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monmouthbeachreno

Do Not use Wolf Cabinets

MonmouthBeachReno
10 years ago

I just wanted to post about my experience with Wolf Building Solutions since I saw some others asking for reviews.

After Hurricane Sandy I had to replace my whole kitchen but didn't want anything top of the line - just simple, functional white cabinets. My contractor suggested Wolf because they were affordable, made in the US and had a "mobile showroom" which would speed up the whole process. My first meeting with so called "kitchen specialist" Frank Stukey went well, he was pleasant, seemed to know what he was talking about and the cabinets looked nice. He put together a kitchen design that looked like what I already had, which is what I wanted. This initial design didn't have any exact measurements on it but I gave my approval, assuming both the "kitchen specialist" and my contractor would make sure everything was functional and made sense (huge mistake #1).

What I ended up with is a kitchen that is the exact same size as my original kitchen but with about half the amount of usable cabinet space. The worst was where he put in two "blind corner" cabinets with 10" doors - leaving absolutely no option for pullout shelves, lazy susan shelves or anything like that. So I have these two huge corner cabinets with close to zero access to the space inside.

When we went back to Frank to come up with a solution to make the corners more usable (I even assumed I'd have to pay for the fix since I'd approved the design in the first place) - he simply refused to help. The fact that he thought those cabinets were a good idea in the first place was bad enough, but not trying to help make some adjustments after hearing we weren't happy is unacceptable. My contractor is now left to clean up Wolf's mess and try to make what's there more functional somehow.

The cabinets themselves look nice but I have read online about the quality being lacking over time. I'll have to see how they hold up over the next months and years.

Shame on me for not doing more due diligence and not demanding to see plans with exact measurements. I'm just hoping I can save someone else the same headache!

Comments (19)

  • Vertise
    10 years ago

    Is this a dealer or part of the company itself? Try contacting Wolf headquarters with the issues. Contact the president to get some resolution if you need to.

  • robbcs3
    10 years ago

    This seems to be an issue with frank and not wolf cabinets. They can only be purchased through lumber yards, design centers, etc. This has absolutely nothing to do with the cabinets themselves.

  • gaetanp
    10 years ago

    Your issue is with a poor design/designer. I have been selling and designing kitchens for many years and I never use a blind corner cabinet unless absolutely necessary or requested.. The Wolf cabinet is a great value in my opinion,not the best quality available,but you would be hard pressed to find an equivalent cabinet at the same price. I have sold over 200 kitchens of Wolf in the last two years...minor problems with quality that are always resolved to the customers satisfaction.

  • Graboski1
    10 years ago

    First I am glad to hear that you like the quality of WOLF Classic Cabinetry, however I am sorry you experienced disappointment with your design. WOLF Classic Cabinets does have design options to enhance the storage for any kitchen. It sounds like there may have been a communication issue with your independent dealer on your design needs. WOLF Classic Cabinets also offers a full 5 year warranty to ensure these Value Priced, ALL PLYWOOD, Dovetailed Solid Wood Drawer cabinets will stand the test of time. WOLF stands behind all of its products and we strive to delight all of our customers. A representative for WOLF Classic Cabinets will be in touch with your dealer to get your contact information to see how we can help with your design problem.

  • mlweaving_Marji
    10 years ago

    MonmouthBeach, I'm curious to know if Wolf made good on your cabinet issues.
    We are considering Wolf for both our laundry room and our upstairs guest bath which will get used no more than a handful of times a year.

  • alice1derland
    10 years ago

    I made the bad decision to use Wolf cabinets in my kitchen. Big mistake! Some mistakes were made by the designer but I have been waiting since August for replacement doors for 5 of my cabinets. Many of the doors were damaged. 2 were warped and they were all streaked.

    Yesterday I was told the doors were in. Then today I'm told the replacements "have imperfections." So now I get to wait again and I don't even know when/if I'm going to get doors that aren't damaged.

    Save yourself the hassle.

    This post was edited by alice1derland on Tue, Oct 1, 13 at 19:13

  • gocards23
    10 years ago

    Does anyone know where Wolf Cabinets are actually made within the US?

  • robbcs3
    10 years ago

    They are manufactured by Kountry wood products in Indiana

  • mltoms
    10 years ago

    So, trying to post a "neutral" experience here with Wolf. We're partially through the install now. See here for pics.

    Please keep in mind that this is a brand new install, so I haven't lived with these cabinets, but it should give some feel for the process.

    1) Issue of damage/time. Cabinet install was supposed to have started on Monday, October 14th. One of the pieces for the island had not arrived, so it started on Wednesday, October 16th. Mostly finished on Thursday, October 17th.

    One of the upper cabinets was damaged. A new one was installed yesterday, Tuesday, October 24th. One door had a small nick. New door yesterday.

    We did go with a very reliable cabinet dealer. I don't know if they have more clout than some others.

    2) Issue of design. There aren't many "skus" so there were not a lot of options. I would have preferred a super-susan to a lazy susan. I would have preferred an upper easy reach instead of a angled corner. I would have preferred a curved end to the island pieces instead of an angled. None of these were important enough to me to upgrade to a semi-custom/full custom line. At least not for the price point.

    3) Issue of quality. The edges of the wood is not as smooth as I would imagine other doors are. For full plywood boxes, we were willing to put up with a little extra elbow grease in cleaning. (We were upgrading from 25 year old frameless particle board cabinets)

    I recognize that these decisions would not be made by most of the GWers, but they seemed right for us at this time.

  • cmanley33
    9 years ago

    I am reading a lot of chatter about Wolf Classic cabinets but has anyone had an experience with Wolf Designer Cabinets? Thx

  • Loand Garcia
    9 years ago

    Hi there, I own a retail store and sell Wolf Classic and Designer. Working with them all this years never had any problems. I believe the problem that u had was the service provide it since day one. Every time that I sell a kitchen, I am always trying to make sure that my costumers know exactly what they are getting. Another words the best title for this book will be , DONT BY CABINETS FROM THIS PEOPLE. WOLF JUST SUPPLIE WHAT THEY WERE ASK FOR. THANKS AND HOPE YOU HAD SOLVE YOUR NEEDS.

  • Laura Deppmeier
    4 years ago

    You are the one purchasing product you need to never sign off on anything until you know for sure your contractor provided the correct measurements. You also signed off on the design the designer and the contractor are not at fault here nor is the cabinet company.

  • millworkman
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Laura Deppmeier you do realize this is a very old post?

  • Laura Deppmeier
    4 years ago

    Yes; but it still needs to be addressed. The original person didn't do what they were supposed to do. They signed for a design without her contractor making sure everything was correct. She made assumptions. Contractors should always be brought into a kitchen showroom so the designer and the contractor can compare notes. If the kitchen was ordered correctly her contractor would have had an easier time. It wasn't fair to him at all since he was stuck installing the kitchen she blindly signed off on.

  • ymbs01
    3 years ago

    This is going to sound very weird but has anyone ever had someone come to their home to paint a wolf cabinet? I am very skeptical.

  • HU-646502765
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    My parents had Wolf Cabinets installed in their home and they are so cheap looking and awful. We are wondering about a warranty on the cabinets. A salesperson returned my call and was rude and ugly to me i don’t remember the last time I was treated so horribly by someone who represents a company. I sent so many pictures of the rough awful edges of the doors and pictures depicting how bad the quality is and asking for then to give me information on warranty and if they will stand by these cabinets and take them back. The salesperson treated me like garbage and I am seeking Information on whar steps I can take to see if someone high up at this company will stand by these cabinets and take them back. Unless the company will take their cabinets back I would say DO NOT EVER purchase From Wolf. These cabinets are brand new and EVERY single door looks like the pictures below. where the dovetailing meets it is all rough and unfinished it is hard to believe anyone would consider these acceptable to box up and ship off they are a mess and cheapen the value of the kitchen. If anyone has any info on how I can resolve this situation and maybe speak to someone important at Wolf instead of the very nasty salesperson that returned my call it would be appreciated.






  • Joseph Stetz
    3 years ago

    I have the exact same thing happening to my Wolf cabinets. They started to look like that only after 1 year and have gotten progressively worse! My kitchen looks like a 30 year old weathered kitchen and it's only about 5 years old! I'm embarrassed for Wolf that they are putting out such poor quality products! If I had to do it again I would have purchased Bertch cabinets I have put one in my bathroom and it's about 5 years old and looks just like the day I put it in! I to am gonna look into contacting Wolf and seeing if there is anything that can be done!

  • Meg Gal
    13 days ago

    I love my bertch bathroom vanity! I just came back from Wolf cabinet dealer and I am reading this post… :-(