Source for decently fitting kitchen cupboards?

[sheepfarmer]

I am trying to remodel my kitchen, and there are various woes associated with being old fashioned. I am constantly being told "they don't make them like that any more". Half the problems arise because the contractors I have gotten estimates from have their own pet cupboard sources, from whom they get kickbacks, and if what you want doesn't fit what they sell, they are eager to tell you it doesn't exist.

I would like cupboards that actually keep the contents clean of dust, dog and cat hair. The new fangled ones all seem to come with cup hinges or some other kind of internal hinges and plastic bumpers that offset the doors away from the frames. Some like full overlay doors have a built in crack between the doors in the middle. You can order a style in the middle but it doesn't solve the problem of spaces around the edges. Inset and frameless cupboards leak in other (more expensive) ways.

My 50 year old cupboards have a different kind of outside hinge and a center panel on the inside that makes a seal. I have not been able to find any thing similar.

Any one have any sources? Or solutions?

 

[DeepWoods]

Sorry, no source, but I am a woodworker and built the cabinets that are in our kitchen just the way we wanted them. I would try to find a local custom cabinet maker. You may pay a little more but could have them built exactly as you wanted. When I have built things for others I give them what they want, not what I think they need. Hopefully you can find someone in your area. Hardware requirements sometimes require design modifications but I think what your asking for can be done. Any chance the old hinges can be reused on new cabinets?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

This is why I get the cabinet jobs I do, people want quality and they want what they want.
You can build cabinets a lot of different ways, most do it the cheapest way.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Sorry, no source, but I am a woodworker and built the cabinets that are in our kitchen just the way we wanted them. I would try to find a local custom cabinet maker. You may pay a little more but could have them built exactly as you wanted. When I have built things for others I give them what they want, not what I think they need. Hopefully you can find someone in your area. Hardware requirements sometimes require design modifications but I think what your asking for can be done. Any chance the old hinges can be reused on new cabinets?

Might be possible. Getting the young lady selling this stuff to order undrilled doors could be challenging. We had a discussion about outside hinges yesterday, and she thought she could order but then said she couldn't for some reason. I got as far as convincing her that partial overlay doors would work better. You could see that it pained her to consider since they are cheaper.

A custom cabinet maker would be nice....

I had to give up on the stainless steel counter I wanted, too expensive too hard to install properly. Clearly champagne taste, but I thought I was being practical. I just want stuff to work right.

 

[sheepfarmer]

This is why I get the cabinet jobs I do, people want quality and they want what they want.
You can build cabinets a lot of different ways, most do it the cheapest way.

Road trip? Wolves welcome.

 

[ccoon520]

I think the current style of cabinet came into vogue not because they are cheaper but because they have a cleaner look to them. All of the hardware (except the handles) is hidden and the stoppers on the inside keep the wood from sticking to itself when it gets humid.

If you are willing to go custom like was suggested look in your local yellow pages for a carpenter. There should be one in there that makes cabinets regularly. Also if you go to a locally owned home improvement store they will usually have a list of contractors or cabinet makers that are reliable that would be able to do the task. If you live near an Amish community there are usually carpenters there that can build what you like and usually they charge less than a more typical carpenter (why? I have no idea). Custom cabinets will be more expensive if you have to hire someone else to do it and they may be way more expensive due to the increase in lumber prices during COVID.

If you are having a contractor manage the job tell them what you want for the cabinets and tell them to find it and tell you how much it will cost. That's what you're paying them for. Compare what they find to your budget and make a decision.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Road trip? Wolves welcome.

Tess and Kona are in the truck, ready to go... they think sheep might be yummy.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Tess and Kona are in the truck, ready to go... they think sheep might be yummy.

Do you think they could make do with rabbits and woodchucks? Who's Kona? How's the calico cat?

 

[NHSleddog]

3 Tips To Buy Kitchen Cabinets Online

Are you wondering if you should buy kitchen cabinets online? We share common objections and show how online cabinets are the best choice for many remodelers.

www.cliqstudios.com

Fully assembled. I have done several projects with them and the quality is top notch.

 

[Old_Paint]

3 Tips To Buy Kitchen Cabinets Online

Are you wondering if you should buy kitchen cabinets online? We share common objections and show how online cabinets are the best choice for many remodelers.

www.cliqstudios.com

Fully assembled. I have done several projects with them and the quality is top notch.

My missus will thank you. She wants to redo our kitchen that was designed in the 70's with a useless "roach run" about a foot deep between the top cabinets and the ceiling, kinda making the kitchen ceiling look recessed. Well, on two sides anyway. People must have had fewer dishes and carry-out must have been a lot cheaper in the 70's because most kitchens are smaller and there's a TON of wasted space above most cabinets. The sheet rock work to do that would have been more expensive than taller cabinets, I'm sure of it. These appear to still be the original cabinets with an UGLY yellow Formica top, aluminum trim, and even a formica back-splash which I have NO IDEA what color it is. It was already painted when I bought the place. The PO's claimed to be painting contractors, but not sure I'd want them painting an outhouse. The number of problems and mistakes we've uncovered that turned little minor restoration projects into major rebuilds have been mind boggling. The additions in the basement are an abortion in carpentry.

Can't do it immediately, but bookmarking that page for reference. Looks like good stuff. Most of the box store stuff is particle board or cheaper, not plywood. I think I prefer the framed style which offers door/hardware refreshes and upgrades for a bit longer life. I thought about doing that, but I could see the look in her eye that said "you're getting a new tractor shed and you want to do this on the cheap, don't you." So, I talked her into waiting until I could put the time into it. A reprieve, but no pardon.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Do you think they could make do with rabbits and woodchucks? Who's Kona? How's the calico cat?

Kona is Tess's daughter, and yes they like rabbits too, they never had a wood chuck but they say they'll give it a try.
The Calico is Bowie and she's doing awesome.

 

[NHSleddog]

Once you get used to the soft close drawers and doors be careful. The same goes for the soft-close toilet seats.

You ever see a grown man cry?

Last week we played cards at one of our buddies houses that is living large. He had just had some things renovated and added he wanted to show off to the group.

So about an hour after we started playing we hear CRASH coming from the bathroom off the mantown room, Chris comes out of the bathroom and says "Glenn, you have a problem". He said he swung the seat down like he does to the one at home and it completely smashed the toilet (the seat was fine - lol). The whole front was cracked off on the bowl - water everywhere.

Glenn was stuck somewhere between mad and sad, we were laughing our asses off. Then we ribbed him the rest of the night. Who buys a million dollar house with crappy toilets? Even us common folk can afford decent crapper.

 

[BAP]

Check out IKEA. My neighbors are renovating an old house and are buying kitchen cabinets from them. They said this will be the 3rd kitchen that they have done using IKEA cabinets. You customize them and they said they work great because they have a lot of adjustments to fit in an older house. You order them online and they are shipped to you.

 

[Old_Paint]

Ikea scares me, and I'm an engineer.

Ikea Book

 

[NHSleddog]

If you want to put together particle board planks into cabinets, Cabinets To Go, Home Depot or Lowes will compete with Ikea all day long.

I wanted factory built (ie - jigged and glued) not snap together. The clique are all fully assembled and delivered that way.

 

[BAP]

Better look again at the IKEA ones, because they are well built cabinets, not cheap particle board crap. Come with adjustable feet for uneven floor. The wood used in them is thick and not cheap veneer.

 

[lynnmor]

I know what you mean about the new-fangled ones sometimes having a bit more style than substance, though we installed one similar to these modern kitchen ideas and there's no join or crack between the door and the cupboard.

Did they do the space station galley?

 

[David Page]

Friend of mine makes cabinets but it wasn't in our budget. We bought some through local hardware store, they are a decent grade but have the gaps like you say. Friend said they weren't bad for boughten ones and helped us install them. Wife's happy, so...

 

[ACDII]

I am redesigning our kitchen. Back in 04 we remodeled it using what we could afford, and that was Home Depot RTA cabinets. They looked nice, but particle board with vinyl for the carcass, real wood doors and drawer fronts with full overlay. You couldn't tell they were cheapies until opening them up.

Well the roof leaked on the outside wall, water got in behind the cabinets, under them then across the floor, ruining everything over time. By the time I discovered it, the damage was done. Roof is fixed, water intrusion a thing of the past, but the cabinets and floor are destroyed.

This time around I am putting in nice cabinets, but NO one online has Cherry. I want natural Cherry cabinets. I found them at Menards, and looking at $14-$16K for them. Online I found RTA cabinets and am surprised that they are all plywood carcass, not particle board, the Menards ones have to pay extra for all ply. They are also glued and screwed together, you assemble. The quality if very good too, BUT can't find the wood or style because what we want is not "in fashion". Everything is gray and shaker style these days.

What is with people and being "in fashion"? What is fashion today, wont be in 10 years, while good old traditional wood will always be in style. Cabinets are long term investments, 20 years 30 years or more, sometimes the life of the house if they are good and taken care of.

 

[sheepfarmer]

My kitchen project is nearly done, and I ditched the previous contractor who was wedded to the one cupboard supplier and wouldn’t deal with any custom designed cupboards. Lucky to find someone who has been in the construction business a long time and knew what I wanted and how to do it. He ordered cupboards with thin Formica linings from one source (easily washed), doors from another source, and made and painted the styles, rails, kick plates, end panels etc himself. It has been great because he would ask me how I wanted something and it gave me a lot of flexibility. For example I started out assuming I wanted all the handles in the middles of the inset panels for symmetry, but when it came time to put them on he pointed out that on the lower drawers on the refrigerators that would mean bending down another 8 inches, so I changed my mind. This kitchen is all about making things easier. Two doors arrived warped and have to go back, but by and large the design provides the snug fit I wanted.