get a sample of the color he stained it and see if you can live with it. If not, have him do it over.

You can't decide anything until you see a sample of the stain color, compared with your other finishes.

They are going to bring out a cabinet door in the morning and said they needed an immediate decision. It had taken me a few months to decide on the color I had originally picked out. We are getting down to the wire here and I really hate to hold up progress but really do not want dark black cabinets either, especially in one of the bathrooms that won't get much light.

WTH...you didn't make the mistake, they did.

I think instead of seeing a cabinet door and making an "immediate decision", I would say I can't make a decision until I see the cabinets. Go to the shop and see the cabinets. This will give you a better idea than a door.

Problem there is the Amish are about and hour and a half away from where we live and with my work schedule I cannot make that trip until the end of next week. I would like to see all of them together bur the main man we are talking to said they still need the clear coat put on them so they are in the holding tanks until we give them an answer. I am not for sure what the holding tanks are.

Agree w/above. 10% is definitely not enough to change my vision. I'd probably bite the bullet and wait the month to get what you want. That stinks. I'm sorry.

Look at the color. If it's a true deal breaker, then there's not much more to talk about. But I suspect you may like it (we picked espresso stain for our cabinets!). If you do find it acceptable, use this to your advantage. If they'll offer 10%, they'll probably accept 20%. If you ask for 50% they'll probably look at you like you're high and go back to the shop to start stripping the cabinets.

You are going to look at those cabinets every day for as long as you own the home. You picked out a color you like, the builder stained them a different color.

A month is not too long versus years looking at cabinets you do not like.

Get what you originally wanted. Unless you are so over budget that a discount will make up for looking at them every day and being annoyed...

Our builder just called me and said the Amish guy just dropped off a door for me to go out to the house and take a look at. He said they could make the cabinets darker but they would not be able to sand them and redo them to make them the color I had wanted. I hate to put our house at a standstill for an additional month or so to wait for the cabinets to be remade, especially since we had hoped to be in by Christmas but I want to be happy with everything I picked out also. Like some of you said, I will be looking at them for a long time!

Thanks for everyone's advice!

Despite the completion delay, unless you LOVE them, I would absolutely not accept them. You've paid a lot of money to have your project be completed as planned.

Personally, I am a bargain hunter. If they look good I would take them but not at a 10% discount. I would offer them 60% of quoted price or ask that they remake them at a discount.

would just a door give you a good idea of the look? Ask
them to bring one of the small cabinet with the frame and door colored, preferably
an end unit. I think that would give better image of what you'll have.

Remember the old adage, The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.

In this case, we're not exactly talking about poor quality -- but wrong item is pretty close. The difference between dark brown and brown-black is big, and if you don't like these cabinets, you're going to resent this situation every single day for a long, long time.

I agree with the others: You need to look at the cabinets themselves. In your light. With your floors. Refuse to be hurried; this "immediate decision" thing is wrong -- remember that he who pays the bill sits in the driver's seat -- I think they realize they've sunk a bunch of money into this project and are trying to bully you by pushing you to make a decision fast. If you REALLY like the cabinets, demand more than 10% off. I think 25% would be fair enough for a mistake of this magnitude.

If you don't like them, don't settle for something lesser than your original order. And if they are delayed because they have to re-make the items, I'd expect a discount. In that case -- if you get exactly what you want, but it's a month late -- I think 10% would be acceptable.

I agree with Mrs. Pete totally.

Mrs Pete is totally correct. If you like them, you should get a bigger discount than 10% and if you decide you don't like them, they should remake them at a slight discount.

The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.

There is a certain irony in Franklin's quote being used this way. He was famous for espousing the impact of the time value of money and saving.

This was his Boot's theory rather than a statement on cabinet color. It was about the poor buying poor quality items that they have to rebuy until all savings are destroyed.

We agree that a strong discount is in order either way. I would ask for a 40% discount if the cabinets look good. Depending on how busy he is, he might take it. If it doesn't work in the house it just doesn't work though.

Unless you love the new color, I'd wait a month to get what you want. What I find amazing is that you ordered these in February, they messed up, and he wants you to make an immediate decision? (For not much of a discount?) They owe you some patience, to say the least.

Boy, it's been a long day already at our job site. The cabinet man said they could not offer any additional discount over the 10% and he said he does want us to be perfectly happy with them no matter the discount or extra time involved. They left us one cabinet door and I really cannot see much of a difference in stain color. I will post a picture when I get off of work. He did want an immediate decision and I told them I need to give it some thought. I am going to take off of work and make the drive to see the rest of the cabinets as I do want to make sure the color is going to make me happy. We ordered these in February and have make 2 additional trips to Amish country to finalize what we wanted so I told him there was no way I can decide just like that. We have been planning this home for 3+ years so if we have to wait and additional month or so before it is finished correctly then so be it.

Thanks to all of you for your advice and support. What an great forum this is and I hope to help others with their questions in some way as well.

We had an issue with the paint color of our custom cabinets. The frames and doors were two different colors. The company did not repaint the cabinets, though three other kitchens were repainted in our community within months of our install. We refused to pay the full final installment and withheld 10% of the project price. Stand your ground and get what you want. A month is nothing for a house you have been planning for years.

In an attempt to make progress with the rebuild of my house I accepted things that I did not want; I now regret those things the most. The more visible, the more constant the reminder.

I am really leaning towards having the cabinets remade and finished the way we originally ordered them. The cabinets will be in the kitchen, 3 bathrooms and the laundry room so I will be looking at them a lot!

I'm surprised at the low discount offer. What are the chances that another client will want/need your cabinet configuration and that color? I see the sample as being a much warmer color, especially in the first pic. The darker color is striking, but has less appeal to me.

@ My3dogs - our builder said really a 10% discount is pretty good since we are dealing with the Amish. To understand better our overall cabinet bid from them was $14,400. This is a lot of cabinets since it is for several rooms, not only the kitchen. Our builder this morning really wants to accept the mess up as he doesn't want to hold off the progress. My husband said he wonders if it is because our builder will not get his last chunk of change from our home until we are 100% complete and he is counting on it being finished by the end of the year. I am not really concerned about the 10% percent discount but rather I can live with that stain color.

A 10% discount barely sounds reasonable for making a mistake that will delay your project 30 days and completely unreasonable for accepting cabinets you didn't order.

Personally, I would look for a new cabinet maker on principle alone.

Edit: Remember the bid is no longer $14,400. It is now $14,400 plus all the costs of delaying. For most that includes a month of interest and a month of rent.

I agree that 1400 bucks is not much money in the big picture if it means living with cabinets that you really don't like.

can you post another picture a little further back? What kind of wood is that? Is it maple?

i would not let anyone pressure me. And I still say you need to see the cabinets and not just a door.

... could not offer any additional discount over the 10% ... does want us to be perfectly happy ...

I don't see these two comments as compatible. He is low-balling, yet is paying lip service to good customer service.

A month is nothing for a house you have been planning for years.

True.

What are the chances that another client will want/need your cabinet configuration and that color?

My guess is near zero. And if anyone does want this exact cabinet in this exact configuration and shade, he or she would expect a hefty discount since they'd know it was made for /rejected by another consumer. Of course, they're first quality, but you have cabinets made so that they're exactly what YOU want.

I see the sample as being a much warmer color, especially in the first pic. The darker color is striking, but has less appeal to me.

My thoughts exactly. Though the colors aren't far apart, one reads "warm", while the other reads "cool". This will make a difference in the overall feel of the room, and the warmer tone is much more appealing to me personally -- kind of the same reason all the trendy marble and grey/white kitchens don't appeal to me -- too cold.

since we are dealing with the Amish

That's an excuse.

Our builder this morning really wants to accept the mess as he doesn't want to hold off the progress.

Well, of course he does!

Remember, the bid is no longer $14,400. It is now $14,400 plus all the costs of delaying. For most that includes a month of interest and a month of rent.

And the headache of rescheduling the countertops, plumbing, etc. You may be looking at small claims court.

I would insist they redo the cabinets and give you enough of a discount to offset any expenses to you. Explain to them how it throws off your schedule and adds cost to your build. If they argue the point, tell them you are going to speak to a lawyer.

I think a lawyer would eat up any savings you might garner for your trouble. I'd stick to small claims court.

Tell them you need to change your mindset when you look at the cabinets. So, 15% and you have a deal, so when you look at them, you can go "yea, but I got more than they were offering".

Tell the builder to eat the cost difference.. heh

Or have them redo all the cabinets.

I think the color is fine, imo... but I am cheap :P

R

Not to muddy the waters with another opinion, but I personally think the darker cabinets look much nicer. But to be fair, I have a real aversion to "brown", and prefer cool tones to warm tones.

I would not advise going the legal route...even if you get a judgement, and collect on that judgement, you will not be "made whole", and you'll have invested an immense amount of time and effort only to remain frustrated and disappointed. In my opinion, you need to make a value equation. Is the difference in color worth waiting an extra month for your house (and all the related expenses that you will bear)?

Unfortunately, you probably won't truly know the answer to that question until long after you have made a decision.

Don't think the darker cabinets are acceptable. Stick to your original choice and you will be happier!