@Sophie, thank you for your response. There are a few things I didn't quite understand.

Do you mean that most store-bought cabinets *are* cheap plywood and crap hardware, and that unfinished ones wouldn't be (and therefore would be a better quality)? They use "birch furniture grade veneer core plywood" for most of the construction, and "solid wood pocket mortised face frames". Is that good quality or no?

The company I've been looking at ships the cabinets fully assembled. I'd have to pay someone to do the installation anyway, no matter where I purchase the cabinets. I'm making an assumption that installation would cost about the same regardless of what brand the cabinets are. Am I incorrect?

I'm not going to DIY the painting of the cabinets, no matter what. I thought milkpaint is very durable. I have an antique cabinet that was once in a diner kitchen, and the paint is still in tact. The piece is probably 60 years old, and the only damage is from where someone whacked into it with a power wheelchair. So I don't understand your comment about conversion varnish.

And according to what I've found online: "Milk Paints all meet the environmental GREEN guidelines set forth for Architectural, Cabinets and Furniture (EPA 40 CFR Parts 9, 59 & 63), California Wood Coatings (SCAQMD Rule 1136), Kitchen Cabinet Makers Association (ESP - Environmental Stewardship Program), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). "

Am I really mis-interpreting what I'm reading?

Thanks.

What you're looking at is not at all top quality. The catlog is really telling. It's pretty far from ''custom'', and I'd be suprised if it were manufactured in America. It has all of the same buzz words that the imports use to imply that, without ever actually declaring a country of origin for anything. Most higher quality unfinished cabinets will come flat packed in pieces, and requre assembling into finished boxes. That is to save freight and let you put your money into the cabinets, not shipping. Of course, not every one wants or needs top quality, but I certainly would not use those cabinets in any project that I was associated with.

Without you DIYing, you will pay more for your finished product than you would purchasing a finished product from a high quality line. Labor costs will be the lion's share of any project, and you are only increasing that purchased labor cost, not reducing it. If you can't. DIY, you need to give up this idea. It's not feasable.

There is a huge difference in a light use dining room type cabinet and kitchen cabinets. Read about KCMA testing standards and do your own testing of something milk painted. You will find that it will stain, and isn't readily scrubbable. http://www.kcma.org/Homeowners/Performance_Testing_and_Certification_Program

Thanks for clarifying, @Sophie Wheeler. I appreciate you interpreting that website in a way that I could not do for myself! I guess my next step is to look at some local kitchen showrooms, I've had a few friends and neighbors make recommendations. My sticking point is that I just don't like how "new" new kitchens look. And I don't like the fake distressed look. But my current kitchen is truly garbage...the cheap stuff the builder put in (and not well) nearly 30 years ago. It's falling apart.

Hi orangecamera,

I've looked at Kitchen Cabinet Depot for my dining room buffet, and I ended up going with another dealer. I think the unfinished cabinets came from the same warehouse, though. To try to keep costs down, I painted them myself and bought the lowest grade that was still all wood. I would not do it again, and when it came time to do my kitchen, I went with Conestoga (factory finished) from Northern Granite & Cabinetry.

The reasons why I don't recommend the unfinished cabinets are:
The finish will never be as durable as a factory finish. Wood expands and contracts. There are places on my cabinets that need to be touched up b/c now the primer color is exposed.
It is hard to paint cabinets; even though you don't plan to paint yourself, you'll pay for the labor, including sanding between coats. And imagine painting the insides! I gave up and left my interiors unfinished, as it was just for the dining room - and I consider myself a good painter.
The unfinished cabinets do not give you many door style options, and any upgrades, like edge profiles, full overlay, and full extension drawer slides, cost a lot of money. The standard door designs are outdated in a 1980s sort of way. Conestoga doesn't charge extra for changing edge profiles or panel raises.

Therefore I would go with Sophie's suggestion for distressed or matte finishes from a quality company. Avoid anything from a big box store.
If there are Amish craftsmen in your area, I bet they could make just what you are looking for.

Sorry, I don't know anything about milk paint.

Thank you very much for all the details, emily! I just took a quick look at the Conestoga website, and will look more carefully soon. I'm sure some local kitchen vendors carry Conestoga, since the factory is only 2 hours away from where I live.

I would say; keep the milk-paint-dream if you had an existing honey oak kitchen in great shape inside & out that you just wanted to change the color of. Since you are replacing an old, worn out kitchen you will get far more years out of a new cabinet, professionally distressed (there are many lines that offer what you are looking for), glazed and painted. Not to mention you will get the security of having a warranty on the craftsmanship and finish -- the peace of mind far outweighs the headache of ordering piece meal cabinets and hiring them to be painted.
{in fact there was just a thread on here with pictures of someone having their cabinets custom painted, search for it so you can see the chips Sophie was referring to}

A few points here orangecamera.

Listen to Sophie, she is right on about quality and where things come from,and the finishes. As far as not being able to get a quality finish from anyplace but a factory, wrong.

A well qualified, experienced, independent professional finisher can put on a better finish than you will get from any factory. Remember factories are all about production.

As far as your kitchen goes, if you want an old look, consider an unfitted kitchen (i.e. no cabinets, furniture instead). Search antique stores, garage sales, craig's list, etc for the era of furniture you want and learn to repair and refinish yourself.

OC - I think Sophie is giving you great advice... there are many reputable American made cabinet manufacturers that offer unfinished cabinetry - most charge the same price as their finished cabinets and do not warranty the cabinets. I read a little about the milk paint and it said if being used on things such as kitchen cabinets etc you should use a ploy coat on top so you can clean them, so that is another layer of work on top of the sanding, distressing, painting and now top coating... for all that labor you could go to a cabinet manufacturer that does custom finishing and distressing - there are plenty out there... have a dealer order a sample or 2 and you will see what you can truly get.
Good luck!

@Al, I love the "unfitted" kitchen look so much, and have been keeping my eye out for pieces that will work. I have a strangely shaped kitchen.

The room itself is L-shaped, with the work area on one leg. The layout is fine for actual cooking, but space is VERY tight in terms of storage. The other leg of the L only has pony walls. Currently there are no cabinets on those walls. I can only use low furniture - I'm looking for credenza-type, or maybe even a triple dresser. And if I do go that route, I won't start my detailed kitchen design until I know what sort of storage would have and what the piece(s) look like. I did find a GORGEOUS piece on Craigslist a few days ago, but it's a lousy 2" too long.

I know I can get a lot more storage if I go with regular kitchen cabinets, but I'm hesitant about how it will look. I keep going back and forth in my mind about which I need more - the storage space or the look.

Orangecamera, I know what you mean by wanting painted cabinets that look painted and not slick spray on paint. My new vintage kitchen has elements that you want in your kitchen but I went with the retro 40's, 50's look. I took out all the upper cabinets and made a walk in pantry to store food and dishes. I bought a china cabinet for every day ware. I used the cabinet boxes and my Dad made drawer and cabinet doors that I painted and hung with vintage hinges. My paint job is now almost 6 years old and still looks great. It is all in the prep work and I let my paint cure for a month before I hung doors. Next is to take out the drop ceiling and put in can lights. I will also replace the stainless shelf from IKEA and replace it with painted wood.

I would suggest to find a local cabinet maker and have custom cabinets made then have them painted or you can paint them yourself to save money. It is not hard but very time consuming and not a weekend project. If you follow the steps you will have a long lasting paint job that will have the look you are after.

I would not go with milk paint. My friend tried it and even went to a class to learn how to do it. It was very expensive to buy and you have to wax the cabinets to seal the milk paint to get the old world feel. If you seal them with a clear coat of varathane you will not get the right look.

Here are pictures of my kitchen. I am sure it is not your style but it has elements of what you mentioned in your question.

Sophie Wheeler and others offer excellent advice. It is important to know how and where the cabinets are made, as all websites use the same buzz words to convince you to buy their products. Look for a professional finisher who will not only give you the desired "look" but back it up with a warranty to ensure long-term durability. The substrate plays an important role in the durability of the finish, so you will probably find that a good finisher will not be able to guarantee the finish unless they are confident about the substrate they are applying it to

Conestoga may also use Chinese plywood. It's been a while since I got any; maybe someone who uses them frequently could confirm or negate that. Conestoga also does finishing and good quality too, but since you are a consumer, you'll have to go through a dealer.

Cabinotch is an excellent unfinished line and since they are owned by Columbia Plywood, they use PureBond plywood in their cases. You can get doors, drawers, etc. as well as the cabinets from Keystone Wood Specialties.

I have been grappling with what to do in the so-called "eat in" part of my kitchen. I don't usually eat in the kitchen, since my dining table is just on the other side of the wall in my dining/living combo room. (I hesitate to call it a "great room" since my entire house is around 1000 sq ft.)

I love the open shelf look I see in many kitchens, but I've never wanted open shelves where I store my dishes and food. And the biggest problem in my kitchen has been storage for cooking implements and utensils.

I've had only the vintage piece mentioned above, and it's just not large enough. So yesterday, inspiration hit! I went to Home Depot (yes, they were open, and very happy to spend plenty of time brainstorming with me since there were so few customers on Christmas Eve), and purchased materials to put up shelves. I managed to convince them that I did NOT want the pre-made melamine shelves, and that I really DID want pine boards - which they cut to size for me.

In short order, I had the shelves installed (I did it myself!) and started rearranging things. My table used to be in the area where the new shelves are, but I found a different place - one I wouldn't have thought of before. The table is still a little bit too big, and will probably be replaced, as will the chairs, but I do like my new layout and I love the shelves! Even my cat is happy with the new home for her food and water bowls.

@Jean Benelli, your kitchen looks great! I'm leaning toward finding a local cabinet maker and start pricing out what I want. I don't have a lot of cabinets, so it may be affordable, especially since I've figured out the open shelves as I described above. If I do get custom-painted cabinets, I may paint the pine shelves to match or coordinate.

Is that a metal edge I see on your countertops? I love that look - the old piece I have has that, too. Is that new, or was that your original counter?

orangecamera, I have the same table cloth! I had the counter made and installed. It is formica and the metal edge has grooves in it. I love your cabinet. The drawers are too cute and I did notice the metal edge. Great job with the shelves. If you can find a 1940's pine table with chairs to match that has painted stencil designs it would be perfect for your kitchen. Why I suggested custom cabinets is because when I remodeled my hall bath I designed and had made the double vanity by a local custom cabinet maker and it only cost $500. I painted it myself. You may pay the same or less with custom cabinets if you finish them yourself. And if you are handy you can install them yourself. I have installed cabinets before and it is not rocket science. But you need a friend to help. The trick is leveling them so the counter will fit correctly. Go slow and if you make a mistake, start over. Good luck you have a good start and a great vision.

@Jean, same table cloth! That's pretty amazing...this big world is pretty small sometimes.

You're really helping me be inspired to at least find out the cost of custom built cabinets in my area. I may be able to paint (or help paint) cabinets, but I know my limits and will certainly hire someone to install them. Especially since my current cabinets (which have been in this kitchen for 28 years) are not level or plumb! When I first moved here 2 years ago, I kept having eggs roll off the counter and smash on the floor. My new kitchen, while not new-perfect looking, WILL be perfectly level and plumb!

@ orangecamera, I just built and finished the attached kitchen work bench for a client in Hoboken. The total cost including shipping was lower than what cabinetmakers in NJ wanted. I'm in Binghamton, NY.

The top is reclaimed heart pine (southern yellow pine) from a barn silo. The base is soft maple. Total weight = 300 lbs.

Emilyam819 - How do you like your Conestoga cabinets? Did you buy RTA? We are considering Northern Granite & Cabinetry. How do you rate them? I do not know how to contact you directly so sorry for using this thread. I would love to see a photo of your kitchen.

I like your idea of vintage kitchen.

I bought three cabinets from the website unfinished-kitchen-cabinets.net for my bathroom. I am very pleased with them! I bought a custom-depth (18" depth) bathroom vanity, 48" long, Shaker style, and two custom-depth (narrow depth) cabinets for the walls. The price was very good, and they look wonderful in my new bathroom. I still need to paint them white. Once I've painted them I'll post some pictures. The guy who made the cabinets actually called me when they were ready, and he delivered them to my home! They were supposed to be delivered to the UPS depot, but he said that since he had deliveries in the area he would deliver directly to me at no extra charge. He explained that the he and the other cabinetmakers are in Pennsylvania, and they use the website company to advertise, take orders etc. I ordered maple cabinets, and it's not solid maple but plywood. However, it's a high-quality plywood and is very sturdy. (You would never guess it's plywood from the outside, or even when you open the doors to the cabinets.) I am very pleased with the quality, especially considering the price. I think I could have paid the same price for much, much lower quality elsewhere. Also - not many places do the custom sizes (depths) I wanted at such a good price. For all three pieces, including custom sizes and delivery charge, it was only about $1,100. The downside to their service is that they have production cycles, so you need to order early to have what you need on hand when your contractors are ready to install. It worked out for me since I just happened to place my order on the last day of the production order, and then I waited about 3 weeks for delivery I think.

@P.Brown I'm looking at ordering from unfinished-kitchen-cabinets. I received one of their door samples with custom paint color and thought the qualify of the finish looked great, but still concerned ordering from an unknown company. Are you still happy with the quality of your cabinets after several months?

Since this thread keeps getting bumped over the course of three years, I feel the need to chime in here. There is some REALLY bad advice being handed out above by "pros." You can absolutely put a very, very durable finish on cabinets DIY that will last for decades if you do it right. The thing you have to remember about pros is that they tend to find the product they like and then they use it forever and don't keep up on newer options.

If I wanted to DIY cabinets and put a bullet proof finish on it myself, I would spray on BIN primer to seal tanins in. Then I would put on a color matched waterborne primer like Fresh Start from Benjamin Moore. Then your first coat of waterborne paint like Advance, sand lightly, and top coat it. Now comes the part where you make it nearly factory tough. Target Coatings has a new product out: a water based conversion varnish(EM8000cv). It is a cutting edge product and several companies have this now. You buy a gallon and you have 8 hours once you crack it open to use it up, so you want to be ready to work quick with your brush, but it will put a finish clear coat on your cabinets that will rival a traditional 2 part catalyzed varnish. This sealed waterborne paint topped by a WB conversion varnish will pass KCMA standards with flying colors. You just have to use it right. For what it is worth Sherwin Williams waterborne paints tend to be a bit easier to work with than BM but if you have the skill BM Advance is a better paint IMO.

Hi Sad L, I didn't see your question before now, so I hope my answer still helps you. Yes, I am still very happy with the cabinets! I would take a picture of them to send to you, but unfortunately I have still not finished painting them. I had an accident at work and I'm facing rotator cuff surgery in a couple of weeks, so the bathroom cabinets are still half painted...

That was a good idea to order a door sample. I guess what you need to consider is: What are you looking for? Is price most important to you? Quality? Customization at an affordable price? For me, the latter reason was important. I found a different 18" deep vanity that I really liked online (fully finished), but the price was $1,300. I was able to get my vanity and two wall cabinets (custom shallow depth) from unfinished-kitchen-cabinets for $1,100. Granted, I need to paint everything, but for me it's worth it. I think the quality and style are very good. Once the granite countertop was installed on top of the vanity it was impossible to tell that the wood was not solid, that it's actually high-quality, very thick plywood. I was very happy with the quality, the customization, the price, and the fact that the guys delivered everything directly to my house even though I specified pickup at a delivery depot! I guess what they do is deliver it to your house if it's just as convenient for them as driving to the delivery depot. p.s. My vanity does not have drawers - I didn't look into it, but this company probably charges extra for custom work for drawers in the custom 18" deep vanity. I put some high quality Elfa metal mesh drawers in the vanity cabinet - they work great. This vanity holds tons of stuff in the Elfa drawers. Also - I absolutely LOVE the shallow 18" depth of my vanity! My small bathroom seems much more spacious.

Oh, I forgot to add that they charge $20 or so extra for soft-close doors. It's worth every penny!

Super Lumen, do you have any cabinet company suggestions? I am interested in going the DIY painted route for a small cabin kitchen. I don’t want to spend a small fortune but I also don’t want cheap junk. I’d like to try to find the middle.

I know this is an old post, but just in case someone reads it. The unfinished-kitchen-cabinet company says they are custom built in penn. A reply to this thread says they are imported china crap. a reply says they are not custom, though the unfinished-kitchen site says they can be custom painted any color, that they can have the depth shortened or increased, and are made to order. Either the unfinished-kitchen-cabinet place just made all this up..........OR....the replies are B.S., likely from a competitor...........I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE EXPERIENCE OF SOMEONE WHO HAS USED UNFINISHED-KITCHEN-CABINETS. NET........ACTUAL EXPERIENCE...

I'm finding this discussion very interesting, as I'm planning a new kitchen and have just spent a few hours on the Unfinished-Kitchen-Cabinets dot net website. I have a 1912 house and want authentic inset cabinet doors, which are difficult to find. Nothing I have seen on this website so far has in any way dissuaded me from potentially ordering. They offer many custom options for no or modest upcharges - including inset doors! - and it says they are made to order in State College, PA. The cabinet fronts are solid wood, and the sides are plywood. No mention of particle board or MDF. And there are many shapes and sizes available. I don't have a problem with painting myself because of course you CAN get a good finish via DIY if you do it right. And I prefer a brushed-on finish that looks like the original. I will probably order one cabinet just to see how it looks, I'll have to pay for the freight, but I'm only 2 hours from them, not cross country, and it's worth it to check before ordering a whole kitchen. If it's horrible I'll put it in the sewing room and consider it money well spent. Will report back on the cabinet if I place the order.

Checking back in after receiving my sample cabinet. It looks good to me. The sides and back are plywood, and the front/doors/draw front is solid wool (I selected maple). I don't see any particle board, and there is no chemical smell, just a faint odor of wood. I custom ordered inset doors, and they are fitted quite nicely with a gap only the thickness of a coin. The drawer pulls out the whole way, and the standard hardware is okay for me. Order was placed the week after Christmas, so met the promised 6-8 wks. At this point I plan to recheck all my measurements and review all the cabinet options and then order the rest. I will be painting them creamy white to look like 1912 originals. To answer the question above, this company has two divisions. One is the made-to-order assembled unfinished cabinets - which they will paint or stain at an upcharge. The other division is the pre-finished, RTA cabinets, which are imported.

I've read that worn looking cabinets are out of style unless you truly live on a farm or a cottage type house. And I would think dealing with a place on line could b tricky. Find someone you can see and talk to in person.

I tend to purchase unfinished kitchen cabinets from Woodcraft when a custom finish is desired. They're the same high quality solid wood cabinets you can buy pre-finished from the manufacturer. I would NEVER use milk paint to paint kitchen cabinets (or anything else that is going to be used). I've painted hundreds of kitchen cabinets over the years and Fusion Mineral paint is my paint of choice because of its unparalleled durability and endless color selections (through custom mixing). With Fusion, I can achieve the same or better quality paint finish and durability as cabinets finished by the manufacturer. Distressing cabinet doors with Fusion also is easy. However, as someone mentioned earlier, distressed kitchen cabinets look seriously out of place in a home that does not have a farmhouse, cottage, or French Provencal design aesthetic.

Another update on these. After seeing the sample, I went ahead and purchased the whole kitchen set up. Cabinets arrived faster than estimated, and they look nice. I ordered a few pieces with custom sizes. All the measurements are correct, doors well fitted, and no particle board. Cabinets with glass doors came with the glass, and no breakage. Next step will be to paint, and then work on getting them installed.

@libbymoyer2 what company did you order from? I moved since I started this thread years ago, and ready to start de-doing my new (to me, but worn out) kitchen. Thank you for the updates!

@orangecamera I used a company called https://www.unfinished-kitchen-cabinets.net because for a reasonable upcharge they could do inset doors. I would never have been happy with the modern doors that are just stuck on the front for my 1912 house. And I needed some custom sizes for a few of the pieces. I am fine with painting myself. For a price they do offer them stained, or painted in pretty much whatever color you want.

@libbymoyer2 thank you!

@libbymoyer2 I am planning the same as you - inset from same company. Any updates? Pictures?

Here is a shot of a couple of the cabinets. I measured them all to make sure the sizes were correct, but haven't started painting yet. They will be a creamy pearl-white, the hardware I bought is

antique brass, my backsplash tiles are green onyx, and the countertop will be oiled hard maple. Walls are a light vegetable green color and the floors are the original golden oak.

Hi any updates? i found this thrrad interesting. i am redoing the kirchen of an 1840s house and the new kitchen cabinets I’ve seen dont look right.

Thank you @libbymoyer2 for updating this thread with your experience with https://www.unfinished-kitchen-cabinets.net/inset-door-kitchen-cabinets.html. I was contemplating using them for a passion project that I’ve wanted to tackle in my home for a while. Now, I am ready to move forward after reading your reviews. Originally, I considered going with standard height unfinished kitchen cabinets from a big box store for the lower cabinets to save money but the height of those cabinets are too high to act as a beside table (so to speak). I really want a customized classic look that can stand the test of time so I am willing to invest a little more into getting the look I desire. With what unfinished-kitchen-cabinets.net offering custom sizing and inset cabinets at a decent price point, I think this will be the best route. I have an excellent cabinet painter who I believe will be able to finish these cabinets to my expectations. Because the cabinets will not be in a busy area of the home such as a kitchen or bathroom, and given the fact that I only require two cabinets, I am willing to give it a try (fingers crossed). Here are a few of my inspiration pictures. As you can see one is extremely detailed, and the others are a bit simpler. I am hoping to land somewhere between the two :-). Please keep us updated.

P.S. I already have the uppers built as I bought them from a seller on Craigslist. I just need the bottom cabinets.

Any pictures Libby of the cabinets finished would love to see and hear how they are holding up too thank you!!

ainarenwrick - i would so love update on quality too!

so the link you provided is for a company that makes the cabinets in Pennsylvania last tiem I checked thats no where near china

You can get the same quality cabinets, also made in Pennsylvania, but available in any custom size and with non-standard options, which are great for making built-ins that need to be a specific size. They can be ordered on highlandsdesigns.com.