Order Cabinets Online?

Question

Looking for midgrade cabinets. Have remodeled a few times using local cabinet suppliers but would like to save money ordering directly this time around. I know what I want and don't need customization. Any recommendations?

Answer 1

Check the IKEA website.

Answer 2

I'm a kitchen designer, and I would never advise that you do it yourself.  

Too many things can go wrong.  If you miss a filler, that's needed to make the adjoining door open, you will have to reorder one or two cabinets, because the cabinet will be too big, once the filler is in place.

Delivery can be a huge problem, when you go direct.  Shippers won't deliver inside the house, unless you pay a premium.  Most will want you to have a loading dock, where cabinets can be unloaded.  Then you have to load them up again, and move them to your house.  There's a lot of boxes in a kitchen!

If cabinets come in broken, or in the wrong size, or color, YOU have to pack them up, and find a shipper to return them.  What a bother!  

Ikea does knock down cabinets.  The prices are pretty good.  Would I do it?  No!  Hours to put cabinets together are no savings to me.  And don't forget that unless you are doing this yourself, the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel, is the cost of the installer.  You aren't going to want him standing around, as you pay him by the hour, while you try to resolve problems with mis-ordered cabinets!   And for that matter, even if you do it yourself, you are not going to want your kitchen torn up for weeks, while you wait for replacement cabinets to arrive.  And who pays for the return shipping, if YOU make an error with your order?

There are lots of places to order cabinets at discounts.  Kitchen design is often free, and they often have a computer program that will show the finished product. Designers know the newest products available, and they will suggest add-ons that will make your kitchen work better. They are likely to have a better price than you will get, going direct, when all is factored in.  Let the professionals do it!

Answer 3

Home Depot is pretty reasonable.  You get to see/touch the product and colors, someone reviews your measurements with you.  It seems safer to me.  I chose it over the online super saver site. Good Luck

Answer 4

I'd recommend you find a local small wood shop.  

These types of shops can specialize in different areas.. some prefer custom work, others like 'stock' work.  So specify what you are looking for.

A local cabinetmaker can also handle anything 'unexpected', and can make the odd custom unit, or two, if needed, even if you are looking for 'stock' cabinets.

You'll also need to tell them what kind of cabinets you are looking for... face frame, or frameless.  This is a 'style' of building the cabinet boxes themselves.  Some prefer one method over the other out of habit and experience, but really, one is just as good as the other, if done properly.  There are no structural issues with 'frameless' cabinets.  (Frameless is often called the 'Euro-style')

Check a few small shops, or even "1 man garage shops" and compare prices, and what they can offer.  If you've refinished cabinets before, you might opt for unfinished cabinets -- A whole kitchen is not the time to learn tho, so if you're not experienced at finishing, then let the cabinet maker take care of it.  You might even get a price break from an individual maker, if you volunteer a second pair of hands.

So thats my first suggestion -- find a small shop (even a 1 person outfit) locally.

Next suggestion, if you have the time and woodworking experience, would be to make the cabinet boxes yourself, and order the doors/drawer fronts, from a manufacturer.  You really need to know a little bit about woodworking, and finishing to take this route though.  If this is something you think you'd like to do in the future, think seriously about finding that 1 person shop, and volunteering to work in it, on your project.  Rockler woodworking supply carries a very good inventory of products for the general woodworker.  They also have a supplier for doors/drawer fronts.... and practically every piece of hardware you can think of -

http://www.rockler.com/CategoryView.cfm?...

Third suggestion, yes, you can find online suppliers.  I've always been on the manufacturing end, or made my own, so I can't vouch for any of these suppliers, but here are some links you may want to check out -

http://www.cabinetexpress.com/?OVRAW=kit...

http://www.accentbuildingproducts.com/cg...

http://www.directkitchencabinets.com/?sr...

You may also find a local store that sells 'standard size' cabinets, finished or unfinished, as a wholesaler.  I've seen a few of these stores across the country.

Have Fun