Go to their site and read carefully what they do and do not cover and IMOa 5 yr warranty is joke why not go Ikea they give you 25 yrs and you can save big by putting them together yourself , it is actually kind of fun and after the first 3 you have it all figured out.Be careful about waht a company figures is custom, usually cabinets come in sizes with increments of 3” at a time . I have done Ikea kitchens for over 20 yrs and have always been able to work with the cabinet sizes they offer to get a nice custom look.

Thanks MAdkins for this long email. It gives me a lot to think about. I am on the East coast, so visiting Barker is not an option for me. I am at the very beginning of this project and will not start before early 2020, so I would be interested to know if the cabinets satisfy you.

Thanks, Patricia Colwell Consulting

Thanks for your answer.

I am used to Ikea and have been using their furniture for 30 years now, so I like the idea of using them. I was just somewhat concerned because we have a very small kitchen and sometimes, having a 27" cabinet or a 33 "cabinet would make life easier.

lg222: I'm glad my long email was helpful. There is so much to love about Ikea kitchens; the design of the cabinets and options, design help both in-store and from a number on-line companies, design software that chooses everything needed, great warranty, etc. I was ready to go with Ikea but 4 things stopped me: 1. Ikea's 3rd party installation assistance was all or nothing and I'm a DIYer so I wanted to do as much myself as I could. Their installation fee was high ($5k for a galley kitchen with no uppers) 2. A local cabinet maker was willing to help with my install because he was curious about Barker's quality and he charges much less than Ikea. 3. The neighborhood I live in is not Ikea friendly. The residents are older and an Ikea kitchen would have hurt resale value which is an issue because I may not stay here forever. 4. I live in a housing co-op so purchases are cash and generally only older residents can afford to buy here. I will post pictures of the process as I move ahead. Here's are some images for those interested. Below is a PDF of the design I came up with in Planner 5D software.

And my original kitchen below.

Then my demo'd space at the bottom. Sorry for the bad photo; a filthy camera from demolition dust.

lg222: My Barker Modern cabinets arrived two days ago and and I've unpacked them. I am SOOOO HAPPY!!! They are lovely; from the beautiful plywood drawers with smooth dovetail joints to the Italian laminate for the skins and drawer fronts. The entire shipment arrived extremely well packed on 2 big pallets and 1 flat pallet for the long stuff. I went with Barker Modern so the plywood frames have grey laminate interior and exterior and my doors/skins are Oregon Pine color. THEY ARE STUNNING. I am a geek for the details so I had the patience to watch all of the Barker videos before putting my first one

together. I emailed Clayton (customer service manager) with questions but actually figured most of them out on my own. This is not a task when time is of essence since contact with Clayton is via email; though he does respond promptly. I'm giddy I'm so happy. Here are some photos of the drawers and two views of the first cabinet I finished yesterday.

madkins they look great!! do you have any photos of the new kitchen? :)

I just ordered my Barker Modern Cabinets and got the Meile color. now we wait. how does yours look?

I just finished my kitchen and love my Barker Modern cabinets. I had a cabinet maker do the installation after I put them together. I just completed the backsplash and hung the range hood so here's my most recent photo. (I had demo'd the old kitchen Christmas last year so it has been a long project but I acted as my own general contractor and general laborer.) Anyway, I did some further customization to the end cabinet next to the stove. I had the installer shorten the side skin and I ordered new drawer fronts to extend over the skin. I did this in several places which added about $500 to my entire kitchen but it was well worth it. If you had drawer end units, yours probably won't look exactly like this. (Because these are semi-custom cabinets, the side skin is designed to meet the drawer face instead of the drawer going over the skin as you see below. ) I hope that makes sense and isn't too much information. I'll post more photos.

If you click on the photo above, I think the photo will expand. Here are a few more.

Here's my appliance garage. I needed a pony wall on the other side so I could included an electrical outlet required by code. I did one on this side to match as well. My installer used different hinges so the cabinet could butt up against the pony wall and still open.

I didn't do any uppers in this galley kitchen that's open on both ends. I'll include some better photos this weekend. I took this photo to show my Flooret Modin floor (color Sutton) on another post that's why it's mostly floor.

MAd you have to do a full reveal with tons of photos and all the details. Your kitchen looks beautiful.

Thanks eam44. I will do that :)

I was unable to upload my Barker Modern kitchen photos to this forum so I created a PROJECT with photos and descriptions. Below is a link to my project. If you hover over the titles below each photo, you can see the text for each photo.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen-remodel-with-barker-modern-cabinets-midcentury-portland-phvw-vp~150318600

I make cabinets and also used Barker and Ikea and sometimes a combination of them all.

Ikea really cant be beat. the entire idea of 32mm system Euro cabinets is that they are to be low coat and quickly assembled and that is why they have all those holes drilled in them. What you are doing is simply choosing what combination of drawers or ??? in that particular cabinet and the remainder of the holes go unused.

Ikea just has it down to a science and with the scale they are price unbeatable. Cheapest well built Euro boxes and drawers you can buy.

Barker is a traditional cabinet shop that uses wood vs metal for their drawers and access. I believe they still offer both face frame and Euro style cabinets.

Barker will offer more options and customization. PLEASE do not order unfinished your wasting your time and will only ruin brand new cabinets. I use them for doors and drawers as they can build faster and cheaper than I can.

The new trend is to use Ike and have custom faces installed. I would say if you need more customization and like more wood details and want real wood faces use Barker

As far as the warranty who the heck 20 years from now is going to walk into Ikea and think they are still going to have in stock anything that is in your kitchen today. These ridiculous 25 year warranties sound great but they are useless. Just like a 50 year roof warranty. Good luck with that.

@MAdkins great job. Love your kitchen photos. We are starting a reno in the next 3 months and we shortlisted, ikea and barker. The only downside to barker is, there aren't enough project pics for us to see. We ordered a few samples to check the color in person. Oregon Pine looks great in the pics you posted. We need more project pics like that. One of their videos says that we can add barker cabinets and see spaces in 3d, may be I should try that out to see how different colors look.

Btw, our new kitchen layout is so similar to yours, one wall with stove fridge and oven + island with sink, dishwasher and prep space. We also have a 8 feet pantry on one side of the wall, similar to the pic here https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/photo-68-of-697-in-best-kitchen-light-hardwood-photos-from-a-1970s-bungalow-is-t-phvw-vp~152357508

We also checked out Ikea last weekend and liked Voxtorp door the most. It resisted scratches and looked good in all colors. We wish Ikea added a white oak color. We did our layout with ikea planner and added the same items in barker modern's cart, the price was very close. There might be additional discounts when Ikea runs their kitchen sale?

@Brian Gannon have you ever used ikea doors/ drawers with barker cabinets? We were thinking of mixing ikea doors and metal drawers with barker cabinets, not sure how the measurements would work out

@Ig222 where in east coast are you? I'm in Boston and starting a kitchen reno in the next 3 months. Ikea kitchens are appraised at a lower value here. But, may be strategically combining doors and drawers could help.

@hillsidebox: Thanks for the kind words about my kitchen! I do love my Barker Modern Cabinets. Even using my Ikea kitchen plan as a starting point, ordering my Barker cabinets took a lot of planning. But, I ended up with a custom-looking kitchen for a little more than a regular priced Ikea kitchen. With the Ikea discount, Ikea will be priced lower. A drawer-only kitchen, like mine, is also more expensive but it's your 8' of pantry that will be very pricey with Barker; plus a tall Barker pantry is HEAVY and I only have one. (18" wide and 76" tall)

Did you order actual door samples from Barker? The textured laminate is from CLEAF and I like the look and feel of it much better than their smooth or shiny options (Alvic, I think). The banding on the CLEAF seemed better to me than the Alvic though Barker does all of the banding. You might email Barker's Customer Service Manager, clayton@barkermodern.com to ask. If you are leaning toward a shiny or solid color door, I'd compare the actual Barker door samples with Ikea door samples. (I actually liked Ikea's solid colored doors better.)

The biggest price difference for my kitchen was the install cost. A local cabinetmaker installed my Barker cabinets after I put them together. He charged far less than the Ikea Installers and was able to do sections at a time so I could get electrical and plumbing done as we went along. The Ikea installers expected that all to be perfectly planned ahead of time and would have charged for return trips. Plus, it's all or nothing, no DIY allowed with Ikea installers. FYI: If you are doing the install yourself, the Ikea feet make leveling easier. I couldn't afford the cabinetmaker's custom cabinets but he was willing to install my Barker kitchen and the outcome was excellent.

Weighing cost, planning/ordering, installing, material quality and aesthetics are all important to consider. Sorry for long post but I understand how important it is to make the right decision for your situation so I hope this helps!

Thank you @MAdkins ! Yes, we just ordered a few sample doors and smaller wood pieces from Barker. We want to combine quarter sawn white oak, matte white and matte dark grey laminates. I liked the cool dark grey color (Voxtorp) from Ikea. From online images, Barker's dark grey looks warmer. If Barker's door colors are not satisfactory, I'd have to figure out if ikea doors will work with barker cabinets <fingers:crossed>

Yes, the pantry is the most expensive item both in Ikea and in barker especially with 5 roll out drawers per 2 feet pantry. We even considered installing shelves/modular drawers and sliding doors for 8 feet long. Not sure if that would look good. We are still researching what we can do about the pantry.

What kind of planning did you have to do for Barker? I'm curious because, our kitchen stove wall is 13 feet and island is 9 feet. There are no walls on either side of the stove wall or island. We used standard sized cabinets, like 2 feet drawers on either side (4ft) of the stove (3ft) and then fridge (3ft) station, oven station(2.5 ft). Similarly on the island, sink is 3 feet, dishwasher is 2 feet. For the remaining 5 feet, we are not very particular, any combination of drawers is fine. Basically, we are aiming for simple straight line layout for 13 feet and 9 feet and then do end panels on the sides and back of the island.

We haven't tried the tools recommended by Barker yet. Probably will start planning during the holidays.

@hillsidebox: I did not use Barker's tools. I did my planning on paper. Definitely watch the videos that Chad Barker does for using their tools: They should make the process easier; I was unable to get it to work on my Mac. The biggest challenge was planning the size of the end panels, the refrigerator box, the side panel on the pantry to match the depth of the refrigerator panel (I used a 2 piece panel since it was cheaper than a single piece), the knee walls (needed for an electrical outlet to meet code), length of the peninsula back panels so the seams where evenly spaced and the finished corner fit with the unfinished corner. For the refrigerator panels, you'll need to determine how far past the drawers you want the cabinet to extend then be sure you order the cabinet above to match that depth but take into account the 3/4" for the door front so the reveals match. With Barker, you can't order a drawer box and then just click to get a panel of the right size. (Maybe their software will help with that.). I ultimately ordered all of the panels extra wide and extra tall to account for out of level walls and floors. My cabinetmaker had the tools to cut the bottoms and unfinished ends without chipping.

@MAdkins love your Barker cabinets. Can you tell where you got the pulls and the style? thanks.

@ Matt Lonner: Thank you for the compliment on my Barker Cabinets. I still love them and they are holding up beautifully! The cabinet pulls are aluminum Ikea (Blankett) that has been discontinued but my local Ikea still has them in their AS IS section. Ikea has a similar handle now called Billsbro. As I was researching no-holes handles, I found that most out there are too thick since the Barker cabinets have very little space between drawers fronts. That slim space makes them look great but the down side is that you need thin handles. I also used command strips to secure them to the tops of the cabinets in addition to screwing them into the back of the drawers. This was important so they don't lift when pulled on and interfere with the drawer above. The Ikea handles are light weight but very strong and stable. Hope this helps!

Awesome, thanks. Wish me luck.

Any more feedback on Barker modern? Considering an order soon :)

Would like to hear more on Barker modern as well if anyone else has experience with them!

I just finished my kitchen with barker modern cabnets,here are some pics

I love the glossy white! Nice job.

Price was great....7700.00,you can make them whatever size you need.

There easy to put together,everything was packed well, had no damage.

My only complaint if it is one is it took about 3 weeks longer to get them than it was suppose to and would like to be able to talk to someone instead of email....I'm not much of an emailer.

looks great. congrats!! I wish they added more colors like blue, sage, green acrylic doors. or at least allow cabinets with no door options , so we can buy the doors elsewhere

wow. looks great. i'm ordering my sample now. i have lived in denmark and norway and singapore and have always loved their style of cabinets. very very similar to the miele. can't wait to see how to improve upon this peachy wonder!

Hi All - @MAdkins what a gorgeous kitchen! How did you find your cabinet installer? I'm also in the Portland, OR area and struggling mightily to find someone who will agree to install Barker. My kitchen designer hasn't worked with Barker (modern or standard) and doesn't know installers who have, and Barker told us they don't have local pro recommendations when we asked. I feel confident I can build the cabinet boxes myself (and have a large space to do that), but do not have the skills to install (especially since we want a custom look with paneled appliances).

Can you share who you worked with if? If anyone else has recommendations in the Portland region for a pro who has worked with Barker I'd really appreciate it!

Hi,

I have been visiting kitchen showrooms, and noticed that yes, adding side panels is not uncommon (even in the super nice kitchens). The side panel finishes off the bare wood, but then that side panel sticks out farther than the front door or front drawer (and beyond the toe kick).

@MAdkins, I have carefully studied your gorgeous kitchen. I am very curious about how you got the drawer fronts to be flush with the side panel. I didn't understand your explanation. You said that you had your cabinet guy shorten the skins. Shorten in which direction? Did your side panels go all the way to the floor, or did they stop above the toe kick?

I would like to do the same thing, so hoping that you'll read this post and reply. :)

Thanks!

Hi again,

@MAdkins, when you ordered the new drawer fronts, were they an extra 3/4" wide along the side that ended up being flush with the side panel? What I'm picturing is opening the drawer and seeing that one side has a drawer front that is not centered. Am I getting it? :) I looked around on the sites for both Barker and Barker Modern, and I don't see drawer fronts. Am I missing something? Or did you have to email them to specifically ask for that??

Thanks again. :)

Hi,

I think I answered at least some of my own questions. I took a closer look at the galleries on Barker; the side panels appear to be flush with the front of the door.

So, if I understand correctly, @MAdkins had the side panels cut on the back (the part against the wall). This left them flush with the front of the cabinet. Then, she hade the door/drawer extend farther out to cover the side panel. I recall her saying that her installer had the right tools for making clean cuts, so this would take skill. :)

I am so ready for all this to be over... to make an order and finish.

Thanks!

can anyone tell me if the Barker Modern cabinet box is solid wood?

This looks great MAdkins! Thanks for posting and for providing all the detail. I am seriously thinking of using Barker Modern. You really can't beat the customization for the price.

Question: how are the cabinets holding up? Still in love with them?

These finished kitchens look so nice. I had a designer design my ikea kitchen and considering using Barker door fronts, but I'm getting a quote from Sheers as well. I do like the idea of just getting all Barker cabinets as well. My husband wants to get a quote from a custom cabinet builder. I think my issue is that I want something different. Not something that everyone else has in their homes. When I think of a wood cabinet box, it just reminds me of a closed off box w/no personality. It also reminds me of musty wood (maybe I've been around too much damaged wood). Whereas Ikea, there is a bottom with open sides (you can put in a glass side if you want), Its different and and just a simple square box. The thing I don't like about ikea is that their boxes are only white. This is great for someone painting their doors/drawers white, but if its any other color, you open a door or drawer an its white inside. I have nothing against white...its the fact that its not the same color as the fronts or not wood. I guess I'll have to get past that. The price is what I am aiming for the most. I have to keep it low costing or I wont be able to move forward.

@MAdkins after 3 years of living with your Barker Moderns...have they held up well? Anything you would have done differently?

I have baker modern for over 1 year now. They held up great except for laminate strip under the kichen hood on the underneeth edge. It was easy to fix. Glued it back with wood glue, held overnight with blue tape. So far no issues around dishwasher.

I am replying back to this post as this was the only one i could find 2 years ago when planing my kitchen. Here are some photos how my turned out. I love it. My color is miele. All integrated (still waiting on my second oven 1.5y later). Hit me with questions if i can help. Total cabinet cost 12.5k (after their discount)

I just finished having them installed (about 4 months ago). They look INCREDIBLE. And the quality is just terrific. Very happy with my experience.

Have done quite a few Ikea kitchens and think they are awesone but there is no comparison to a plywood box and real wood drawer Barker cabinet. Warranties are useless as you cant just remove a cabinet anyway so if you go strictly off cosntruction Barker is the win.

Take a Barker cabinet and an Ikea one. Put a cup of water in the top drawer of a base cabinet and close the drawer intentionally letting it spill. Have paper towels ready to clean up. By the time you dry the Ikea cabinet it will have swelled every panel it touched and will be garbage. The Barker will clean up and dry. Thats the difference. I know this as granite installer left cup of coffee in drawer and it spilt. It wiped out 3 base cabinets.

If you go Ikea use a pro Ikea designer as i guarantee you will miss most of the brackets and accys required. Like the foil tape for the dishwawher cabinet or the metal brackets across the top of the cabs.

By the way there are a lot of local builder/installers that can match quality and pricing.

I've been wanting to remodel my kitchen for a while, finally going to pull the trigger. My main concerns were the cabinets need to have minimal or no added formaldehyde/VOC, so has to be waterborn finished and plywood or solid wood constructions, since my family and myself are sensitive to those smells!

The cabinets I've found that fit these criteria are Executives, Crystal, or local custom builder which are all over 22K. Then I found Barker and then this Forum!!

They are made of plywood boxes with solid or textured laminate door. After reading more, with the issues of solid wood doors tend to warp/split/cup, I decided I probably will go with the texture laminate for the modern look and minimal VOCs.

I'm still at the planning stage with my contractor, so my questions to you all who have installed the Barker Modern:

1) Were there any smell, off-gassing that you noticed with laminated doors?

2) Was it steep curve for contractors who are great with putting things together but have never worked with Barker Cabinets before?

3) If you don't mind sharing, how much did you stpend on the Barker Cabinets and the size of your kitchen.

Thank you all so much in advance!!