I used Stroba in Hyattsville, MD for my recent renovation project. The cabinets came out fantastic and Stroba was very easy to work with.
Good luck in your search for cabinets.

Have you considered having them custom built? It may not be that much more expensive and you can what you want. There are several people on this website that can help with the design if you are looking for "expert" advise. We did and were very happy

I second the vote for custom built. We got a quote from the first person our builder sent us too (a big kitchen supplier in the area) that was over $13,000 more than the custom quote(s) we got today, and the custom quotes included WAY more stuff than the "big" supplier did. The "big" supplier was quoting us either candlelight or medallion. As soon as you make any changes to stock cabinets, the price goes way up I guess- which doesn't seem to be the case w/ custom. Custom person quoted us all wood, more details and molding, floor to ceiling cabinets, and custom-built interior cabinet inserts for less than the "big" guy's quote for none of that stuff!

Can I third the vote for custom built? If you're concerned about quality, that is the way to go. We were very close to going with semi-custom from a large outfit, but then saw a neighbor's kitchen with custom and switched at the last minute. If you can, get your hands on both (in a real customer's kitchen, not in the showroom) and don't be afraid to open the doors and play with them.

For us, the quotes we got were similar between custom from a small local cabinetmaker and semi-custom from the large outfit, but the big difference was that the custom cabinetmaker did not include cabinet painting in his bid (he recommended they be hand painted, whereas the big shop was going to spray). With the painting, we definitely paid more. But it was not that much more, and the price the custom cabinetmaker quoted after our very first meeting was to do "the kitchen" and that's the exact price we paid in the end, even though we made a lot of changes throughout our process working with him.

I'm not sure if they're all like this, but our guy was incredible to work with. Things just got better and better as we went. He built one tight cabinet into the wall to make the drawers deeper, and literally invented space in our mudroom to store our vacuum cleaner (by differing the dimensions in the drawers of two perpendicular cabinets). I have never heard of details like that from a big outfit.

I think the small, local cabinetmakers just care more about every customer. Their business is directly dependent on giving you quality and making you happy.

The heart of your question is how to find the right one (whether custom or not). I think there's no substitute for seeing real working kitchens. We were tempted by one shop where the display cabinets looked great, but then went to visit a real kitchen and the exact same style of cabinets had warped doors. In addition to asking the cabinetmakers for referral accounts, we basically asked to see every kitchen remodel that we heard about from friends (and even friends of friends). People love to show off their remodels so you usually don't have any trouble. We took our cameras and measuring tape and asked lots of detailed questions.

When we saw the cabinets we liked in one particular kitchen, we were surprised they were not that much more expensive. But the cabinet maker that made them does not advertise anywhere, so I have no idea how we would have found him if we hadn't happened upon his cabinets in a neighbor's remodel.

It sounds like you really don't like #2. Don't spend your money on something you don't like. I was surprised at the prices of the local custom cab makers I spoke with. I would encourage you to seek local custom. If no one suggests someone on this post, start a new one with exactly what you're looking for in the subject line.

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 were they at keeping to the schedule they promised?

Did they stick pretty close to the cost estimate they gave them (no hidden fees, undeclared upgrades, etc.)?
Did they let them see a sample of their cabinet order for approval of the finish, quality, etc. prior to completing the entire order?
How did they handle construction issues?
How did they handle installation issues?
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
Construction details: Wall thicknesses, box material (plywood, MDF, etc.), interior finishes, box construction (joining, etc.), drawer construction, shelving, etc.
What is their warranty on their products? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? Lifetime?

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...

My take on custom was just the opposite. Contacted two custom cabinet makers in my area, went to see them with blueprints etc.

One came back at 40% higher than Omega Dynasty, the other never bothered to contact me with a quote, and this was for a 18 cabinet deal.

There is still a decent amount of home construction in this area, and I was told most of these custom guys would prefer to do new installation instead of remodeling:(.

Makes sense since one came in very high and the other did not bother at all.

You may wan to check out older kitchens that a custom maker has done, just to see how things are holding up. Are the door joints still holding together, face frames?
There was a job done locally last spring; I never got a chance to quote the kitchen, but was told that I could have probably beat it easily. I wrote about it here:

Here is a link that might be useful: Example of bad custom cabinet job

These guys, Northfield Sales Company on Harford Road, carry Medallion and have access to a custom guy if that's not enough. Members of my family have used them and been very, very happy. imo, Medallion cabinets are better quality than Diamond.

Thank you everyone. I wanted to consider custom cabinets but had worries like Buehl brought up.

But I know you all are right, this is going to be our forever home and I don't want to cheap out on the kitchen...and I don't want to get something that ends up making us unhappy.

I'm going to look into the two places mentioned here for custom cabinets and potentially open a new thread with a more specific title for custom cabinet makers in our area.

The new cabinet place we'll be visiting this weekend only seems to carry Aristokraft (seem them, don't like them), Homecrest (had never heard of them) and Grabill (also never heard of them) and Brighton (never heard of them). Does anyone know anything about any of these manufacturers? Even though we're building a new home, we DO have a budget we want to stay within, though I feel it's a good amount for the size kitchen we're getting (we're not getting tons of bells & whistles or fancy moldings). Shaker style, very clean, just a lot of drawers instead of base cabinets.

And of course our builder is a bit hesitant in using a cabinet shop that he's unfamiliar with, since he wants to make sure we're happy (he's building for us and for my parents).

Thank you! I knew this forum was supportive and helpful, I just didn't realize how much so.

I agree with everything Buehl wrote. Furthermore, sometimes the local custom cabinet makers are not up on the latest in kitchen design. And by latest, I mean the last 5 years or so. For example, we've seen threads where people complain their cabinet maker is unfamiliar with Silgranit sinks, or the idea of putting mostly or all drawers in the base (instead of pull-outs), or the idea of going deeper than 24" standard for counters, or deeper than 12" standard for uppers, or the cabinet requirements for large apron front sinks, or the benefits of frameless cabinetry over framed (though I agree framed are beautiful, but frameless cabinetry should not be dismissed the way it sometimes is by small cabinet makers).

Having said all that, many on this forum have loved their local custom cabinet maker, as can be seen by the replies just on this thread. Just make sure to do your homework, and interview your prospective cabinetmaker about whether he is familiar with the various things you might want in your kitchen.

Also, I second the idea of posting your proposed layout on this forum. Really, people here are amazing at helping in that regard. I am already concerned about what you said is your "very large island". Don't get me started on how sometimes large islands can be too large (obstacles), can make your kitchen more of a walking exercise to walk around it, and how I don't like cooktops in islands. Obviously I don't know a thing about your island or your layout, I am just trying to convey the various things to think about regarding an island.

I say this a million times and I'll say it again--don't forget to check out Amish cabinetmakers. MD isn't far from eastern PA and there are zabillions (is that a word?) of Amish there. Look for them and then proceed just as you would with any local custom cabinet-maker (i.e., ask for references, look at installed or showroom kitchens, etc.). Mullet Cabinet in Ohio is Amish and I think they could refer you to local makers--it seems all Amish people know where all other Amish people are, haha. So ask around.

Thank you, Shannonplus2, I will definitely make a list of any of the unusual things we might be interested in and question any cabinet maker about their experience with them. So far, though, I don't think we have too much that might be unusual. The only thing I might consider would be the Silgranit sink and also panels on front of our dishwashers.

Also, with the island, it can't be too small because it will be lost in the large kitchen, and it will also serve as both workspace and raised breakfast bar (hub wants breakfast bar, I could care less about it). But we did consider the space around the island, as well as separate work areas so hub and I wouldn't bump into each other. Lastly, our "work" areas are really only on the L of the kitchen. The third side of the U kitchen is mostly storage. But it's a good idea to ask people here about our layout/design; I know they always have great suggestions.

Thanks ideagirl2, I know there are a lot of Amish in the PA area!

I'm going to open a post now about local custom cabinet makers because Mom (who is building a house next door) thinks this is definitely worth pursuing. Only concern is whether a custom cabinet maker would be able to do both kitchens within a month or so of each other!

Thanks!