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karma77_gw

Help with Kitchen Cabinets

karma77
11 years ago

I am brand new to GW but have been very impressed at the quality of responses on such a wide range of topics! So I'm going to go out on a limb and ask for help.

We want to remodel our kitchen, but have a modest budget. The first couple of quotes have been above what we can afford. We would like to keep the cabinets white, (a classic frameless, raised panel look) and want good quality, solid wood cabinets, but not top of the line (approximately KraftMaid or better).

We will have some construction costs moving a microwave and oven from wall built-ins along with a cooktop off our island, into the cabinet area, and relocating our current pantry.

I'm beginning to think we need to consider RTA cabinets and find a good installer. My research brought me to GW, and so far I've seen references to at least 37 different cabinet manufacturers, and honestly, my brain is on overload. (but if I'm processing everything correctly, terms I need to look for are "semi-custom", "plywood box", "full overlay", "frameless inset hinges", "full-extension glides", and "lacquer, not painted, wood, like maple--not MDF or thermafoil")

Last night I used Lowe's kitchen design program and my rough measurements to piece together what I think will work. I'm attaching the 2D and 3D images.

I live in Houston and would greatly appreciate any advice regarding how to go about all of this, including cabinet brands to look at and/or people to work with.

Thank you!

Comments (11)

  • SparklingWater
    11 years ago

    You mention you live in Houston. Have you checked out Houston Cabinetry yet? Reputable owner with tons of experience in the cabinet industry. I have no affiliation with him but came across his wealth of pragmatic advise and years worth of cabinet web posts on city_ forum. If you look on the cabinet website they have great videos they made too that walk you through many processes of planning to finish.

    Good luck. If I were in Houston it's where I would go.

  • JStewart
    11 years ago

    I agree, GW is a fount of knowledge. I like your layout but have one suggestion. My contractor suggested moving the sink from in front of my window to the corner (near your window), and made sure that the shorter corner cabinet was in that corner too. It really gives me more (unbroken) layout space for baking, mixing, juggling, etc. It might add some expense ... my line only moved a couple of feet.

  • karma77
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks so much. rtwilliams-I like your idea for the microwave. I'm posting pictures of my current set up.
    Sparkling water-my appointment with Houston Cabinetry is tomorrow : ) Thanks for the info.
    JStewart-I'm having trouble visualizing your suggestion. Do you mean to the top left of the diagram? I saw the dishwasher/sink/cutlery drawer order (along the left wall) and it looked like a good flow for clean up.

  • eam44
    11 years ago

    If you are going to consider semi-custom cabinets, the best I've seen are assembled 6square cabinets (you may have a local vendor there - check their web site or cliqstudios.com) and Barker RTA cabinets. Search GW for threads on both.

  • desertsteph
    11 years ago

    Scherr's cabinets - don't know if they do semi-custom tho. or if I spelled it correctly.

    I wouldn't want seating on the inner (working) side of an island. How wide are the aisles? sink to island? stove to island? fridge to island?

    I do agree about the mw. I'd want a good fan over the stove, not a mw/fan. and with it over stove no one can use it while someone is cooking on the stove. Also it's more hassle and expense to replace when it dies if it's OTR.

    maybe you can learn some of those terms here. Full extension drawers? They pull ALL the way out. No sticking your hand back into a drawer that is still part way under the counter top or the drawer above it.

  • karma77
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks so much. rtwilliams-I like your idea for the microwave. I'm posting pictures of my current set up.
    Sparkling water-my appointment with Houston Cabinetry is tomorrow : ) Thanks for the info.
    JStewart-I'm having trouble visualizing your suggestion. Do you mean to the top left of the diagram? I saw the dishwasher/sink/cutlery drawer order (along the left wall) and it looked like a good flow for clean up.

    {{!gwi}}

  • karma77
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Is anyone familiar with Debut Cabinets?

    I'm going to put a hood vent out the wall over the range and put the microwave on a shelf next to the refrigerator.

    I have 44 inches on the side of the island next to the range, and should have 34 between seating area and dishwasher.

  • JStewart
    11 years ago

    Yes, sorry, I meant the upper left of your diagram. Your "run" is a bit different, but it might work. My current run is Sink in lower left corner, lower cabinet, DW, stove, lower cabinet. Since we moved the sink from beside the DW to the corner, I now have at least one continuous run, which I didn't have before.

  • texasgal47
    11 years ago

    Karma, I'm just completing a kitchen/bath/diningroom remodel of a small, modest patio home in Houston and have some excellent references for you to check out. Since there were no major changes, I served as my own contractor. Like you, I began the process totally confused, did my research, and spent much time obtaining bids from RTA, custom, and a number of standard cabinet manufacturers. My final selection was painted and glazed Kraftmaid cabinets from Home Depot in Humble, purchased during one of their many sales. Standard dimensions worked very well for my situation with almost no wasted space. There were only a few very minor problems with the cabinets which were promptly resolved. Vera, my design consultant there, was excellent. She made suggestions I would not have considered. For the price point, I'm very pleased with the product. What I was not happy with was the Home Depot bid for the install and found my own installers. In the end, they saved the day. They also build custom cabinets in high end homes and were able to make my cabinets look custom and expensive at 60% below the cost of the original install bid. One of them also did a wonderful job of installing my glass tile backsplash and had excellent references for other tradesmen. I used an ASID interior designer to help in selecting granite, backsplash, and other materials. Without her help, I would have had a very nice kitchen; with her help, I have a stunning kitchen. All parties were professional, a joy to work with, for a very fair price. I would suggest you obtain a cabinet bid from my installers. I also found a father and son in Houston who build and install very nice cabinets who should also be checked out for someone on a tight budget. My email is available through gardenweb for references or other questions. You're welcome to pay me a visit to see the quality of their work or for other help.

  • torachan
    11 years ago

    Dear karma77: I found RTA recommendations from an article in Fine Homebuilding magazine. I had a great experience with Conestoga cabinets and Barker's for a single appliance panel. Scherr's was very prompt with a quote but I needed finished cabinets. They will however build whatever you need in whatever dimensions. Good luck.

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