a small kitchen with minimal changes? The design company said about 750 for an rta design and 1300 for a plan using custom cabinets. From the cabinet shop that was pretty rude about how poorly he felt the kitchen was laid out to random contractors and the polite and encouraging design company - all said it was a “simple” kitchen but that there wasn’t much room for layout changes. (The only slim hope we had of moving the fridge isn’t possible.) No lighting changes, no appliance updates, no major changes to the footprint are in the cards.

Thank you both for your responses. I’m listening if you have more info to share. 🙂

Not being able to change lighting, appliances or layout means you won't get the most out of your new kitchen. Is this a budget constraint or something else? I don't think I would have invested in cherry cabinets if I couldn't have significantly upgraded all those other things.

You might try posting photos and a measured layout on here and seeing what input you can get. Say that you can't move walls. Otherwise some will assume you should have an open layout with an island that seats your extended family!

My guess is you might benefit from re-allocating your budget. Do the demo and painting, for example, buy cabinets from Ikea, but pay an electrician to put in better lighting. Don't discount Formica countertops if it lets you buy a counter depth fridge. A kitchen is all about function, at least to me.

Have used Kraftmaid Cherry doors a decade or so ago. When companies say there will be variation, believe them, and understand there will be no recourse if you do not like the wild variations in color that occur within a single door/panel. It seems they make no attempt to match the “sticks” they select to create the door parts.

IMO cherry cabinets are a bit dated in most cases and seems to always be red. Maybe share a bit more about the reason for cherry at all.I grew up with Canadina cherry all through our home for furniture and it was beautiful bit not really red at all. More like this color. Ours was definately not cheap my Mom collected over years. No big box stores when I grew up. We did have white kitchen cabinets though. I think I would do a painted MDF if budget is big issue since cheap wood cabinets are never a good idea IMO.

A light stain can help to minimize the differences between heart and sap wood. The value added by a good independent kitchen designer cannot be overstated. The mistakes that they help you to avoid will more than pay for their fee!

Cherry was actually a compromise too. The intent wasn’t luxury, we just had trouble finding a medium stained wood that wasn’t honey tone. This was something we could both agree on… but it didn’t look stripey in the store. I only saw Diamond allude to this, not KraftMaid, and had hoped it was different. Apparently not so.

Budget-wise… well for cabinets and countertop (coincidentally?) 28 is our high end, with other funds for paint and flooring. The budget started with an insurance payment. There was a drain problem in the kitchen that caused damage to the cabinets and got under the tile a bit. The cabinets are 40 yr old builder grade and not able to be matched. The flooring is tile and only damaged in a small area but continuous throughout most of the house- again, cheap stuff but something we liked. We felt we would rather have slightly better quality permanent kitchen items and a look we enjoy there than use funds to tear up a large amount of tile we were okay with and replace it with cheap stuff we liked less, while still going cheap with the kitchen too. Reallocation of funds definitely. Not the most overall fluid of designs but a better base for the long term items and room to grow for the rest of things. A lot of people pay extra to upgrade everything all at once but a big loan just isn’t right for us. We’re not going anywhere so we have a little more time and effort than money in the moment.

Add that all up and that’s how we ended up with semi custom at Lowes with paint on the side. (Appliances were new before the water damage.)

Although I have been thinking about demo, containment, cleanup, and other bits, it is true when you say that you don’t know what you don’t know and there still could be factors I’m missing.

Do you not think that there’s a scenario where a homeowner could save or at least reallocate a bit by being a little more hands on? $750 is small compared to the overall budget, for example, but will pay for a decent sink. I like where you’re going latifolia. Reallocating funds is exactly what we intend and we’re trying to think long term options.

In terms of forum etiquette for posting the layout, do I do that here or in a new thread? Also, please don’t laugh too hard… what does “DH” stand for? Every time I see it I read it as a term of endearment, “Dear Husband”, which mostly fits in the conversations, but seems unlikely that I am correct.

There have been more posts while I started writing the last bit. I really appreciate all the input!

To do your own demo and disposal, you need to cut and cap plumbing and electrical lines that run in, around, and through, your cabinets. Or you need to hire the plumber and electrician to do that. If you need to hire out to do those things, then it is probably best to hire the GC to oversee the whole thing. You have to realistically assess your skills. Or you can cost yourself more money by attempting DIY than you would have paid a pro to do it. This is where a good kitchen designer can help you. Not a cabinet seller. A cabinet seller could care less if you rip out live wires as long as they make a sale.

I recall Beth did her own demo, but she has DIY skills and tools. My brother can do it, although he's not as young as he used to be! We definitely couldn't.

My point is, it would be a shame to have a whole new kitchen and your old flourescent lights, no undercabinet lights and no dimmers.

Did you look at maple cabinets? They used to be a bit cheaper, but still lovely. I would make a new post, but explain your situation and budget constraints.