Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Martha Stewart Cabinet Review

It has been a LOOOOONG 8 months since our Kitchen reno began. The first 5 or so being the worst. Sean and I still have a few loose ends that we can finally tie up now that the kitchen installers finished last Monday, so these are not our *final* shots of the finished kitchen, but they are pretty close.

I know a lot of you have been asking for reviews on what we think about the cabinets now that we've had them for a little bit so I thought I would sit down and share my thoughts.

My first thought:
1. The price is unbeatable if you are after the look we wanted. We did about a year of research and price comparisons so we feel like budget wise they are really superb.




2. You MUST MUST MUST know exactly what you want! I cannot stress this enough. I am sure Home Depot has their share of talented kitchen designers but simply going in and asking one to design your new kitchen is not a good idea. In fact, even when I would share photos and ideas from Martha's own cabinet catalog our designer had no idea how to make it happen. Every single inch of cabinets were picked by Sean and myself. So if you are up for lots of pre-reno work and saving some money it is definitely a good route, but if you have a challenging space or want input I would go to a specialty kitchen store.



3. The good part about working with Home Depot is that when there is a problem or mistake they cover all the costs and send replacements, the bad part is that it takes about 8 weeks to ship anything. In the end our store gave us all the cabinet baseboards and decorative side panels free of charge to make up for all the delays, but I didn't expect anything and I am not sure all stores do this. But waiting for 3 different replacements at different times meant that it was 3.5 months of going back and forth from the day our cabinet installers began. If everything arrived correctly and was perfect it would be a totally different story and I would have had a finished kitchen back in August, so just be prepared to be patient.



4. Have all your appliances, faucet, sink picked out before you even arrange the kitchen measure. You probably heard me complain before that they nearly didn't agree to make the sink cutout because they didn't approve of the Ikea sink dimensions. That was probably the single most stressful day of our reno because they tell me this 2 days before our counters were to be installed so obviously the marble had already been cut. I had to get mad for the first time in the whole process and if it weren't for the fact that I had documented proof that our Home Depot measurer saw the sink, measured it and that our designer also knew I don't even want to know what disaster might have resulted (like having to get a whole new slab of marble for that section!). Document everything in email with your designer and have it all on hand for the measurer before you ever even meet with the designer!!!




5. As for the cabinets themselves, we are in LOVE. Totally worth the pain! All the cabinets have soft shut doors and drawers, nice styleing and some cabinets come standard with extra sweet features like sliding shelves. We thought our pantry cabinet would just be shelving, but were pleasantly surprised to have pull out shelves which is nice so things don't accumulate at the back!


3 seperate cabinets also surprised us by being pull out organizers! Can't argue with standard features like that.

6. Spending just a little more on decorative panels for the side or back of cabinets make a huge difference. One of the things I liked most about Martha's cabinets was the decorative elements. Things like build out baseboards, plinths and corbels can't be found at places like Ikea that have comparable prices. The single most expensive items in the kitchen are the corbles (they run about $500 each) but the panelling on the peninsula was not all that much money and gives a really custom look.


7. You can save $$ by doing store bought trim. I believe the Martha Stewart crown was about $150/8ft. While HomeDepot gave us the baseboards free of charge I still wanted to save a little money and get a custom look so I bought in stock crown at Home Depot for $1.30/ft and just had the installers put it up for me. Since Marth also makes paint, all the cabinet colors are available in paint and I brushed on some matching paint after they put it up! I probably saved about $250 in trim this way.



My biggest and final piece of advice is that even though you are going to a big box store that doesn't mean you can't have a custom kitchen. Have high expectations, be willing to think outside the box and express your ideas clearly and there is no reason why a budget friendly kitchen can't look like a specially design space.



So my final verdict? Despite some of the snags (you have to expect a few hiccups) the overall product is great. Our total bill for the cabinets, including the installation was $11,500. If you are a hands on person who is able to dedicate some time to planning then you will be really happy with them as well.


Now I just need to finish a few baseboards going into the dining room and tile by our phone counter to get it done~

36 comments:

Pudel-design said...

You have done a fabulous work!
I LOVE your new kitchen!
Really pretty!

Lovely greetings...

http://pudel-design.blogspot.com/

~ Kelly Ann ♥ said...

1 word ~ GORGEOUS!!!!


Merry Christmas!

Kelly Ann

Jodie said...

Gorgeous! Love the white cabinetry and dark floors! Also love all that storage!

Warm Wishes,
Jodie

http://lovelaughteranddecor.blogspot.com/

Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia said...

The kitchen is gorgeous. Although it sounds like a lot of snags were hit, home depot made it right which is so nice to hear these days. Definitly worth the wait!
Merry Christmas-
Kristin

A Vintage Vine said...

It is beautiful! Great job and thanks for all the tips, now you can enjoy.

Jenny said...

Wow!! Now that is a champagne looking kitchen on a (relatively) beer budget! I hope that comes across the right way, because I mean it as a compliment. Seriously, I think you achieved a very high end look, and would have guessed it was much more expensive. It's gorgeous! You must be absolutely thrilled. Well worth the time and effort!

Jenski said...

Your kitchen is wonderful. I want to hang out in it and cook in it and look out the window over the sink!

Andrea said...

Your kitchen is beautiful. Great advice. Sounds like you really did your homework and it turned out so lovely!

Pine Tree Home said...

Still beautiful. Glad to hear you were able to get some goods for all the back and forth business.

Sixty-Fifth Avenue said...

Gorgeous kitchen, every detail is perfect. I can't help but notice you have a perfect wall for chalkboard paint next to your fridge...the second picture shows it. Have a Merry Christmas!

Londen

O.C. said...

Looks really great. Congrats.

Heather said...

It looks terrific! Great job!

Dianne said...

Very beautiful kitchen! The cost you wrote, does that include the countertop or flooring?
Having a beautiful kitchen to work in makes it much more fun!!!

Janet said...

Your kitchen is exquisite! Well done! Please feature a closer view of the scale on your counter soon... I love it!

Kara said...

That is one beautiful kitchen.

Happy Holidays!

brownbirdwhitebird said...

Wow, I love your kitchen! I've also been looking at the Martha Stewart cabinets recently and came across your post. What kind of countertop did you end up installing?

MJM said...

Love your kitchen! Just got the same cabinets. What color paint did you use on the walls?

mr. + mrs. drage said...

I have the same ikea sink and have been looking everywhere for a good facuet, where did you find yours? I love it!

TJ said...

Fantastic guidance. Thank you. It turned out great!

Margaret and Tom said...

May I ask where you purchased your island light fixture? I love it! margoh28@sbcglobal.net

Margaret and Tom said...

May I ask where you got your island light fixture it is gorgeous

Amy K5 said...

Love your kitchen! Where is your microwave/dishwasher located? My kitchen is very similar to yours and I'd love to redo it someday (soon!). May I ask what the length of your refrigerator wall is? I'm just trying to envision if I could fit as many cabinets. Do you share the cost of your total renovation on your blog?

Lisa @ Shine Your Light said...

Thank you for sharing your kitchen renovation ins and outs. I am trying to budget for our kitchen renovation so I can project when to start our project, and your gorgeous kitchen and the fact that you were able to do it on a budget are inspiring. Hope you're enjoying it all - it's lovely!

Srockstar said...

I was wondering how your cabinets were holding up and if you ordered the maple or thermafoil? We are looking to order the exact cabinets from Home Depot. Thanks!
P.s. your kitchen is beautiful!!!

mary jo clay said...

Your kitchen is wonderful! I found it by googling white kitchens with marble.

Did you purchase the laminate Martha Stewart cabinets with the plywood upgrade?

mariam said...

Simply wonderful! I am now more than sure that white is THE right color for kitchens. BauformatUSA (my kitchen designer) suggested that color for my kitchen remodeling. I did not agree, and now it's too late to change. :((

Anna said...

hanks on your marvelous posting! I quite enjoyed reading it,you're a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and will come back sometime soon. I want to encourage you to ultimately continue your great job, have a nice day!

Cabinet resurfacing

Texas Jackie from Miami said...

Hello. Beautiful kitchen! Can you please tell me precisely what cabinet you chose? Is it wood or thermofoil? What door style is it? I'm working with HD now and I debating whether to go with wood or not. Thanks!

Unknown said...

I have decided to go Martha after seeing and reading this post, thank you so much, and your kitchen is white and marble just like mine will be. Your kitchen is beautiful.

Unknown said...

Hi! I love your kitchen! We're in the process of building a house and I've been looking at the Martha Stewart line. If possible, would you be able to tell me what style cabinets you used? (maidstone?) and what color paint you used on the walls?

Thanks! Beautiful Kitchen!!

River Oak Cabinets said...

Beautiful cabinets you have here. I really love this kitchen setup.

val said...

About to purchase same kitchen. Have any problems developed like peeling? I know it is warrantied but I'm getting that I find most warranties aren't worth the paper its written on-would appreciate any input. Thanks

Mary | Lemon Grove Blog said...

I second Val's question ... have you had any trouble with peeling? We're about to commit to Martha Stewart cabinets and I'd be curious to get feedback from someone who has had them a while.

Karen said...

Hello,
I love your blog but have never commented before. I recently purchased the Martha Stewart cabinets and was hoping you could provide some insight. Your crown on the cabinets is lovely - did your contractor have any trouble installing it? Mine is telling me that the flush door is a problem but all the pictures and my plans indicate it shouldn't be. Wondered how that part of your install went. I appreciate your time.

Laura said...

Love your kitchen and your blog is great. We are in the process of designing our kitchen at HomeDepot with the MS kitchen cupboards in Canada. I am wondering the same thing as the last few posters, have you had any problems with your kitchen now that it has been up for awhile, like bubbling, etc. Very curious before I order.
Thanks, Laura from Toronto

Anonymous said...

Great post and gorgeous kitchen! Wondering the same thing as a few other commenters - how is your MS kitchen standing up over the past few years? We just met with our KD at HD and are waiting on a quote for MS pure style but are worried about peeling and bubbling!

 
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