Cross off Waypoint if you want quality cabinetry. I would also be cautious of the new owners of Wood-Mode/Brookhaven under its new name until they prove their service. The way the closure of the business last year was handled left a lot of customers and distributors hanging with no contact whatsoever and no way to retrieve products that were abandoned on the production line. It was an absolute nightmare. I've heard that their production capacity has been reduced from what it once was now that there has been a change in ownership. If you want a quality line that is very similar to Wood-Mode and Brookhaven but with reliable production and service, check into Bentwood/Harmoni (same company, different lines just like Wood-Mode/Brookhaven).

Showplace and Medallion are favorites in these forums, but I would check as many recent reviews as you could find to see if there might be any current problems that are popping up repeatedly for people. These are moderately priced lines that offer good value, albeit with the same occasional quality problems that plague most mass manufacturers. Custom cabinetry is a great option if you can be assured of a quality finish. If the cabinet maker is using a two-component finish especially from one of the quality commercial coatings manufacturers like Milesi, Ilva, ICS, CSC, or Renner, then that would be an excellent option for you. Conestoga doors are some of the best in the business. The renowned Plain & Fancy cabinetry company reportedly uses Conestoga doors for its products. You might also check into TaylorCraft Cabinet Door Company if your builder would be willing to use those doors. They offer some modern takes on panel shaping that I've not seen elsewhere and have state-of-the-art equipment to do fast turnaround with great precision.

Nothing beats Omega.

Thank you. I thought so too until I saw this shading issue.

Thank you backtowork!

i have reservations about Twin Oaks as well.

I’d appreciate your thoughts on

-Decora

-schrock

-dura supreme

also is Aspect comparable quality to Waypoint?

I Will check out the others you’ve suggested.

This Reno project is long overdue and I’m stumbling with cabinet choice almost as much as a layout. Still havnt found easy to use software/planner.

Thank you.

Absutely none of those are even close to the level of Omega. Omega is head and and shoulders above mid grade lines. And certainly miles above entry level ones. It’s the difference between hand selected and hand made products with a 1600 page spec book and rapid productions with no sorting and meh quality control and a 100 page spec book.

You’re reaching for the completely impossible unobtaniim if Omega can’t make you happy. Move up to the ultra plus realm and get on Christopher Peacock’s wait list. But his stuff is more marketing genius than durable kitchen furniture for the ages. His team hand paints, and doesn’t even use a KCMA level coating product. Deliberately.

You really need to hire the Kitchen Designer first. You’re cutting off your face to spite your face here.

Not looking For imperfections ad reasonable about expectations.

Was set w Woodmode, then Omega, then saw shading issues.

Perhaps the white is the issue.

and the wasted space surprised me. (photo).

Went the route of a designer and ended up with the two lines they “sell”.

All a learning process.

Appreciate the insight/suggestions. ty

Every single line that exists uses standard 21” glides in 24” boxes, because you can’t use 24” glides in 24” boxes. That’s 100% normal and exists in every framed cabinet you’re talking about. None of the drawers touch the rest of the box, in either framed or frameless. It’s physically impossible.

I have no idea what you’re talking about by “shade variations”. The lighting issue that you have there may be casting some shadows. All of a single order gets sprayed at a single time, on the finishing line. They don’t change paint batches in the middle ever. And they buy their finishes by the drum load, not 5 gallon bucket. Thry also do spot batch tests for color formula.

They have a better system and better quality control than most. They actually have a finish archive warehouse where doors from runs are stored, so that if a replacement piece is needed even years later, they pull out the door and visually check color match before sending it out. Their finishers are the highest paid positions in the factory and they is a huge competitiveness to gain one of those positions should one open. That’s the cream of the crop.

LWO. Thank you For the drawer build insight. quite the detail on the Omega line!!

the shading is specific to the doors vs the drawer fronts

I’ve moved their cabinets to several different places /rooms/lighting.

thanks to all

I am a fan of Plain & Fancy cabinets. Outstanding. But they have high prices to match. For a while they only did inset, but then they developed frameless lines which is what I prefer. Either way, they are beautifully made and finished.

@P C It would be enough said just to read the two following resources regarding the state of Omega's recent manufacturing issues:

• In 2019, two customers, same Omega finish disaster, one customer had to have ALL FRONTS replaced
• Out of 34 reviews, many of the most recent ones complain of poor quality paint and construction quality issues

Also be aware that some of the 5-star reviews you might see for any cabinetry company are from actual dealers of the cabinetry who may not always disclose their relationship or the fact that they've never actually lived for any length of time with the cabinetry they are offering opinions about. As to the multi-step finishes that Wood-Mode was known for (and that Omega also offers), Bentwood, Jay Rambo, William Ohs, and Plato Woodworking can give you the exact same thing, up to 30-step finishes, but you'll pay a premium for that. Plato has had some poor reviews on matching the grain and coloration with cabinetry for natural wood finishes, so if you are planning to do a clear coat over stained or natural wood, focus on Jay Rambo or Bentwood for high-level quality. William Ohs might be out of your budget, but it never hurts to check on it. There are a few other great companies that don't do national work but focus on a specific area like Chicago or the Northeastern USA regions. If you let us know where you are located, someone else might be able to chime in with assistance.

Plain & Fancy is indeed known for its superior finishes, but in the presence of wide humidity swings, even the very best paint finishes can crack at the seams. P&F's finishes are so good that many people say they appear to have been dipped in plastic. The problem with P&F at least from what I've read in some reviews including at least one here at Houzz is that the interior construction of the cabinetry sometimes leaves something to be desired. If you are spending a lot of money on the project, be sure to do your research about your final one or two picks before moving forward.

Thank you B2w

I’m in Albany ny area 12211 and working with local dealers as I’m clearly inexperienced in this process. And need assistance in designing and remodeling.

what it comes down to is pay significantly more for comparable products or go with a lower line with comparable quality.

we’ll bThis home for some time

thank you.

@P C It sounds like in your ideal scenario you're wanting to economize on your cabinetry purchase yet not sacrifice on quality, and to be honest with you, cabinetry isn't quite the same as other areas of retail where you can score sometimes fabulous quality for rock-bottom prices. I've just not seen that with my own cabinetry research. Now, it is true that you can definitely pay tens of thousands of dollars for poor-quality cabinetry that you'll regret. Reading reviews of each company you are considering will help you avoid that. However, to get very nice quality cabinets, you'll almost without question be looking at paying a higher price.

With your being in Albany, New York, some of the suggestions I made in my previous comments aren't quite as applicable, because you will save on shipping costs choosing a supplier closer to your location. The Mainline Kitchen Design company produces a yearly summary of cabinet companies, and many of the ones that they highlight are located on the East Coast, as is Mainline's business. You might find some tips there.

If I were still in New York (as I have lived in the past), the Kennebec cabinet company in Maine would be one of my first shopping stops, but I don't know if the style they offer is what you're wanting. St. Charles is another renowned cabinet company whose only current showroom is in New York, but unless you want their specific look and are in the high-end price market, they're not going to be your company. I would definitely check your local custom shops and see what is available, using the guidelines I offered above for finish quality. Then branch out from there if you aren't finding what you want.

not Unwilling to pay for quality. hard to determine quality sight unseen.

The cabinets being the largest part of the budget had me looking down different paths. (Local cabinet maker). Wood door vs mdf... to avoid expansion issues.

it‘s been recommended To go with a natural wood (variation) rather than a painted (solid) finish as the expansion is less noticeable.

And there is this shading issue I’m looking at with white.....

I’m using mostly base cabinets due to windows, removing walls.

Granite guy says save on cabinets, you’ll be looking at the counters.

a bit of a head spin.

I need good quality cabinets. Not fantastic forever furniture mind you but really good solid sturdy cabinets to avoid future headaches/regrets.

in this area, Omega is the better go to. My experience was it wasn’t worth the extra $$.

thank you. I appreciate those who share experience to help us newbies navigate through the renovation process.

Set up a flood light and aim it directly at those cabinets. It’s a lighting issue due to the profile shadows. Eliminate the shadows and eliminate the perception of an issue.

@P C If you're still reading, check out the Aspect line from William Ohs. That's a way to get superior craftsmanship at an entry-level price point, manufactured in Colorado. Same goes for Plato's Prelude line, manufactured in Minnesota. Another great company is QCCI (Quality Custom Cabinetry Inc.) that is located in Pennsylvania nearer to you. You'll find probably 40 great cabinet manufacturers in Pennsylvania if you check around locally there.

Thank you.

I wanted to come back and update to say I mis-named the entry-level line for William Ohs. The correct name is Ascend.
Also, I am no longer able to recommend Kennebec since I discovered they utilize a lacquer finish which is substandard for durability and non-yellowing properties when compared to the industry standard two-part, post-caralyzed varnish coatings which have made lacquer a legacy product for the majority of large cabinet companies.

You can get normal kitchen cabinets from kitchen carpentry workshops or get renovation contractors to help. I know of a site that may help. Hope it goes well.

I saw someone posted above that Harmoni has a good finish, but I was not pleased with my white painted Harmoni shaker cabinetry at all. The "white" looks different on the MDF they use on their large end panels vs. the maple wood they use on the shaker stiles/rails and is noticeable. I immediately noticed it as well as my cabinet installer. The retailer would not acknowledge it after looking at it saying that it was the way the light reflects on it, despite both pieces being in the same "plane" of light right next to each other. In fact, that's why it was so noticeable because it's one piece of a finished end panel right next to a cabinet door and the paint looks different on MDF vs. maple wood. I would not recommend the Harmoni painted finish at all. also, I had a sample door made in the white oak natural finish shaker and although the rails looked nice, the recessed panel was made from a veneer that was "pieced" together in strips and the wood strips had different grains with some showing weird reddish grains in some of the strips and it all looked so horribly inconsistent that I did not order my island from them, which i'm glad I didn't after seeing how the painted white cabinets turned out.

@D H Thanks for the input on Harmoni. I decided against them because the price for what I would get seemed extraordinarily high. I am so sorry you had a bad experience.

I have “Plain & Fancy” Shaker style custom kitchen cabinets in Vista Gray. I love them. I did lots of research first. They are made in Pennsylvania. I wanted my cabinets made in the USA. It is also very important to get an experienced cabinet installer. Research that too. Best of luck in your decision❣️

A few more pictures of My cabinets.