Kitchen cabinets -

4 years ago

Hi - we are planning a kitchen remodel and our designer is a rep for Ultracraft cabinets. I've read many reviews on this brand that have not been very positive. Has anyone has any experience with Ultracraft? What other mid-price range brands would you recommend? Thank you!

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Helen

4 years ago

If your designer is a rep for only one cabinet company, he is a salesperson and not a designer.

Many designers work in kitchen and bath stores and sell cabinets - that is how they make their money. Quality of a designer can vary.

It is very difficult to evaluate quality of products based on internet reviews because it isn't necessarily a valid sample - people who have bad experiences post more than those who are satisfied.

What is absolutely necessary is to read as much as possible about cabinet construction - and what constitutes good construction. That way you have some basis of evaluating cabinets you are looking at and asking intelligent questions from the salespeople and designers. I could not build a cabinet or tile a shower or do any other stuff as I am the antithesis of someone with any DIY skills and don't have any interest in acquiring them. However I read as much as possible so that I felt that I could ask questions about things and get some sense of whether things were being done correctly - i.e. I can't waterproof a shower but I sure as heck read about various ways and so I spent some time asking how my shower would be waterproofed.

The best way to proceed is to visit several kitchen stores in your area because in my experience they sell different lines and also their range of prices vary - i.e. Kraftmaid may be the least expensive option and one store but the most expensive option at a store that stocks less expensive brands.

I visited a lot of stores prior to my remodel but the scope of my project enabled me to hire an independent designer because I was doing more than just a kitchen. Ultimately I went with a local custom shop that she had worked with before. I visited several of the projects they had done to get a sense of the quality of their finished product - as well as her personal recommendation.

However my experience is that custom isn't cheaper than semi-custom necessarily. What is true is that with custom you can get exactly what you want - no fillers - interor completely custom - door style completely unique. And so the final cost would be less than if you had similar upgrades on a semi-custom line - even if you could achieve the same with a semi-custom line.

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Comments (7)

Susanne Woolley
4 years ago
We recently completed a remodel as well and got several quotes. The best value for a quality product that we found was through a local cabinetmaker. His prices were lower than big box suppliers and quality was higher. We appreciated the personal guidance and are very happy with the experience and end result.
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
4 years ago
IMO an independant KD will give you a much better design since they are not hindered by software from one company and are not really allowed to think outside the box.
Helen
4 years ago
@Patricia Colwell Consulting I agree that in an ideal world, the best option is to hire an independent designer who is experienced and talented.

However my experience - and I suspect the experience of most people - is that it is almost impossible to find an independent kitchen designer because they can't make enough money as an independent for them to have a viable model.

It is impossible to find ANY designer for a small project - again because the amount of money they can reasonably expect to make on a relatively small project isn't enough.
User
4 years ago
When we redid our kitchen 7 years ago, we replaced oak Wellborn cabinets. Ugly, typical 90's builder-grade cabinets, but had been there for 21 years and still looked brand new. We recycled them to my sister and our electrician! The lumber company our contractor used represented the Medallion line; we did maple cabinets with a chestnut stain and like them a lot. Not sure what your "mid-price" range would be, ours came in at $20,000.00 including side panels to finish off several exposed end cabinets and the side of the built-in refrigerator.
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Debbi Washburn
4 years ago
You don't necessarily have to get out there to find an independent designer. Go into a local kitchen and bath showroom. They will have designers there as well as several cabinet lines to choose from. See what help you can get there.
nskeca
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
We just did and it has been a horrible experience. If we could go back, we would never have used Ultracraft.

Everything took forever, came damaged, then most had to be replaced. Of those, many were also damaged. Warping, missing paint, dents, incorrect sizes, etc. The designer was not any help, and the cabinet sales rep will do anything to minimize your concerns and avoid replacement.

Their 100 yr ’warranty’ is only if door boards become disconnected at the joints, according to the rep. I have new panels that are rounded rather then shaker due to their cutting machine clearly having a bad day. No replacment. We also have a panel above our refrigerator that does not close because it is warped/cut wrong size.

I would avoid using them- quality has really detoriated from what I have read. Wish we did more of our own research rather then listening to the designer who essentially only uses Ultracraft.