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happy8765

Merillat classic cabinet

happy8765
9 years ago

Been shopping for about a month for kitchen cabinets. The best deal has been the merillat classic. I have been looking at the reviews online and they haven't been too good. The reviews for merillat on this forum are older, but they seem pretty good. Does anybody have any advice on the merillat classic line of cabinets? The price is very good, but if they are not decent quality I guess you get what you pay for.

Comments (59)

  • redjmartin
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We just replaced our kitchen last fall, ripping out 20 year old white thermofoil Merrilat cabinets in the process. I don't know which grade of Merrilat they were, but they were toward the lower end / builder grade.

    One of the things that prompted us to renovate was when one of the wall cabinets began falling apart - literally. The joint between the side panel and back panel separated, and the only thing that saved our dishes was the fact that the cabinet was screwed to an adjacent cabinet on the separated side.

    On top of that, the wall cabinet doors were warped (touching at one end, 1/4" gap other end) and the thermofoil was peeling on the cabs over our gas range - our dinky OTR MW with no external vent probably didn't help.

    When we ripped the old cabs out, I was very unimpressed with the build quality of those low end Merillat cabs. Obviously higher grade cabs from the same manufacturer would be an entirely different animal.

    I recommend finding a KD who can help educate you on cabinet construction and the differences between different lines. Plus, GW'ers are a hugely helpful group to validate or refute what you hear elsewhere.

    Ed

  • happy8765
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The other cabinets that i did like were 6 square but I believe the wood is from china and they are manufactured in Minnesota. They looked liked sturdy cabinets but the china thing got me a little nervous. I got a price of $9000 for wellborn and kemper. The merillat was $4760 for full overlay and $4228 for partial overlay. I am buying 13 cabinets. The cost for the install is $1595.

    The Kd did say they are the dovetail drawers under mount glides and soft close. I will ask if they are deluxe classic. Most of the reviews I have read are older. I wanted some updated reviews.

  • _sophiewheeler
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    6 square are manufactured 100% in China and then shipped flat pack to various locations.

    Anything around 10-15K would be average in a mid grade cabinet line for your cabinets. Less for less features.

  • Debbi Branka
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Redmartin - sounds like you had my same cabinets, which did indeed fall off the wall breaking all the contents. We had Merillat thermofoil, I'm sure builder grade, but we didn't build the house, so I didn't order them. They literally fell off the wall. The sides separated from the back of the cabinets. It was a blessing in disguise becaue I ended up with a whole new kitchen, but I wouldn't choose Merillat again. Of course, the insurance replaced with "like kind and quality" which was Aristokraft, and I'm not sure they are much better. I check the sides/backs on almost a daily basis.

  • GreenDesigns
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What level cabinets are you really looking for here? Because you're talking mostly entry level lines. You don't get mid grade construction without paying mid grade pricing. That's not how it goes.

    Now, there's nothing wrong with having an entry level budget. Nothing at all. It's only a problem when you expect something beyond what you can afford. If you do, then your options change. Like buying somethign from Sherrs and assembling yourself and finishing yourself. Or buying used from Craigslist or ReStore and giving them an all new coat of paint. There's a local listing for an absolutely huge number of good quality cabinets that someone ripped out because they were pickled maple. All it would have taken them was the elbow grease and paint to transform them, but now someone else gets the opportunity to buy top quality cabients for their whole kitchen and then some for 3K.

    When your budget doesn't match your expectations, you change your expectations, change your budget, or change your approach entirely.

  • 2ajsmama
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi bruins, got your email but can't reply since you have that turned off in your GW profile.

    I've had the cabinets since summer 2007 - we built a modular home and Merillat was I think the only line offered, Classic was standard but we upgraded the kitchen to the Classic Deluxe. I would definitely go with the Deluxe upgrade, as I said above the regular Classic drawers would not be up to the weight of the pots and pans. I have upper cabinets loaded with stoneware too, even without the all-plywood construction and plywood shelves that were additional upgrades they seem to be holding up but who knows after another 7 years they may not, so I would recommend going with that if you can afford it, if you are loading the uppers like I do.

    The undermount soft-close full extension Blum glides are wonderful! Definitely worth upgrading to the dovetailed drawers to get the solid wood drawer boxes with plywood bottoms and those glides if you are going to be storing heavy pots/pans/Corningware in those. I didn't get the soft-close door hardware, don't really have a problem with the doors slamming.

    If I had it to do over again, I might go with all drawers instead of the pull-out trays in the 27" cabinet by the range and the 18" cabinet by the trash/recycling pullout, b/c the tray glides scratch the doors if you don't have the doors opened all the way, but the trays being fairly shallow allow me to see the spices and lift the Cuisinart out more easily. I also didn't want the sink cabinet, the lazy susan and the trash pullout to be the only doors in the lowers, with drawers between them. The deeper drawers would have been nicer for the lunchboxes, Tupperware, and water bottles though, as sometimes things tip over and fall out the back/sides. I have the water bottles in a bin in the back of the tray b/c of that. They do have double deep trays which would have been a better option.

    I also couldn't afford to do all 42" height so just went with the corner cabinet that height, the rest 36" (with deep cabinet over fridge raised to that height), I'm adding oak boards and crown molding (whenever I can find time to finish them and get my cousin to install them) to the ceiling and get rid of the unfinished staggered look (and dust collection). I didn't like the cheap crown molding available through Merillat, and also was looking at getting the kitchen done ASAP for CO, pay for upgrades later when we had the cash since we financed construction through a home equity loan on old house, and had to pay that off at closing, then open a line on the new house after we moved in.

    I wanted to match my 90's golden oak arched doors on my DR china cabinet and server, so went with the Sutton Cliff Arch traditional overlay (solid oak) doors on the uppers, rectangular raised panels on lowers (except for my island which we used a bathroom vanity in for center dropped section, builder didn't match the lowers, just ordered the same and bathroom vanities come with arch where the kitchen lowers were only available in rectangles but it doesn't look bad).

  • Skyangel23
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't have a review for you, but my builder only uses Merillat, so I hope they are decent too. Your price sounds good. Our KD said the deluxe drawers are a good upgrade. They do have a 25 year warranty on the classic line, whatever that's worth. :-)

  • happy8765
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Skyange,

    I do know that the masterpiece merillat is better. I'm still a little iffy on merillat classic deluxe, but like you say, the price is right. I'm going to get a quote for diamond as well.

    I appreciate any feedback.

  • 2ajsmama
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Compare the cost of upgrading to Classic Deluxe to that of Masterpiece. I don't think Masterpiece has that many more features, not sure which costs more, depends on how many upgrades you add to Classic Deluxe (there are different options, I gave my opinion above) so maybe Masterpiece ends up being better deal.

    The I-beam construction in the Masterpiece might be better if you are putting in granite - the corner gussets on the Classic are pretty wimpy, that's where the bathroom vanity (that doesn't have countertop yet, I bought my own sinks and was going to have countertop made locally) broke. I don't think the soft-close doors are worth paying to upgrade the whole cabinet, and all-plywood construction is still an upgrade to Masterpiece line. The standard Masterpiece back panels might be sturdier too, but the drawers are the same as the Deluxe that I got. The finish *might* be better - says it's like "fine furniture"?

  • docsknotinn
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We are going through the process of picking new cabinets and considered Merillat although we were looking at the Masterpiece Epic series. Sadly Merillat is now using Chinese plywood in their cabinets. I'd suggest both calling and e-mailing customer service from any cabinet maker before you buy. For us at least it was quite an eye opener at how evasive Merillat is when responding to questions. Depending on where you live I'd suggest looking for a local cabinet maker. You will likely get a better product for a fraction of the price, although you won't have the cachet of a name brand.
    You might also want to look up cabinet makers that are KCMA certified (although many of them still use Chinese plywood).

    http://www.kcma.org/index.cfm

  • Skyangel23
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That is too bad about Merillat. I thought part of their whole marketing thing is "made in America". Made here, but not with materials from here? :-(
    You'd think we'd have learned from Chinese drywall. But then, these days, it is getting more and more difficult to find things not made in China. I watched a documentary recently about China: apparently, 90% of the items on Walmart shelves are from China or made with materials from China.

  • happy8765
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you for your replies. So sad that everything is being made in China. i did not know that about Merillat. I did email them regarding the Classic Deluxe--they never emailed back. I tried calling with questions and was 5th on the list. I'm now checking out Diamond and Kraftmaid. I wonder if Kraftmaid's wood is from China. In looking at the Kraftmaid cabinet I wasn't all that impressed, but everybody swears by Kraftmaid. The think with Merillat is the sides are only 3/8". Now that gets me a little nervous.

    Does anybody have any advise on Diamond and Kraftmaid?

  • aries61
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kraftmaid and Merillat are both owned Masco Brands .

  • live_wire_oak
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kraftmaid=Merrilat. I sell Kemper, which is the exact Diamond equivalent. It's a great mid grade line with many options in it in order to make it fit your style and size limitations.

  • docsknotinn
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kraftmaid is owned by Masco as is Merillat and several other labels. I've seen a lot of complaints about current Kraftmaid products but in years past they were a very good product. Kraftmaid does indeed use Chinese plywood. Frankly I'm starting to think all of these companies use Chinese wood but some are just a bit more slick than others about concealing the origins of their suppliers.
    I sent an email to DuraSupreme and the response I received is that they "purchase" all of their wood in the USA. What ever that means.

    http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood-market-trends/woodworking-industry-news/production-woodworking-news/KraftMaid-Cabinetry-to-Hike-Prices-Due-to-Plywood-Duties-224898512.html#sthash.Dd3sHPBI.dpbs

  • happy8765
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The sad thing is that US companies are now buying the wood from China without informing consumers--very deceiving. I was going to spend a little bit more for supposedly a better cabinet, which was Kraftmaid, but now I'm not so sure about that. I did receive a quote from Kemper, which prior to getting the quote the KD said that the pricing was comparable to Merillat. The quote came back as $9,000, which I'm not willing to spend.

    I do like the Diamond cabinet, which I understand is Masterbrand. Please tell me that they are not getting their wood from China as well. If all the american companies are getting wood from China I should probably just go with a China cabinet--unbelievable.

    The things that I'm looking for are dovetail drawers, undermount glides with full extension. I prefer the sides of the box to be 1/2" thick APC or MDF, just as long as its sturdy enough to hold granite.

    I have heard that some people have had their Merillat cabinets fall off the wall with the backing still attached to the wall. I'm not sure if that is an installer issue or a Merillat issue, but it is very disconcerting.

    I'm pricing the following:
    1 30" base cab with 3 drawers
    1 21" base cab with 3 drawers
    1 18x24 pantry cab
    36" sink base
    33x36 lazy susan
    9" base tray cab
    36x24 above fridge cab
    30x30 wall
    18x30 wall
    15x 30 wall
    24x 30 corner wall
    30x12 over the stove
    21x30 wall
    12x30 wall

  • _sophiewheeler
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your budget is too small for that list in a midgrade line if 9K is too much. You still need to add moldings, toekick, finished sides, fillers, touch up kits, and knobs and pulls. Add that, and you're at 11 with taxes, which is still below average.

  • happy8765
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Holly

    I'm not sure what you consider mid grade, but I've received quotes under $7 and a little over $7 for wellborn. I'm not sure what you mean by mid grade. I'm looking into the merillat classic deluxe right now. But now I hear their wood is from china too. Im not asking for all the bells and whistles just a quality constructed cabinet in the merillat classic deluxe price range. I got a price of $5 for the above cabinets. My concern is he 3/8" sides of the box.

  • _sophiewheeler
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Every brand you've explored so far is a budget brand, with budget specs, non name hardware, and especially budget finishing, not mid grade. When you have to do any upgrades to get solid wood drawers, or soft close, you're in a budget brand. That comes standard on a midgrade line, as does 1/2" construction, minimum.

    The finishes are also better quality on mid grade lines. The woods are more color consistent, matched for grain aesthetics, and have more sanding to produce a smoother finish. It's especially apparent on the end grains that are exposed. For paint, the coverage is more consistent on edge pieces, and the finish is smoother and has a better hand.

    Options on budget lines are more limited, such as butt door cabinets, that are standard in a mid grade line. That's an especially annoying feature, as center stils on double door cabinets are a PIA to deal with. There are often limited sizes, such as 36''H cabinets, or 42'', but not 39''. That has a big impact on how much molding that you can use in a a design. And, in a budget line, those molding choices are much more limited, so to get that stacked to the ceiling look is actually more expensive in many budget lines than it is in a mid grade one.

    In fact, by the time all of the drawer upgrade options, and other options are added that are standard on a mid grade line, the consumer often ends up paying more. If you are fine with a budget line without adding upgrades, that's one thing. But all of your posts indicate that you want better quality. Yet you're not seriously considering better quality cabinets because of cost. You have to make up your mind. Either come up with more money for better cabinets, or lose some quality and wants in favor of meeting your budget. You don't get to have your cake and to eat it too.

  • susanlynn2012
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is an interesting thread that I want to follow. I wish I knew more to share. Thank you everyone!

  • docsknotinn
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I wanted to follow up should this information help any one else.
    DuraSupreme has sent me an email stating they do NOT use any Chinese or imported plywood.
    I've also found another cabinet company called Haas that is KCMA certified. This is what their site says;

    "American made. We are located in Southern Indiana and provide jobs for Americans. We do not outsource wood cabinet parts overseas, we make them in Indiana. We use American lumber and are proud of it."

    I haven't seen this brand in person yet but I'm working on it as they are fairly local. If any one has any experience with this company please let me know.

    http://www.haascabinet.com/index.php

  • ardcp
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    docsknottin- search haas on this site. not good feedback at all. i had found a lumberyard that sells them near me and investigated a little but the reviews were pretty terrible plus it is one of the companies that you have to upgrade to get dovetail drawers/soft close, etc. adding those in drives the cost up to where a higher level would start. plus from my kitchen reno i have learned that gwers are right, the kd is very important. i had a hard time getting prices and questions answered by many kds.

  • greenhaven
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Did you plug that cabinet list into Barker Cabinets? I have only done a little pricing through them but my understanding is that they are 100% American made, solid wood, excellent quality and ship flat to be assembled at home for cost savings, and a very reasonable price. I am not sure I have heard anything negative about them.

  • happy8765
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    live_wire_oak
    Thank you for that information. I did get a price for Kemper and it was $3000 more than Kraftmaid. It is a nice cabinet. I know Merillat isn't the best, but my budget can't go to "the best". In your opinion, would you go Merillat classic deluxe or Kraftmaid standard construction for approx $1500 more? I would like to order these this week. I have been looking at cabinets since the middle of March. It is daunting to say the least, but when you're trying to stay in a budget, it becomes more complicated. I do like Diamond as well, but they are just as expensive (a little less) as the Kemper. So it looks like I'm down to Merillat vs. Kraftmaid. Advice?

  • ardcp
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bruins47- the schuler cabs at lowes and my medallion cabs were both less than kraftmaid or an equal merrilat. kemper and diamond were also high for me as well.
    have you looked at schuler or hd american woodmark. debrak2008? has a beautiful kitchen with the lowes shenendoah brand. she is very happy with it.
    ps looking since mid march is not long at all. you will find most of gwers looked around for more than a year. it took me 1 1/2. yrs of planning and re planning and i still wish i had tweaked the plan one more time!
    btw imo whether you go kraftmaid or merrilat they should both be pretty solid cabinets, it is really personal preference. go to displays and open and shut drawers and doors, poke at the bottoms of the drawers etc to see which you like better. lowes/hd is a great place to do that. just so you know kraftmaid and merrilat are like shenendoah/american woodmark. you can find the same door style in each under a different name so you are sort of looking at the same cabinets anyway.

  • happy8765
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you for your support. I'm taking a lot of flack from everybody thinking I'm being too picky. I really don't have anybody that understands where I'm coming from. I spend a lot of time in my kitchen and its important to get what I like. I'm trying to do this kitchen without borrowing money from the bank. I've at least decided that I want white cabinets and not stain. Should I be concerned about the 3/8" tops and sides on merillat. I thought diamond was pretty much the same price point as merillat, but it is as high as kemper. I don't really want to use lowes or Home Depot. I've been to both stores and it seems like the sales people don't really have a clue, and its very difficult to concentrate when people are in the stores to purchase other items and interrupting an appointment. There's too many distractions when I'm spending thousands of dollars I need to concentrate on what I'm there for.

  • joygreenwald
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bruins47, I'm right there with you. My budget is almost identical, as are my needs/ concerns. I'm just as much in the weeds as you are, but I wanted to let you know that aren't alone. Every time I think I have this figured out, something gets me worried.

  • happy8765
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks. My husband keeps saying its your kitchen get what you want. There are so many choices and many different companies.

  • ardcp
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bruins47- kompy or lwo has a white shaker cab comparision thread. search for it and it lists the costs of the same white shaker cab for tons of different companies. it is what i used to figure out what i could afford. for instance, ikea is always cheapest so i went onto ikea.com to price out my kitchen. with that as the lowest, i could then get other quotes and have a lowest price point. honestly this is a huge financial expenditure and you should absolutely get more than 2 quotes, if only to make you feel secure in your decision.
    ps merrilat with 3/8" sides is not an apples to apples comparision to kraftmaid, diamond or kemper. kemper echo and diamond vibe would be an equivilent cab to the merilat you have been quoted.

  • redjmartin
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bruins47 - I'd echo what ardcp said here. This is a big investment and it's better to take your time, understand all your options and get several quotes before you make a decision.

    I'd recommend making a list of key factors (framed vs frameless, materials, style, finish, construction, country of origin, etc.) in the following categories:

    1) Must Have

    2) Won't Accept

    3) Nice to Have

    Simply answering these questions will help you get your thoughts and priorities nailed down. It will also help you communicate much better with KDs when you're getting quotes.

    My personal opinion is that 3/8" construction is marginal at best, regardless of the rest of the construction details. I'm also not a fan of Chinese-made cabinets. I've done a lot of work in China (not in the cabinet industry) ... it's not that China automatically means "junk", but there is a wide range of quality, lots of subcontractors and a lot of middlemen, so as a consumer you really have NO idea what you will end up with. Plus, I like the idea of supporting jobs for my neighbors and fellow citizens.

    Finally, read though the forums here. There are at least a dozen manufacturers beyond the huge manufacturers you've looked at so far, and some of them offer good deals. Once you have your "yes, no, maybe" list together you'll be in a good place to find a KD who is a good fit.

    Good luck!

    Ed

  • live_wire_oak
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kemper is Diamond is Thomasville. Just the cabinet list you've quoted, without any finished sides, or molding, or touch up, or toekick, or any of the hundred and one things that you need to include, is right at 6K. That's for 1/2" sides, standard furniture board construction, in a simple full overlay shaker door with white paint (Whitman), which is a price level 9 on a scale of 1-18. Paint is $800. If you were to move to a stained partial overlay door, like the Lawton, with the slab drawer front, the basic cabinets would be around $4500.

    In Kemper Echo, with the 3/8 furniture board sides and losing the soft close doors, but keeping the soft close wooden drawer upgrade, you'd be around $3900 in the Tarver door, stained.

    This is Tarver in stained and glazed cherry.

    [

    [(https://www.houzz.com/photos/kemper-echo-wine-bar-traditional-wine-cellar-phvw-vp~8377733)

    [Traditional Wine Cellar[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-wine-cellar-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_755~s_2107) by Other Metro Kitchen & Bath Designers ProSource Memphis

    Closeup of the door profile and light rail molding.

    [

    [(https://www.houzz.com/products/no-whine-wine-bar-by-kemper-echo-prvw-vr~11295139)

    [Traditional Kitchen Cabinets[(https://www.houzz.com/products/traditional-kitchen-cabinetry-prbr1-br~t_437~s_2107) by Other Metro Kitchen & Bath Designers ProSource Memphis

    And this is the difference in the standard vs. the upgraded drawers. The upgraded drawer is standard in Kemper, plus it uses higher quality hardware.

    [

    [(https://www.houzz.com/products/no-whine-wine-bar-by-kemper-echo-prvw-vr~11295166)

    [Traditional Kitchen Cabinets[(https://www.houzz.com/products/traditional-kitchen-cabinetry-prbr1-br~t_437~s_2107) by Other Metro Kitchen & Bath Designers ProSource Memphis

    Honestly though, the better hardware, better construction, and much better finish quality would be worth the additional 2K to move from a stained partial overlay to a painted full overlay. Whether or not it's worth it to you is another thing. But, maybe cut somewhere else out of the project to get better cabinets. They are the longest lasting element in the remodel. Put on laminate counters if you need to in order to get better bones.

    Laminate has come a long way.

    [

    [(https://www.houzz.com/products/coffee-tea-and-marble-on-a-budget-by-aristokraft-prvw-vr~10916143)

    [Traditional Kitchen Countertops[(https://www.houzz.com/products/traditional-kitchen-countertops-prbr1-br~t_439~s_2107) by Other Metro Kitchen & Bath Designers ProSource Memphis

  • happy8765
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have received quotes for Kemper $9000, Wellborn $9000, Kraftmaid $6078, Merillat $5248, Diamond $9225, Am Woodmark $6000, Wolf $5200 without the pantry, Armstrong $5257 (without the pantry), the Lowes brand approx. $6000 (without the pantry). The one thing that I have decided is that I want the white maple painted-the stain for my kitchen seemed too dark. The question is should I keep searching? Also, the schrock is $6000 for stain $7038 for painted. I could send another request to a lumber company for diamond, but I'm thinking that they'll be the same as the Diamond I already had priced.

    So you would agree that 3/8" is not good? What about the 1/2" particle board sides on other brands?

  • lam702
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Most of us have a budget that we have to work with, unfortunately. That usually means separating "want to haves" from "must haves" If you go with lower quality cabinets to save money, they may look great at first, but over time the differences will start to tell. A 3/8" side panel is very thin, take a ruler and look at just how narrow that is. . Most of us can't remodel our kitchens very often, so quality does pay off in the long run. If it were me, I'd either wait until I can afford the kitchen I really want, or make some concessions now. Like, lower cabinets instead of drawers, inexpensive knobs(you can change these later), laminate counters instead of stone, (you can change this later too) I understand a tight budget, ours was very tight as well but buying cabinets that won't last is not good economy.

  • Teehee1984
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I feel like you are telling my story. I feel your pain..... I too started out looking (last year) at Merrillat cabs. Weighed the upgrade to Masterpiece (kraftmaid) then looked at Diamond Vibe and a whole bunch of other lines. All had their pluses and minuses.....

    My kitchen is a working kitchen and I plan to stay in my house for at least 15 years. ...So I didn't want to put in something that would have to be replaced before I sell. ...Then I read somewhere that most KD's for their own kitchens go for the top of the line mid-grade cabs. And that somehow made sense to me. Something good, solid that will hold up over time, but isn't super deluxe or super premium. I'm spending more, but I think (as others have said) ultimately you get what you pay for.

    I don't know if I did the right thing (remains to be seen), but I went for kraftmaid's top cab and I think I'll fork out for all plywood construction. When I go to sell my house, if the buyer doesn't like the door style, they can buy new doors and won't have to go through the pain of a tear out. (Logic being hopefully KM will still be around). My other choice was waypoint/american ?woodmark/woodwork?. Apparently you can get a better price through a small dealer -- better than Home Depot or lowes. That seems like a solid choice too. It is less than kraftmaid and seems nearly as good. I just like one cab door better than another. //I think I will use waypoint for bathroom remodels.//

    Of course you read here that custom built are better and often less expensive. If you live in the part of the country where there are a lot of skilled craftsmen who take pride in their work, that probably is a great option.

    My two cents: save up the money for a good mid-grade. Otherwise you might spend a lot of $ and be disappointed down the road.

  • happy8765
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well I'm down to schrock and kraftmaid. Schrock has the 1/2" sides standard all soft close doors and soft close pull outs for the pantry. It seems like a pretty solid cabinet. I am definitely going to do the white. I will go partial overlay instead of full overlay. It just seemed like kraftmaid had too many upgrade charges and schrock it came standard. I really wasn't all that impressed with kraftmaid. Any feedback would be helpful.

  • rchurchill12
    7 years ago

    Merillat Cabinets are junk and unsafe. Do not buy them. You will regret it not too far down the line. We had a wall cabinet fall off of our wall, breaking almost everything in it. The back of the cabinet was still secured to the wall while the cabinet disintegrated. Take a GOOD LOOK at the construction. The back of the cabinets are stapled on, no glue and the particle board crumbles like a cracker. BAD NEWS. The dovetail construction of the drawers have long come apart, no glue was used at all. The cabinets are wobbly and the doors are all hanging at odd angles. The sides are made of some type of simulated material, looks like maple but it isn't. This has been "peeling" off for years now and it is just a shame, to have invested into such a poor quality, ill conceived cabinet. It is just a matter of time before a child is killed or seriously hurt by a Merillat cabinet falling off of a wall.

  • User
    5 years ago

    Does anyone have updates on quality since 2016? I am interested in this design and Merillat was suggested. Use is for storage only - dry climate - in a bedroom so light use. Is this feasible? I don't want to break my budget of fine cabinetry and I don't want to spend a dime on something that won't last. Thanks.

  • Sam Park
    3 years ago

    We own Merillat Classic cabinets. DO NOT BUY MERILLAT. The finish fails and the company does not stand behind the warranty. Terrible product, terrible service.

  • 2ajsmama
    2 years ago

    I can't speak for current quality, but the Merillat Classic Deluxe cabinets we had installed 14 years ago are still in good shape - a couple of cabinet doors don't close automatically (I didn't get the soft-close, but they used to close if you just gave them a push) all the way any more. You have to actually push the door closed until it makes contact with the face. But those are the doors on the cabinets that are used all the time (cereal bowls and tea cabinets - DH and DD drink so much tea I might as well have a canister on the counter, so they're not in the cabinet 10 times a day!). Drawers, even the ones with Corningware and cast iron (full extension glides), still close without sagging and dovetails are holding firm.

  • Sam Park
    2 years ago

    God help you if you ever have a problem with the cabinets or need to deal with the company. Not customer service centered and obvious they do not want to deal w/ you after the sale.

  • HO-UZZ812
    2 years ago

    They are a fine cabinet if you have the right lower budget expectations for them.

  • patriceny
    2 years ago

    I have the midline Merrilat in one of my homes in my kitchen, but I chose the builder basic Merrilat for the bathrooms.

    I do see a huge difference in quality between the 2 lines. Hindsight being what it is, I should have paid for the upgraded cabinets even in the bathroom.

    I am sure that the basic line does not hold up particularly well to even moderate usage in a kitchen. However I'm not sure any basic line is going to offer quality construction anymore either.

    The midgrade Merrilat has been fine for my kitchen. We're 6 years in, the soft close still functions flawlessly and the finish has held up perfectly as well. However I am gentle with my use habits and we don't have children either.

  • nfucito56
    2 years ago

    I stumbled on this very old thread, so here I am from your future to give you my take on Merillat classic in a wood stain. I am now trying to get matching cabinet doors so I can “butt” them so I can get rollout drawers in 2 cabinets. Looks like the still make the same door in the same finish- wish me luck. True, the boxes and slides are not real high quality, BUT the cabinets were installed in 2006 and still look great! I polish with beeswax. It’s a shame to throw out perfectly good boxes just to redesign 2 cabinets. I may replace the hinges with soft close. If these were indeed “builders” cabinets, then I guess the standard for builders” cabinets has gone downhill. The drawers and corners have stayed true and not even one stile on any drawer has separated, a problem in a humid place like Florida.

  • Jen K (7b, 8a)
    2 years ago

    @nfucito56 - your cabinets are beautiful! I love the stain color. Our (production home) builder only offers Merillat Classic, 8 styles, and 8 stains. I felt I had good choices to select from. We opted for the Merillat Classic Glenrock in Kona. I suppose if you treat cabinets well they'll last even when you're up against environmental factors like Florida humidity.

  • nfucito56
    2 years ago

    Thanks, Jen. No cabinets are inexpensive, just different levels of overpriced! Lol. Seeing the way my 2006 “builder grade” cabinets have held up, I don’t think I will be buying any top of the line stuff. They warn you nowadays that the stiles on shakers tend to separate little. Even the super pricy ones. This should be unacceptable! You do get what you pay for - just don’t overpay.

  • Susan Hays
    2 years ago

    We purchased Merrilat cabinets because the 20 year old ones that came with our house held up.

    DO NOT BUY MERRILAT cabinets now. Installation started this week...several cabinet boxes and doors were damaged in transit. We learned from the rep that Merrilat uses common freight carriers, whoever they can find (this was even before COVID), they are not packed well. Turns out our rep said it's easy to get replacements, he just goes to the site, clicks on what he needs and they send it. No big deal to Merrilat, they have probably have insurance that covers their end. Not a good way to run a business. Also, our installer cautioned to keep the touch up kit they sent close by as I'll need it.

    AND of course, they will not pay for installation of the replacement cabinets. How I missed the bad reviews of Merrilat I do not know.

  • Susan Hays
    2 years ago

    ....and oh, by the way, several cabinets & pieces missing from the order. No explanation.

  • Mavis Jones
    last year

    I'm using Reico for a kitchen reno (mainly new cabinets and new countertops). They get their cabinets from Merillat. I had never heard of Merillat until now. Decided to check for reviews on Merillat and most recent reviews have not been good. The estimate that Reico gave me was based on the Basic line. That estimate was close to what I had planned to spend. I have a meeting this week with designer to pick out what I want, and think I will upgrade to the Classic line. Praying that I am making the right decision. Hope I don't regret it. Don't necessarily need them to last a lifetime. Just need them to look nice and last for the next 5 years. I've checked with two local people who recently got Merilat cabinets through Reico. One has the Basics and the other has the Masterpiece. Both have said they are happy with their choices and they still love their kitchens. Hopefully, my experience will be the same.

  • Jen K (7b, 8a)
    last year

    @Mavis Jones Our builder contracted with the local Reico office. I'll start out with something I'm sure you will already know, and most likely agree with, that every Reico office is different (staff, experience, expertise). I didn't find our Reico designer to be helpful in choosing options, but I came to the appointment ready to roll (our builder provided all the options prior to the appointment). I came in thinking I would go with Ralston or Tolani until she pulled out a new option the builder added to the list, Glenrock. I went with that and love them (in Kona stain). My husband pulled out all the countertop options and narrowed them down and I made the final decision.


    The designer was helpful only in ticking off all her boxes for the builder. But that's just me as a customer, other customers she'd provide more guidance.


    I like the cabinets a lot. I've had better cabinets in a previous home but I like these. I chose a recessed design and the inset sounds like MDF (in my previous house they were all wood, including the inset), but I don't go around tapping on the inset so it doesn't matter to me.


    It seems like the finish on these is more prone to scratches so someday I'll get around to filling them in with the stain pens they provided. They're easy to clean with water and vinegar. The stain color is consistent throughout the product.


    These pics were before we moved in so there's some building/construction dust still on them.







  • Mavis Jones
    last year

    @Jen K (7b, 8a) Thank you for your input. Your kitchen is lovely.


    've got an idea of what I want. The designer I've been working with has some pros and cons. I'll get a better feel when I finally meet her in person this coming Saturday. I pretty much know what I want as far as cabinets. For the most part, same with the countertops. It's just me but when it comes to spending more than a few hundred dollars on anything, I stress until things are completed. It doesn't help that I got scammed on a previous home project.

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