I have KM (not toffee). I will talk anyone I can out of it. The KM customer service is terrible to say the least (they will divert you back to where you purchased the cabinets, so if you had a bad experience there, forget it). The perfect looking cabinets that look good in the showroom and in the books were not what were delivered in my experience. If you look around, you are very likely to find a local cabinetmaker who will give you a much better quality product for about the same price. This has been my experience, and I wish someone had told me that before I bought my KM.

Good luck!

I have Merillat Classic Deluxe oak cabinets in kitchen and they are better than the flimsy 20-yr old builder's stuff in my old house, but I believe we could have done better. The cabinets came installed in my modular and builder told me the upgrades were over $8K but since I never got a breakdown of costs from him ("proprietary") I don't know how much they actually cost. I suspect that they cost $8K and he didn't give me credit for the "Essentials" Pemberton Oak standard they usually put in. Their Masterpiece line isn't really all that better-constructed, unless you want to go to all plywood construction perhaps (a debate around here) and I don't know the upgrade charges for that.

I don't know if KM is any better made than Classic Deluxe or what their colors are. I have standard Classic (1 step up from builder grade) vanity in unfinished bath, maple toffee if you want to see Merillat's color I will try to take a pic for you (right now have 2ft closet door on sawhorses in there so hard to step back and take pics).

My aunt and uncle have had their KM cabinets for over 20 years and have been happy with them, have extra doors that were ordered the wrong size for their peninsula cabinets so they are now going to have built-in desk/hutch done in an alcove using those doors. But maybe KM isn't what it used to be.

In our kitchen we have the Merillat Masterpiece cabinets with the full plywood construction and all the upgrades and we have been very happy with them. We have only been in the house for about a year and a half, but no cabinet troubles so far. We have the middle grade Merillat cabinets for the vanities in our bathrooms, and although, of course they are not as nice as the kitchen, we have no complaints. We have the toffee maple finish in a couple of bathrooms, so I can post photos (I've never posted a photo here, so I'll have to figure out how). As for customer service, we didn't have any problems, but I know a couple of parts were missing or scratched when they were initially delivered, but our builder dealt with getting replacements, and it didn't seem to be a problem.

I have Kraftmaid cabinets in my master bath (over 5 years). A few of the doors weren't "perfect" and Kraftmaid replaced them no questions asked. We ordered them through Home Depot and Home Depot did the reordering for us. We purchased the full extension drawers and they have worked perfectly. I am very happy with the quality and do open and shut most of the doors and drawers every day. I am looking at using Kraftmaid again for our kitchen.

I just put in Kraftmaid too and am very happy. Quality seems very good to me.

We also had a couple of door issues and the KD from Lowe's came out to the house along with the Kraftmaid rep to inspect which ones needed to be replaced.

I thought that was pretty good service.

My experience was VERY different with KM. The shop I bought them from measured the entire kitchen, and got it very, very wrong (doors opening the wrong way so that cabinets could not be accessed, pantry cabinets too tall to fit a low ceiling, panels too short to serve the function). They cut up the cabinets and left it looking quite a mess and would not take responsibility for it (and wanted to charge me more as a result of their mistakes). As a way to try to get it resolved, I contacted KM directly, and they basically said that it was up to the shop to do as they wished (and that anyone who wanted to sell KM cabinets (as in a shop) could...no screening process as far as I could tell). For me, not a single door was replaced, and I could not even get them to send a hinge that broke (and this is only after 4 months!) without going through said shop. You are pretty much married to the store you bought them from in terms of that warranty.

rubyfig, did you go through Home Depot or Lowes? Ive read that a lot of people have problems with their measurer's and installers, etc. since they are subcontracted. Im going through a kitchen design showroom, so Im hoping it's going to be done right. Im not sure I would blame KM in your case as it seems to me the measuring was done incorrectly, and then the installation, no? But I can understand your frustration!!

lexluthor, would you happen to have any pics posted?

baloomyers, if you would post a pic that would be great since I am getting the Maple Toffee.

I have KM through a kitchen design shop (not HD or Lowes). The installation was rough (used a contractor *not* from the shop), but the cabinets are beautiful. Seem reasonably well made to me, the soft close drawers work fine... They replaced a couple of doors I complained about. No issues.

The KD brought some sample doors with her when she came to measure - I had been considering Toffee, but decided it looked too pink in my kitchen. Ended up with Ginger Glaze (it has a new name now) which I had admired over and over again in HD. Very happy with it. It's a good idea to see the finish in your own lighting - I had no idea Toffee would turn pink!

lexluthor, it's gorgeous!!! I love everything about your kitchen: the cabinets, backsplash, floor, and granite!! Its just the look I am planning on. (with the exception of the Toffee cabinets!) Which granite is that? And it looks like you have GE Profile appliances, are you happy with them? Thanks for posting the picture!!

charlikin: IF you have a chance, would you mind posting a pic of your Ginger Glaze cabinets??? I, too, am concerned about the "pinkness" of Toffee. But I do have a sample door and it doesnt seem to show up pink in my kitchen. Also, have you found that cabinet stains vary from company to company? One company's Toffee is redder than anothers?? Another has more brown tones? Its very confusing!!!

I do have a contractor because I am taking walls down and moving windows, however I am letting the shop do the cabinet install.

cawfeegirl,

I went through a showroom (not Lowes or HD). The install was also with the same showroom (with a KM business card. To me, that says there is a link to KM directly) so it was all kept with the same "family" so to speak. The cabinet shop has a BBB A- rating, so I thought I was in the clear. I was dealing directly with the owner of the shop.

As I said, the install went badly. Although I don't hold KM responsible for the installer's mistakes, I don't think their customer service was anything less than appalling. They were clearly more interested in keeping the shop happy (their solution to fix my chopped cabinets? they suggested I buy them (again) from another showroom (at full cost)).

There are issues with doors (warped), that the showroom will not take responsibility for and that KM will not replace unless it is through the showroom. One set of doors (in a bathroom vanity, that we have yet to use) went out of alignment (so the doors do not close), and the hinge that holds them broke. These are supposed to be covered by KM warranty. As you can understand, I didn't want to go back to the showroom that botched up my job, but KM would not even send me a hinge directly (the warped doors, forget that too. I am stuck with them).

To "fix" my kitchen, I ended up hiring a local cabinetmaker to match the style of the KM cabinets already installed (this was not by choice, but at the stage the install left me, it was the only thing I could do because some of the door openings that were left were not standard size KM doors). After seeing the local cabinetmaker's work (and the price), I realized I could have done my entire kitchen for less than the KM cabinets cost, and with a quality that is far superior. Just something to consider.

cawfeegirl,

I also used KM Ginger Glaze in both a master bath and kitchen remodel recently and could not be happier with the cabinets. I purchased through Lowe's and remarkably didn't have a single glitch or flaw either time other than one hairline scratch which I chose to ignore. Everyone raves over the cabinets and I too was very sensitive to the yellow/pink color balance which is why I selected Ginger Glaze.

It seems most problems arise with measuring and misfitting. Mine were both DIY projects and I EXHAUSTIVELY planned each measurement, cabinet and allowed for "filler adjustment areas" on each run to make sure I'd be OK. Kraftmaid has an exceptional website providing detailed specs on each cabinet, with which one can develop their plan. For example, did you know that a built-in refrigerator cabinet for a 36" fridge is actually 39" wide? That kind of thing is important.

I did so, drew up the plans, and let the Lowe's "designer" simply double check and order. No surprises at all. Except how good they look.

BTW did I mention I LOVE my cabinets?

Hey cawfeegirl (great handle!) - here are some pics of my Ginger Glaze cabinets. It's a tiny galley kitchen, so hard to get a good angle for photos - my best ones were before the refrigerator was put in place and I could stand inside the fridge box to get pics of the opposite side. ;-)

Finished:
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Before the appliances (or countertop):
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cawfeegirl, thanks for the nice words.

Granite is Verde Peacock. Very happy with that choice. Appliances are GE Profile and so far, so good for us. We aren't really serious cooks (I like to grill 90% of the time that I cook) so it's all fine for our needs. I've had no problem with any of the appliances so far.

Here's my before/after thread.
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg05091106302.html

You can see more details about what everything is over there.

We did KM Ginger Glaze on maple, which I loved, for our kitchen remodel in our previous condo. Bought from HD and DIY install. A couple of doors were warped, and KM sent us new ones.

We did KM again in our new home through a different HD: Toffee on birch for the mudroom & laundry, which looks blander than I'd expected--but maybe I didn't choose the right color counter top or paint; Sunset on cherry for the lower level walkout kitchen which I like just as well as the upstairs kitchen cherry cabinets without the cost of the glaze (which I forget the name of, but has since been changed).

We had several warped doors (large order with 42" tall upper cabs) and a few other issues which we took digital pictures of and sent via internet to KM's rep via HD. Replacements were sent for all cabinet problems, but I'm sure that was partly because I'd itemized each problem with it's cabinet order # and a suggested solution on a spreadsheet and sent it with the accompanying photos. My husband went in to our HD with me when we ordered the cabinets, and again when we had the problems. He's more rational and diplomatic than I am, so that was a help! Also, our HD KD had been a carpenter in his previous life, and was one of HD's best long term kitchen salespeople. He presented our situation to the HD manager who communicated with KM on our behalf. Because of this support, I would use both HD and KM again.

I'd gotten an estimate for Merillat, but the KD was so disorganized, that she didn't get back to me twice. When I finally caught her, the amount was about double what it should have been, and she hadn't even caught her mistake, so I didn't want to work with her.

I was going to get an estimate for KM from an independent place, but since the gal was on commission, she was always rushing through everything. I went with HD because I could go at my own pace. However, even with appointments there, there are constant interruptions due to phones ringing and other customers needing quick answers to questions.

Like Nalcar, I measured everything myself, figured out every detail of my order, and gave it to the KD both times (after discussing the various cabinets with them), and then double checked the printout before I paid for the finalized copy.

Anne

nalcar and anne: Im really impressed that you DIY!!! I cannot imagine myself or my husband doing that!!

Charlikin! I LOOOOOOOOVE the cabinets!! That is the door style I picked, too! Its called Huntington, I believe. (although I realize that different places have different names for them!) Oh no!! Now I may have to change from the Toffee to the Ginger Glaze!! In my KM Idea book, it's called 'Ginger with Sable Glaze'....is that the same one?

This is a picture taken from the KM website and is the exact cabinet I want. According to the site, they are Maple Toffee. But these looks JUST like yours, charlikin!!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Yes, that looks like the same door style.

The pictures from the catalogs and books are really hard to go by - I loved Toffee in some of the pictures! Absolutely the perfect color - in the pictures.

Then there was a Toffee display kitchen in the Lowes in Brooklyn - that looked a little on the yellow side to me, but I still thought it might work.

And then there was the sample door in my kitchen. Pink. Wrong. Ugh.

But *then* there was the Ginger Glaze door (yes, it's now Ginger with Sable Glaze). Everyone in the room went "aaaaahhhhhh!!!!"

And thus, a kitchen was born. ;-)

LOL!

Well, now you've got me going back to the showroom to look at the Ginger Glaze door.

Maybe we'll all go "ahhhhhhhh", too!

cawfeegirl, here's what my Ginger glaze looks like on my particular doorstyle. As you can see, the bead provides more glaze to " hang up" in the grooves, so the appearance depends on the doorstyle. I'm very fickle designwise, but I honestly haven't ever grown tired of this color.

DIY kitchen (mostly)

nalcar: Yes I see what you mean by the bead. They look different from charlikin's cabs, but still beautiful!!

Again, I am impressed with the DIY aspect--very nice job!!

I just came back from Lowes to look at the Ginger Glaze door and the guy there said the Ginger Glaze is really a Toffee stain with the glaze over it. Is that correct?

We just got our Kraftmaid cabinets (Durango in natural hickory) a month or so ago directly from Kraftmaid. (Lucky enough to have a sis in law working there!) The customer service was wonderful. We were very satisfied with the cabinets. There were a few things we just had to tweek ourselves, such as the faux drawers in the sink cabinet were crooked, but could be fixed by DH. The Hickory is very knotty, which I wanted, and a few of the knots were ready to fall out, but I would have rather glued them in, than gotten a door that had no knots and color, so that is what I did. Kraftmaid was willing to come out to look and let me know what they could do if I had any complaints, though. I am sure that my experience was different though, as we ordered directly from Kraftmaid with a huge savings!

My KD also said that Ginger Glaze has a Toffee stain as its base. But it's more than just adding the dark "hang-up" in the edges - there's actually an extra "wash" of color over it, *then* the dark hang-up. In a shaker style door (I have a wide shaker), you get very little of the hang-up. In Nalcar's beaded door, you get more - which looks great with his door style. (Nalcar, I *love* your kitchen! The DIY aspect is impressive enough, but the *design* is fantastic!!! And just for the record, you have my second-choice door style. :-))

The reverse side of my door is actually Toffee - they only put the wash on the front side. So I really have both colors in my kitchen! (And I can definitely see that I like the Ginger better.)

Note that glaze finishes are extra cost, and Ginger Glaze is actually one of the more expensive glaze finishes because of the extra step of adding the wash. When I started cabinet shopping, I was absolutely positive I would never spend extra just for a finish - whatever standard finishes they had would be fine. Same for door style. As it turned out, I fell in love with this color and this door style, thought about how long I was going to live with this kitchen (forever!), and paid the upcharges on both. Sigh.

Oh, one more note on the door style - in my photos you can see that I have that shaker-style inset on the drawers as well as the doors. That's not standard - the standard on the "wide shaker" style is slab drawers (even on the large drawers). I wanted "shaker" on the large drawers, so I paid an upcharge. Kraftmaid's regular shaker comes standard with "shaker" on the drawers (and it's a cheaper door style to start with). So think about which shaker style you want.

If I'd gotten standard shaker with Toffee stain, I'd have saved a bundle.

I'll shut up now. ;-)

charlikin, this is funny: Im getting the standard shaker door which comes with the shaker drawer, but I want the slab drawers!!! HA!
Do you know about how much more you paid for the glaze? (percentage-wise?)

I paid less for the glaze at the independent shop than they wanted at HD or Lowes - I think HD wanted 15%, Lowes wanted 20% (!), and I paid 8%. Plus KM was running a promotion of free upgrade to plywood if you bought an upgraded finish (usually another 15%), so I like to consider that I paid 4% for each. ;-)