Hi, I have some pink pampas seeds if you are interested. I looked at your trade list and it was empty. Let me know what you have for trade!

Here is an article that tells about the furniture being made in Vietnam and China. Mike Copeland: Magnolia Home furniture hits market soon From the article - "Magnolia Home reportedly has become a division of Alabama-based Standard Furniture, which is receiving orders from stores around the country interested in carrying the line of merchandise designed by Joanna Gaines for bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms and home offices, said Thomas Russell, associate editor of Furniture Today, who wrote an article about the company for the magazine that included photos of Joanna in High Point, North Carolina. Russell said Magnolia Home furniture will be made in Vietnam and China and most likely shipped to the Standard Furniture manufacturing and distribution facility in Bay Minette, Alabama, or directly to retailers, including the showcase Joanna Gaines will have at Silos at Magnolia Market." But, my sister works in a high end furniture store in Maine, and when I would go over to drool at some of the items, I was surprised to find that the high-priced Maitland Smith furniture was made there. This is an article from 2004 about that. Maitland-Smith: Vietnam future bright BOTH articles were written by Thomas Russell. Check the prices and detail on Maitland Smith furniture on eBay HERE.

Local Custom Cabinetmakers -- Good or Bad? This topic is again becoming common, so I am posting what I've posted in the past. In addition, see this thread (https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2679023/custom-cabinets-really-cheaper-than-stock) and the post from GreenDesigns about half-way down. ++++++++++++++++++++ Just a word of caution..."local (custom) cabinetmaker" is thrown around here a lot with the implication 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. And, it's not just their skill at cabinetry...how are their business skills? E.g., How are they at meeting schedules? Do they stay within the cost they quote you? How do they deal with issues? What is their warranty? What recourse do you have if they drop the ball? Sometimes you can go "over the heads" of people at cabinet stores or even go to the manufacturer (at least for warranty issues), but you might not have that option with a local cabinetmaker. If you go this route, be very diligent in your research: Contact several recent references, including at least one who had problems so you can see how s/he handled those problems. Ask about: -- How was the cabinetmaker at keeping to the schedule she promised? -- Did the cabinetmaker stick pretty close to the cost estimate given to the customer (no hidden fees, undeclared upgrades, etc.)? -- Did the cabinetmaker let the customer see a sample of their cabinet order for approval of the finish, quality, etc., prior to completing the entire order? -- How did the cabinetmaker handle construction issues? -- How did the cabinetmaker handle installation issues? Contact several not-so-recent references, ask them how their cabinets are holding up (joints, face frames, drawers, doors, finish, etc.). Try for some at least 5 years old and at least 10 years old. See actual installed kitchens with the same type of cabinets you are looking for: -- Type: frameless, framed overlay (partial or full), inset -- Wood species: cherry, maple, alder, oak, etc. -- Finish: stained, glazed, painted Look at the construction details: Wall thicknesses, box material (plywood, MDF, etc.), interior finishes, box construction (joining, etc.), drawer construction, shelving, etc. What is the cabinetmaker's warranty on his/her products? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? Lifetime? Does the cabinetmaker have a kitchen designer s/he works with or does the cabinetmaker do the designing? Is the cabinetmaker open to working with you as a designer or with a kitchen designer you hire independently from them? [You really should work with a good designer to catch the "details" that might be missed by you and/or us (most of us are not pros)] How is the cabinetmaker with "unusual" requests? (Farmhouse/apron sinks, deeper cabinets, deeper drawers, toekick drawers, inset cabinets, etc.) These are all the same questions you should ask of a manufacturing line as well, but all these things are usually spelled out somewhere and they have staff who specialize in these areas. You usually have some "standard" recourses if there are problems. In addition, their quality, including finishes and construction, are generally pretty consistent (yes, there are glitches occasionally) and they have the advantage for those finishes that are better when manufactured than when done by hand. I'm not saying don't look into local cabinetmakers, I'm saying be careful. We have had several threads where people have gone this route and have had major issues in all the areas above...construction quality, finish quality, installation issues, difficult to work with, etc. And yes, there have been similar threads from those using cabinet companies (but those are usually resolved fairly quickly once the person gets up the courage to say something.) If you can find a great local custom cabinetmaker that has wonderful quality at a price you're willing to pay, then by all means, go with them...just do your research. Good luck!

All my other threads have now mysteriously re-appeared (i.e., I suspect the Houzz bug has been fixed). Let's use the first one I created and let this thread slowly fade away. Here's the one to go to: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5972404/new-to-kitchens-read-me-first-2020-interim#n=1