We did a gut on our home including 5 full baths and 1 half bath. I ordered all our faucets and toilets, several sinks and even a vanity and mirrors from Studio 41. They were cheaper on everything, including online sources, and free delivery too. Since it was such a large job, it took me several months to make all my decisions. And then there were several things I needed at the last minute. Studio 41 was great and sent the items Next Day Delivery and again no charge. I had to return a faucet as it just was not working out and no problem with the return. Andrea is the plumbing designer and she was wonderful. I live in Barrington Hills and both Insignia and Bath of Barrington are too darn expensive and...well the sales people were not very cooperative either. Michelle

Hi Chicago folks! Gjbl, congratulations on your new arrival! My husband and I are renovating a house in Hyde Park and are closing in on the move-in date sometime in the next month or so. We went and looked at Kraftmaid and Thomasville at Home Depot but were underwhelmed at what they had to offer. I found Builder's Cabinet Supply and met with Chris Klein at their factory on Western and Hubbard shortly thereafter. From the first meeting I knew I wanted to go with them. When their bid for our L-shaped kitchen plus island, 6-foot-tall broom closet, pantry, and bookshelf came in $6,000 UNDER Home Depot, there was no question. The Home Depot brands couldn't even offer us a bookshelf at all, and we hated the paint options (we wanted a clean white with no glaze). We expect everything to be installed late this week, so I'll report back on how it goes. But we've been happy with how Chris has handled everything so far -- she's been a joy to work with. We're getting our soapstone countertops from Hummingbird Soapstone and Woodworks in Glen Ellyn -- if we'd found them first we might have gone with them for the cabinets, too. I don't know about their pricing, but their custom cabinets are gorgeous and amazingly well made. Here is a link that might be useful: Hummingbird Woodworks

Thanks - I'll touch base with Dave. I'd read good things about him on this board (and am interested in Okna), but as his location is nowhere near me, I wanted to go into a few showrooms first. Here's a question - I like the look of the existing aluminum sliding door and it works. Should I replace it? Will it take 20 years (or more?) to recoup the costs via energy savings from a better sliding door? I'm concerned about energy savings, and also with the fact that anything in front of the sliders fades (as we don't get a ton of light, I don't prefer window coverings). I'd hope that a new door would have some kind of UV protection. We don't currently use the door much and could put plastic over it in the winter. We are mostly gutting the room that it's in, though, so now would be the time to replace it. What's the way to go? THANKS.

Where do you live? Someone may have a local store reference. For instance, if you're anywhere in the San Diego area, San Diego Hardware has a *huge* selection/display of hardware. ...1,000 door locks, 3,000 hinges and 7,000 knobs and pulls... I find being able to actually touch and see potential hardware choices to be invaluable. (I admit it! I'm a hardware groper.) I'm sure stores like this exist in other parts of the country. Here is a link that might be useful: San Diego Hardware showroom pg.