Buying Kitchen Cabinets Online?

7 years ago

Has anyone ever bought kitchen cabinets online and had a local contractor install? OR am I crazy to even consider it. We do not want to change the layout just the actual cabinets.

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PRO

Hal Braswell Consulting

7 years ago

Here's a pic of a CWS home office installed by The Cabinet Joint (not my house). CWS cabinets are manufactured in Pennsylvania Amish area. Their main business is manufacturing door fronts and other parts for many brand name cabinets; chances are some of the doors you see at a design center or Lowe's are made by them.

CWS has decorative wood range hoods, corbels, trim and other accessories.

Cabinet Joint requires a kitchen design layout; if you don't have one, they can refer you to one. Unlike virtually any other online cabinet seller, they compare your order with your design. If a cabinet is shipped that doesn't match the size on the design, that's on them.

Unlike other online cabinet vendors, they are also a brick and mortar business. They install cabinets within a certain distance of their physical address.

I often shop local. But with cabinets, unless you are buying locally produced custom cabinets, the cabinets you order from a local design center or big box store are not locally manufactured. Unless you live in the city where a cabinet factory is located.

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Comments (17)

Elle
7 years ago
I think it could work if it was a reputable place and your measurements are 100% accurate.
Heather Schultz thanked Elle
acm
7 years ago
or just 98% accurate if there are a couple of filler pieces included somewhere.
Heather Schultz thanked acm
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User
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Most online cabinets are poor quality imports. You do not even want to think about sending two pallets of stinky mis drilled flat pack boxes back to the manufacturer.

The kitchen designer is more important than you think. Shop--and buy--locally.
PRO
Hal Braswell Consulting
7 years ago
It can be very difficult to ascertain quality online. Many, perhaps most, cabinets sold online are poor quality imports.
We bought Conestoga Wood Specialties RTA cabinets online based on photos, specs and recommendations. All plywood. Twin I-beam construction for base cabinets instead of plastic corners. 3/4" thick shelves. 1/2" thick backs, not just at hanging rail. Blumotion full extension soft close glides. Fully customizable to 1/16th inch in height, width and depth. Optional extended stiles and flush sides.

With those kind of features, I was very comfortable ordering. They were every bit the quality I expected.

That being said, there are extremely few places I would buy cabinets from online. Often sales are final; if you can return you can be paying $500 freight easily.
Here are a few pics of our kitchen. (Still need to add MW, trim and backsplash).
Heather Schultz thanked Hal Braswell Consulting
PRO
Cabinets by Design LLC
7 years ago
Buying online does not give you the option of seeing the quality of construction or the quality of the finish. Also you would need to know what their return policy is if something comes damaged. You can have concealed damage where the box appears fine but yet the cabinet is damaged inside. Make sure you know their policy because after you accept shipment they may not stand behind any damage.
Heather Schultz thanked Cabinets by Design LLC
Heather Schultz
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks. I am thinking it may not be worth it.
Heather Schultz
Original Author
7 years ago
Wow. Thank you Hal. I don't want to buy custom for this house, its not a smart financial decision.
PRO
Hal Braswell Consulting
7 years ago
We saved a solid $10,000 ordering CWS instead of the all-wood version of similar style and color of Schuler cabinets at Lowe's (BTW, CWS makes Schuler doors). Took about 30 minutes to assemble each cabinet carcass, another 30 minutes to install drawers, doors and hardware. For 18 cabinets, nearly 20 hours. So DIY assembly I was saving $500 an hour.

Our total order was $13,000. That price is skewed from typical kitchens. Our 18 cabinets included two 34" wide pantries with 5 ROTs each, four 30" wide 3-drawer base cabinets, a refrigerator surround with integrated full depth (30") cabinet above, top and bottom finish panels for all our uppers, light rail and gallery rail.

Cabinet Joint has assembly videos on their website. I would check them out before giving up.
disfromage
7 years ago
Thanks Hal, this is very useful! We have been considering ordering cabinets from The Cabinet Joint and appreciate the positive feedback on them. How is the quality of the painted finish?
PRO
Hal Braswell Consulting
7 years ago
Great finish. There is a catalyzed clear coat on top of the paint, which is the same procedure used by top brand names. Assembly is with glue and finish nail gun/hammer and finish nails. Sliding dovetail joints. The back side of cabinet backs has a scribe line for nails. There is also a jig for mounting the drawer glide on inside back of cabinets.

One pic shows the twin I-beam construction (and jig in middle) and the other a close up of a Blumotion drawer glide installed.

The pantry pull out tray system has four notched corner posts. The ROTs can be adjusted up or down without tools as your storage needs change.
disfromage
7 years ago
Thank you much!
PRO
Hal Braswell Consulting
7 years ago
Watch their assembly videos. It really is as easy as it appears.
qofmiwok
7 years ago
Barker Cabinets are awesome. I have 2 large kitchens going in with them in a couple months. Great reviews elsewhere on Houzz and samples were gorgeous.
PRO
Main Line Kitchen Design
4 years ago
Today cabinets can be purchased online at prices as much as 20% below what cabinet dealers and showrooms sell them for. Some of the online cabinet sellers even make pretty well made cabinetry. So why would saving money and buying your cabinets online not make sense?

.

The answer simply put, is that buying kitchen cabinets is not like buying a toaster or a pair of pants. Full bog here
mononhemeter
4 years ago
I also had a positive experience with Barker, although I only bought a few drawer boxes and a cabinet door.
sadie214
3 years ago
I am in the process of having my kitchen designed online through Modern Family Kitchens. I am purchasing their cabinets and one of their online designers is designing the cabinet placement. The cabinets are beautiful and high quality.