It looks like what happened is a result of the raised panel vs the recessed panel. When glazing my cabinet doors, I noticed that the glaze really sticks on that concave side of the raised panel. Maybe because it's cut across the grain? If you don't like that area being darker, and are still set on glaze, I would pick a recessed panel similar to the original sample. BUT, it does look like there's other areas of uneven darkness...along the lower side edge in the second picture for example. I'm no professional, but I think it's sloppy, regardless of the door style. Definitely not the even quality of your first sample.

I can't comment on the glazing, but my Starmark inset cabinets were installed earlier this week and I'm very pleased with the quality of the cabinets. Perhaps a different style door would be better for glazing.

Maidielou explained it very well. The areas where the end grain is exposed are going to absorb more stain, glaze. You'd be much happier w/ a recessed panel style like the doors in your first picture as she suggested.

IMHO, "To be expected" or "normal" suggests that something is not ugly. So, if you can imagine swelling with pride as your guests exclaim, "Oh dear, what happened to your cabinets?" and you reply, "It's normal," then go ahead. Otherwise--different door or maybe different cabinet company.

IMHO, "To be expected" or "normal" suggests that something is not ugly.

Not really. It is normal and to be expected that endgrain wood takes finish differently than surface grain, and one should check the desired stain or glazing on the desired door style. Ugly is in the eye of the beholder -- I don't like glazing on any door style. :)

LOL Marcolo.

Glaze is meant to imitate antique patina on a brand new surface. As such, irregularities and glitches tend to be part of the deal.

Personally, I really dislike glazing for exactly that reason: I'll create my own irregularities and glitches soon enough, thanks very much. :-)

Missmuffet, I don't find that sample door very attractive either. Glaze doesn't always work, esthetically, on raised panel styles. It's trying to resolve a contradiction that I'm not sure can be resolved: raised panels with all that trim are modern, and glazing is an antique finish.

Completely normal, and why I do not like glazing (no offense, I know some love it, but it's just not for me). I have seem really nice glazing, but it was on very, very, very expensive pieces.

You would think that a cabinet company would know this and inform the customer that this glazing works best on this door! And, not even offer it on a door style that won't be able to glaze properly.

Well, the cabinet company did require her to get a sample door (assuming there - mine did when I ordered something that they didn't have a sample of on site).

I don't like the glazing either...

I tend to side more with maidielou, idrive65, and ellendi, although there are a lot of good points and the style of the door does not lend itself as well to glazing. An artisan faux finisher could make that door look good but at what cost? I don't know, but they would scrape the wood on that style door in oak with a wire brush to create crevices for the glaze to stick to, then most likely do at least two coats of thin glaze. However, even a simple glazing is a bit of an art and that door does not look like a work of art--at best it is a bit on the sloppy side. They were probably trying to get a thicker coat of glaze on to compensate for the lack of crevices. The cabinet shop should have steered you away from it. Regardless of what anyone thinks, you are NOT happy with the result, and for $20,000 you should be!

With that said, I would go back to the cabinet shop and let them know you are unhappy with the result and listen to their response. At least they gave you a sample. If you are not completely satisfied, then start shopping.

Keep in mind that if you choose anything other than what you see as an example, such as style, wood species or glazing color, then the result will vary. Get another sample. I also agree that the style of door you originally liked takes the glaze best because of all of the grooves.

Keep your chin up!

I am a faux finisher and I think that particular door is perfect for applying a glaze -- the glaze is meant to accent the mouldings, not necessarily to *antique* the door. That would, as mentioned, require more personality to all the surfaces of the door: dents, dings, worm-holes, etc...
As for the actual application, it's not always the amount of glaze, but the amount of color or pigment in the glaze, along with how much is wiped off (or left on). And, although the end grain does absorb more glaze, sometimes the glaze is applied after a coat of varnish, in which case that has no bearing.
A simpler door would have to have an all-over glaze or strie, and not just applied in the grooves for it to be effective.
That said, it's not for everyone. It is a hand-applied finish, in which case human error is possible. If the glaze as presented to you doesn't make you happy and they cannot assure that it will live up to your expectations, you should probably reconsider. You may also save some money as glaze runs about 17-20% of the total cost.
Glazing, when done properly is truly a specialty finish.

I really love it on the door style in the first picture. I don't think it's suited as well to the raised panel style because it can't be as subtle due to the curved part of the panel. With that said, I think it looks like it's supposed to on a raised panel door.

All things considered, I think it's really great you were able to get full door sized samples!

Thank you all so much for your comments. Originally we had not even wanted a glaze, but we were having a hard time deciding on a color stain that would work with our existing dark wood floors. The original sample door really did a good job of picking up the colors in the floor without being dark. That style is a fairly big change from the one I was going with - so I would have to think about switching to that one carefully.

Hmmm, change style, change color, change brands, change everything . . .

I'm the odd man out here, but I like glazing. The end grains just pick up more of the glazing, which is why it is darker. The trend may be away from glazing lately and towards a uniform cabinet color and also away from distressing. So, I am not sure if that is what people are reacting to. I personally really like distressing and glaze. My tastes don't really seem to change and I'm all right with that.

It sounds like you are interested in the glazing because it ties in your darker wood floor nicely. I also believe you are not happy with the glaze on the cabinet style you chose, which is why you hesitated and posted this question. Would that initial door style work for you? That cabinet brand is supposed to be good based on what I could see on a quick google of it.

I have chocolate glazed natural maple distressed island by Plain and Fancy. I don't know if this will help you or not, but here's a photo of the sample cabinet I got (I think it's raised panel inset?)
{{!gwi}}

And then the actual cabinet
{{!gwi}}

Sorry. "Normal" is a word foisted on innocent consumers by cabinet salesmen. What genuine antique has large, high-contrast, irregular blobs of stain floating in the middle of a door panel, as in the second photo? What antique has a series of strange dark vertical drips, other than Ann Boleyn's chopping block?

On a well-glazed piece, you're not really supposed to really see the stain. HIghlights and lowlights are supposed to feel like they are features of the cabinet or furniture itself.

I just hand-refinished an old oak banister, and the end grain doesn't appear as large dark blobs of stain. I simply did it correctly. I suppose I could've done it the easy way, and just taped up a Post-It note with an arrow pointing to the blobs, saying "Normal."

Marcolo, can you post a photo of your oak banister so that the OP can see what you mean about the end grain?

Ann Boleyn's chopping block . . .

Not really the look I was going for. Think I've got to fix something.

Thought I should follow-up. I went back to the KD and showed him what I thought was wrong with those doors. He suggested that I try a different style - same brand, same stain and same glaze. Here's the new door:

{{!gwi}}

From my untrained eye, it appears the way I would expect a glaze to look. What do all of you think?

If I can share a leason learned - get sample doors in the style and color (together). The wait time is worth it.

Your second selection is much better. I have glazed doors. It was my understanding that it works best if the door has little crevices (lines) on it, as that is where the glaze soaks in and shows up as a slightly darker contrast to the rest of the wood.

The first and last pictures you posted, with the glaze looking pretty good, have one thing in common: Little or no visible end grain.

missmuffet,

I think it looks great!

doonie

Much, much better.

"The areas where the end grain is exposed are going to absorb more stain, glaze."

While finishes on raw wood are absorbed differently on end grain, a glaze is not applied to raw wood.

It is strictly a style issue.
The first door is not glazed in a style you like.

There is nothing wrong or "sloppy" about the application, it is just not what you want.