Full overlay vs. inset...

[Brent Taylor]

I have built cabinets for years & I have found that the level of workmanship has drop some much over the last 20 years to the point that most end user are use to spending a lot of money on crap and the people they buy it from are happy that they are so they can pocket more money. Cheap materials, cheap labor, happy end users & happier salespersons. Most folks would not know the difference between a good job or bad, as long as it good enough for resale. It is sad to see good cabinet makers going under while the big boxes sell sows ear stuff to an uneducated masses. I feel like being a craftsman is a dirty word in today's world.

 

[Lbob131]

My sister  and her partner had a kitchen like the  one in the image above fitted  a few years ago. It looks stunning.
These guys....
http://greenhillkitchens.co.uk/

Their designer  even recommended  removing a window  in the kitchen  and lowering the sill height. Which they did.

 

[WastedP]

I have built cabinets for years & I have found that the level of workmanship has drop some much over the last 20 years to the point that most end user are use to spending a lot of money on crap and the people they buy it from are happy that they are so they can pocket more money. Cheap materials, cheap labor, happy end users & happier salespersons. Most folks would not know the difference between a good job or bad, as long as it good enough for resale. It is sad to see good cabinet makers going under while the big boxes sell sows ear stuff to an uneducated masses. I feel like being a craftsman is a dirty word in today's world.

I think it's important to note that the race to the bottom in quality is driven by customer demand for something cheaper.  Most cabinet shoppers are looking for a box that looks like a cabinet that will hold up a stone countertop.  They don't care how you get there.  A customer that cares about the quality of the actual cabinet construction is rare.  The best-selling cabinets are cheap, poorly built, but check off all of the boxes that HGTV or a design mag says to look for:  plywood construction, solid wood dovetail drawers, undermount guides, soft-close.  You can be sure that those features have been "value engineered" (a term I heard a factory product development guy use).  I've talked with large cabinet operations that have struggled to come to terms with the customer demand that they reduce their product quality in order to hit a price point.  They want to make nice cabinets, but they also want to stay in business.

 

[Brent Taylor]

Sorry about the rant, just get tired of hearing of folks afraid of doing good work. the understanding that good work takes time & talent, that means it costs, not only money but time. Few people are willing to see or think when it comes to these types of things. If you can't do it in 30 min. that you should not do it. (Thank you Bob Vila, jk [wink])