Krkahn - I have MidContinent cabinets in all of my bathrooms. We installed them about 3 years ago. They look great and have held up very well. I am thinking of getting MidContinent cabinets for my kitchen too. I don't remember what the pricing was on the cabinets. We have a friend that sells cabinets and gave us a good deal. Check out ushomeproducts.com. They sell MidContinent, supposedly at a discount - they list their price for each cabinet. That should give you an idea if the quote you got is reasonable.

We did our kitchen remodel with Medallion cabinets. Nice quality. We purchased them through our local Menards. We originally where going to use mid-continent for the remodel. Might be worth checking out. here is a link to my photo bucket if you want to see them.

http://s623.photobucket.com/albums/tt315/rtwilliams83/Woodstone%20remodel/

We are putting in BH - I think they are more expensive and if more time might have looked at custom. I have several friends with BH for many years and are very happy.

I've gotten several quotes from different Kitchen Designers and your price range is pretty similar to mine. Brookhaven was about 25K. Midcontinent was 20K. Showplace was 24K. Dynasty was 22-24K. Diamond / Kraftmaid around 20-22k.

My original plan was to go with Midcontinent from a KD that I trusted, but he needed to relocate to take care of his parents. Upgraded Midcontinent cabinets seem to have a pretty good reputation. Looking at the specs online, I think they might use a bit thinner shelving, etc, but I'm not sure how that would affect daily use.

The KD that relocated recommended a colleague who carries DeWils. They're have a nice reputation and per the KD, don't charge very much for customization. I'm currently working on the final layout and we might be able to get inset cabinets for about 22K. All the previous quotes were for full overlay, so it's a good price.

There are real Kitchen Designers and there are "cabinet stores" that have some kitchen designing experience. The former might mark up their cabinets a bit more, but I believe it's worth working with them if the budget allows.

I think Brookhavens are very nice....we just got Dynasty cabinets ( Omega) and I am very pleased with them....our contractor thought they were well made...he usually installs Merrillat Classic...

We went to a great guy who carried a number of brands and he explained to us that each of the big names has strengths and weaknesses. One was good at custom stuff one was hands-down the best for most common sizes and needs, one was better at affordable cab doors with intricate details.

Be sure you maximize your shopping list items by matching the best vendor for them.

Also add in the price specials and seasonal price variations.

I can totally vouch for the Midcontinent drawer issue. We put ours in a little over a year ago and we are clearly seeing issues.

@doggonegardiner--
could you give some updates on your MidContinent cabinets/drawers?
We are getting bids for master bath remodel in FL and one of the companies used Mid Continent pretty exclusively--
this is not high $$ neighborhood-not smart to go with top dollar finishes cause definitely won't see that return but want something that will hold up to daily use...

Wow! I'm shocked at prices nowadays - we paid $9k for a house full of Mid-continent cabinetry only 3 years ago (I'm talking kitchen and 2 bathrooms). To be fair, we're rehabbers and probably got some contractor pricing but watch out for KD markups! Ouch! If you know a skilled carpenter who can install them, you might look at local building supply companies that can order your cabinets for you (esp if you already have the design completed).

I've been very happy with the quality of the cabinets and they've taken a beating already (I'm the klutziest chef on the planet). No issues with drawers and again, we're pretty abusive. Good luck!

thanks for the prompt reply--
have no idea of the cost yet
we are asking for the soft close drawers and the plywood upgrade

saw on one site that there is big sale going on with MidContinent and hope that will reduce cost for us even if the site advertising it is not the contractor we are using...
in our neighborhood it just doesn't pay to use top $$ materials--realistically we would never see that come back to us--we just need something that will last if not abused...

yes--I was just afraid of the effect a water leak might have on MDF--
we have friend who is building small commercial/retail projects now but was building some fairly expensive SFR--say 800K--
his take was wood trim on floors but MDF on ceilings and upper cabinets because less chance of water damage...

am I right in assuming that since we are having white painted cabinets that the interiors will be white--or will they be the maple of the cabinets or plywood boxes?