Crystal, without a doubt, is the better option.

@Monique Do you have a recommendation for which wood and stain? Looking for something simple and mid tone brown.

So TBD is all part of the choices . Why brown wood ? Start there A kitchen is designed as a whole not one piece at a time . To begin for my clients we have a few sit downs discussing what are must haves before we even get to the actul colors and style . Simple and wood toned ????? I have never used either of those makers so wahy narrow your search to them ? My advice get an independant KD and work with them to get it right . Kitchens are expensive to do so some good guidance will be worth every penny . We need to begin to help with maybe some pics of your space and your style .

@Patricia Colwell Consulting I should have clarified—we do have a design and are now in the stage of choosing our wood type and stain. These are two brands our contractor works with—and we are trying to find a mid tone brown stain that is timeless. We were hoping others had feedback on their experience with either of these brands and would love to see some photos of what others have done.

Maple cabinets have very little grain and take stain beautifully. Don’t have experience with either brand- have Brookwood maple cabinets with mid-tone brown stain.

This is where your kitchen designer, and the company cabinet designer show you samples and coordinate. Not strangers on the internet.

@Minardi Thanks for the response. I was provided with samples. Oftentimes this is a great place to get honest feedback and input about products and brands from people who have the item OR from business owners/contractors who have worked with specific products in the past. Honest and constructive reviews are hard to find online, but Houzz is always a great resource. It is also nice to see photos of what others have done for inspiration.

Very niche .0001% things are not going to have a big library of people to show you things. This is why you need imagination, and the ability to visualize. If you do not have that ability to create workable and beautiful material combinations, then you hire a kitchen designer who does! You never rely on a cabinet seller to do anything but push for a big commission. How do you know you are dealing with a cabinet seller and not a kitchen designer? You pay a design retainer, on the front end, for them to design your project. And you are not obligated to use any materials that they may sell. You're paying for design only.