It's been a year since JR (the owner) worked with our kitchen and boy are we glad it is over. It was a ton of work and...scary because it's not everyday you redo a kitchen, and once it's done you can't really change it without significant costs. At the end of the day, we went with JR's team because of their attention to detail and we are glad we did. **Quick edit, it doesn't have to be a lot of work. You can also just opt to let JR handle everything.
I wrote a lot of stuff but feel free to skip to the summary at the end.
First, I'm in real estate so I have a particular way of doing things which makes me a pain in the ass as a customer. I haggle, I do tons of research, and nitpick over everything. Did I mention I brought in a lawyer to review the contract too? JR still put up with it.
I chose custom cabinets, the most expensive option. There are cheaper options though. If you're seriously thinking about doing a kitchen, you need to understand the different types of pricing "tiers" out there. The poster comparing JR to Lowe's is comparing apples and oranges (Lowe's simply does not even offer custom cabinetry).
I spent 2-3 months getting kitchen quotes from all over -- here's what I've learned. First, your budget will dictate what materials are in your price range. There are 3 big groups for materials.
1. Pre-fab MDF kitchen. Factory made, compressed pieces of wood (think of cheap Ikea furniture or the laminate counter-top from your cheap college apartment).
2. Solid wood pre-fab. These are solid wood, but made in the factory so you'll have to play Tetris and fit their preset cabinets into your kitchen.
3. Fully customized wood cabinetry. Kitchen is made to fit your kitchen exactly.
Within the above types, there are different tiers of pricing depending on the quality of labor you're getting (is it a licensed contractor vs some dude in the Home Depot parking lot). JR is a licensed contractor that does high quality work -- this is where a large portion of where the costs come in.
The difference between high quality labor and low is this: Low quality labor may entail cabinets that don't sit flush to floor, molding that bulges outward, an unbalanced sink making water pool in a corner, and other parts of your house have been damaged by careless workers carrying around tools. Oh that accidental damage on the wall? Low quality contractors will suddenly become "too busy" to come back after the job is done to fix it. These...are all real stories I've dealt with previously.
Those looking for cheap labor and cabinets for a low end investment property or a cheap flipper, you are in the wrong place. JR's is really a place for moderate to high end homes.
JR's team, from the cabinet guys to the counter-top installers, are top notch. I ordered a custom created marble counter-top. The guy who fabricated the counter-top was OCD, and was methodical in choosing how to cut the stone Our custom shaped counter was beautifully cut and joined together from different slabs. Matching the slab cuts so that the patterns line up is pretty key. He spent a good amount of time polishing the stone before and after install as well.
The cabinet team worked hard to make sure that all cabinets were perfectly level, flush, and painted flawlessly. They were very careful to make sure the other parts of the house were not damaged. You'd be surprised at how easy this happens (droppings heavy tools on tile, moving a ladder and scratching a narrow hall, etc.) - JR's team has very high standards. Cabinets that may have been damaged on delivery were replaced or repaired without question.
**EDIT** This is probably why custom cabinets must be installed by JR. There are so many adjustments (some major) even after it's installed. Could end up in a situation where contractors blame each other for mistakes (mistakes always happen in large projects).
Many of you are considering Ikea/Lowe's. I didn't go with Lowe's/Ikea because the workers in the store seemed completely disconnected from the cabinet installers. It's difficult to assess the quality of the installers. This does not mean they're bad - I just wasn't a fan of their system.
One important note: JR is very rough around the edges and can be harsh at times especially during price discussions. Don't let this phase you, he means well. I'm not surprised that some posters were put off by this. Ultimately, I went with JR because I felt that that level of pride in his work and passion is something I knew would reflect in his end product. I'm here for a great kitchen, not a yes-man who under-delivers.
In summary:
JR offers moderately to expensive priced services, from pre-fab to fully custom solid wood custom cabinetry. You're not just buying the cabinetry, but a high level of craftsmanship from his entire team, attention to detail, and post-project services. JR can be rough around the edges, but don't let that deter because he really takes pride in his work, and it shows in the end product. read more