#Quality all wood kitchen cabinets online or at big box?

Nannajoe August 24, 2011

I've been doing my kitchen cabinet homework and getting bids for almost 3 weeks. The prices are more than I want to spend at this time. Have any of you found good quality unfinished or finished (all wood) cabinets online or at one of the big box stores? I am thinking we can buy unfinished and stain ourselves, or perhaps order them completed on the internet and install them ourselves. We can order the countertop locally.

Mamiam

My two cents -- don't know if you're building new or remodeling, but either way -- the LAST place you want to cut corners is on cabinets. It's always wiser to go with 100% solid wood -- no matter how nice the plywoods and particle boards look-- b/c only solid wood cabinets will still be hanging level and serving you right 15, 20 years down the road. Cabinets are soooo important that I'd even go so far to say it's better to put down Formica on your countertops, leave your floor plywood, operate with outdated appliances, stick a fan in the window instead of an exhaust system/range hood until a later date than to go for anything less than solid wood cabinets.

I do have one suggestion: follow Craig's list and other local ads. People take out their solid-wood cabinets and are looking to get rid of them all the time. You might just luck out and find yourself some solid cherry that someone pickled when that was all the rage and now they're onto the next trend.

My husband has built/installed many kitchens over the years and believe me, I know this to be true! We still laugh about the client who wanted natural cherry cabinets who threw a fit when they arrived because she didn't like the red grains of the cherry! Apparently, she had NO concept of what cherry looks like in its natural state. probably was just following what all her neighbors were doing.

Then. you guessed it. she paid my husband to pickle them white!

LOL. could have just as easily bought pine and done that!

Anyway. be sure to search out/check what you know in your area to be wealthier craigslist towns.

With a little elbow grease and a lot of tenacity, and a few prayers, you might just be able to get a kitchen that you never thought you could afford!