I can't answer your question. I can only tell you that we are very happy with our Schuler cabinets. The wood is lovely and the cabinets are well made. We didn't do very much comparing. My friend is a KD and she recommended Schuler.

I don't know about Koch or Wellborn Forest, but I would definitely choose Schuler over Kraftmaid.... I like their finishes better. But since you are having them painted, I would go with the cabinets that have the door style and paint color you like the most since the quotes are so close.

Hello,

We have Wellborn and are very happy with them. They are well made and so far, so good! They were put in during our new build about 5 years ago. Our builder used to use Kraftmaid and for various reasons, quit using them and went with Wellborn. Our cabinets are a stained maple. We did just purchase a new island that is black painted maple, can't wait to get it installed!

mom2sethc,

Do you have Wellborn, or Wellborn Forest.
I was told they where brothers and split?

Wonder if there is a difference between the 2?
THanks,

Hi!

Mine are Wellborn Select. They are 5 years old. I'm not sure that the Forest line was around then, I could be wrong though?

The in-laws just had Kraftmaid installed within the last two months and they seem to be happy with them thus far.

They were going to have ***** (a major name) reface them and when the sub-contractor came out to measure he told them they could have brand new cabinets for the same price (I'm sure ***** would be less than thrilled with that kind of sales pitch but it was too good to turn down).

We visited them in October and I was impressed with the self-closing feature (brand new thing for me - I've really been out of it in terms of what's new in cabinetry). Of course, most (all?) of the companies have self-closing features but I've noticed that, since being back home and visiting cabinet stores, some don't seem to close/function as well as others (which could be a result of being in showrooms (?)).

We had custom cabinets in the last house and the quality was terrible so in comparison, the Kraftmaid seemed well-made. I had Amish-made custom cabinets in the house before that and thought the quality of the Kraftmaid was more in keeping with those cabinets (which were built in the pre-self-closing era but were very well made).

Unfortunately, Wellborn Forest is not available in California - at least not according to their website, although Wellborn appears to be available. I've always had the impression Wellborn were well-made cabinets but I don't know anyone who has owned either line.

I've been somewhat leery about Schuler because they're owned by the same conglomerate that owns Medallion (Elkay) and when I googled Medallion a few weeks ago this is one of the first 10 entries that came up (and from Gardenweb):

"My frustration with Medallion Cabinet Co."

I haven't ever looked at Koch cabinets because even though their website indicates they're available in California, they don't list dealer names and require a phone call for more information. I'm weird in this way - but a little thing like that aggravates me. I've actually emailed a handful of cabinet companies for more information on dealers and have never heard back from any of them (apparently the economy is better than I thought).

I'm curious about Big Blue.

Is it a store like Home Depot or Lowe's?

We have Schuler in our kitchen and Kraftmaid in our bathrooms. I do NOT recommend Schuler cabinets. We spent a lot of money on the cherry wood and they look beautiful when installed but after just a few years, the finish doesn't hold up. The finish has completely worn off all over the place but mainly around the handles and near the floor. Meanwhile, the cheaper Kraftmaid cabinets are in perfect condition...they look as good as the day we installed them. I regret getting Schuler...I thought I did my homework and that I would love them but what a disaster.

To Schuler's credit, they contacted me when they saw the horrific cabinet photos I posted to their Facebook page and they replaced some of the worst worn-out fronts and gave me a touch up kit but neither solution has last long...the replacements are already showing their wear. I expected more from expensive cabinets.