Has anyone used HD for custom cabinets?

poopshovel again said:

This is the existing thing we’re replacing. Considered keeping it but the counter top is all berkeleyed up, it’s rusted to hell inside, and all the plumbing needs to be replaced anyway...oh...and we “need” a dishwasher.

Question, what are the two pipes rubniru along the window wall? Is that the plumbing for the sink? Or something else entirely?

I have an almost exact scenario in my own kitchen. 

This was built entirely with standard cabinet components. It’s a 33” sink in a 30” sink base. 24” DW, and an end panel. I have a little more space than you have at the wall- it’s (2) 15” cabinets instead of 1. 

My HD experience was painless. I took my measurements to the store and sat down with the cabinet rep. In about half an hour I had printouts with a map of which cabinet went where. The delivery guys were pretty rough with the unloading and damaged one base which I returned. I did the install myself and thankfully watched a youtube video which pointed out the need to leave the counter top longer than the base to accept the end cap.

I got knockdown cabinets from ziggys that were decent, not custom but usually available right away

In reply to SVreX :

Like I said, all plumbing needs to be unberkeleyed anyway, so maybe just go “standard” and let homeboy figure the plumbing out?

10-4 on the beer! We’ll make a run to publix liquor store in the challenge car!

Anecdotal input:

When I was re-doing my kitchen in my last house, I stripped things down to subfloor and studs.  I moved gas lines and water lines to completely reconfigure a kitchen layout that had last been updated in the 50s.  I wanted a whole custom setup.

First stop, IKEA.  Incredibly knowledgeable, highly trained, and the range of cabinet styles, colors, and doors were like building a custom car using parts-bin shopping.  Got a price and left, noting that every single piece was in stock.  It is super easy (with a little research) to compile a complete custom kitchen from items they have in stock.

Second stop, HD.  Also very knowledgeable.  Much smaller range of sizes and finishes in stock meant definitely a custom setup.  I got a price which was nearly triple what IKEA quoted.  When I brought this to the attention of the HD associate, he quietly pulled me aside and said "don't even think twice, get cabinets from IKEA." He cited that they do use particle board (as do most over-the-counter cabinets) but they carry a 15-25 year warranty and they are the absolute best composite cabinets available.

Third stop, Lowes.  Pretty much copy and paste exactly what the HD designer said.  She had actually worked for IKEA in kitchen design and gave me some inside info.  The [insert brand name that I forget] hinges and drawer sliders IKEA uses are highly coveted.  KraftMaid has been trying to get this hardware for decades but [the brand name] refuses to sell them to anyone but IKEA.  She said I would be an idiot to get KraftMaid over IKEA and cited that I would be getting a better warranty, and 95% the quality for one third the price.

Long story short, I got my entire kitchen through IKEA.

I also contracted through IKEA to get the quartz countertops (third party) and it was a far better price than any of the local shops I called.  There is a wee bit of frustration having to assemble everything yourself.  It gets tedious, but the whole thing went together flawlessly and I loved the end product.  

On a sidenote, in the entire truckload of boxes, I had one mistake.  Of the hundred or so boxes, they accidentally pulled one brown drawer front instead of white (which they happily exchanged).  I was impressed when it was all done, I didn't need to call for missing screws, exchange damaged pieces, or ever visit the store again (except for that one exchange).  Complete package done right the first time.  I was impressed.

The only reason I didn't do it for this current kitchen project is because I was just augmenting existing cabinets, and they had come from HD, so I just added a few more HD cabinets to match what was already there.  I did use IKEA kitchen pantries to make my closet in the master bedroom, and my coffee table and end tables are IKEA as well.

Can you tell I like IKEA?

In reply to daeman :

Plumbing for sink and water heater. It’s a mess. Again, soon to be unberkeleyed.

In reply to poopshovel again :

And that's exactly why I asked, it means you're not limited to your current plumbing location. Looks like you're well on the way to getting this done for cheap.

Here’s the rest of the kitchen. Weird layout. I’m thinking we’ll stick the fridge to the right of the door that goes to the dining room, and maybe do more cabinets on that wall.

Stove will likely stay where it is. Big square water heater to the right of it will be gone & replaced with the cabinet that’s currently right of the door (where fridge will go) 

...I think. I dunno.

I’ve ordered “custom” kitchen cabinets from HD and also bought their basic unpainted oak front particleboard carcass cabinets that are stocked and cheap.

Both were uneventful. Cabinets are simple. Plywood carcass is a good upgrade especially for a sink base cabinet that could someday be wet. 

PS: I know it looks like a wreck, but I need to find some “before” pics! Hadn’t been lived in in 10+ years. Cleaning was a nightmare, and thanks Paul, (and everyone else) for the suggestions on the lead encapsulation paint. The doors look AWESOME (I think,) and we’re trying to keep as much original stuff as possible.

Are you replacing cabinets for the entire kitchen, or just the sink area?

Any thought about replacing the windows?  Getting the bottom of the windows up to a more "standard" height would greatly increase layout options. 

I bought through HD years ago and the process was awesome.  They designed the layout for us and the lady we worked with was very good.   

My ex worked at Ikea for a while designing kitchens. She was very good at it and her clients loved her.  She now works in a kitchen & bath store.   

Around here, Busy Beaver sells a line of cabinets that undercut HD and Lowes by a bit. We use them in a lot of rental properties. Be sure to check out local chains as well.   

Check Craigslist.  I have seen people remodel houses and toss out really nice cabinetry or sell it for pennies.   

Remember, a pull-out spice rack is skinny and can fill in gaps nicely.  

I tried to use Lowes for cabinets when I remodeled my office a couple years ago. I would link to the thread, but the pics were all on photobucket so now there are no pics and the thread is less than useful.

I bought my cabinets from The Cabinet Joint. They were good to work with and will make you whatever you need. You have to assemble the cabinets yourself, but it is easy and you can easily get exactly what you want.

I'm with Curtis. I'm in the middle of doing my second full kitchen remodel in 6 years using IKEA cabinets. The first one was basically a bolt-together. In the current one, I've had to modify one or two cabinets to meet non-standard dimensions. Using the right cabinet as a starting point, it's not that hard to do. 

The first kitchen was built of (I believe) off-the-shelf cabinets in 1976. The second was a high end custom built setup from 1982. The IKEA parts are dramatically stronger and better built than the 1976 units and are at least as good as the 1982 units but with much better hardware. I choose IKEA doors that are solid wood, not the particulate ones - this depends on color/finish choice. I add glue to all joints as well. And yes, it's a 25 year warranty.

You can do the design online with their 3D tool, then a kitchen design expert will eyeball it and make sure the order is right. It'll print out a frightening pick list in several formats, including one that is organized by cabinet. I can look at mine and see exactly what drawers/fronts/etc to pull for cabinet 26, which is useful when the flat packed kitchen completely fills a two-car garage. A nice extra is that IKEA also has a bunch of accessories that are sized to fit their specific drawers, etc. If I damage a door, I can pick up another one.

I picked the last one up at IKEA with a trailer. Took hours for them to pull it all, but the accuracy was excellent. I had the current one shipped and it was a disaster. Weeks and weeks of delay with no communication, poor loading of the pallets that ended up with a bunch of damaged parts, less accuracy in pulling and I ended up having to go back to Denver anyhow to exchange the damage. IKEA will also take returns of unopened parts for a full year after the sale so if you change your mind it's no big deal.

If I was looking to become a contractor doing renos here in town, I'd seriously consider just designing/picking up/installing IKEA kitchens. There's money to be made.

I've been paying attention to where this stuff is coming from. The cabinets are made in the USA. Something was from Sweden. It's a truly global production, with very little of it actually being Chinese.

Doesn't help answer questions much in this particular case - SVreX is the man when it comes to the design - but it's a good source for the raw material.

In reply to poopshovel again :

My original intention was to build my own cabinets. I bought 2000 bd ft of cherry for only 40 cents a bd foot. Ive got the equipment to do the work and if you’ve seen pictures of my house you know I can do it.  

My fiance ( then, wife now) wanted it right now!  Making cabinets is a slow job unless you have one piece of equipment dedicated to each task. Set up time kills productivity.  

Her money so this is the result 

Several thousand dollars later, we ended up going with HD. I’ll let y’all know how it works out. I obsess over finding the best deal, but working a minimum of 60 hrs a week with two houses, two kids, and less than a month to get it done, HD was definitely the “easy button.” We went ahead and bought all the hardware, light fixtures, appliances, fans, vanity for the bathroom, etc etc etc at the same time. The same young lady that helped with the cabinet design helped us out with all of that, too.

Knocked it all out in a day vs. driving back and forth to ATL to Habitat or IKEA. I sometimes forget that spending all that time running around trying to save a few bucks ends up costing me more money in missed time working. 

Anyway. Thanks, all! I’ll post pics when it’s done! One step closer to the dream of living/workin’ on the farm!!!

Here's an idea, you can get the basic cabinet boxes from Ikea can work in almost any configuration.  So, take a look at their cabinets and see what you can make work.

THEN, go over to the Google and type; custom cabinet doors for Ikea cabinets.  Wouldn't you know that there is an entrepreneurial American out there who thought that the basic IKEA cabinet works but better doors on them will dress them up.

>Scott

HD did a nice job! Now to get bangin on floors!!!