Cabinetry is one of the largest line items in a kitchen and one of the hardest to judge from a showroom. These ten questions cut through the pitch. Ask them of anyone you are considering, including us. 1. What construction do you offer, and which fits my kitchen? You want a specific recommendation tied to your home, not a template answer. Inset, frameless, and European each suit different spaces. 2. What wood and finish quality am I actually getting? Ask about hardwoods, joinery, and how the finish is applied. Dovetail joinery and hand-applied finishes are signs of the real thing. 3. Is it made to order or pulled from stock? Made-to-order means it is built for your room. Stock means your walls get fitted to the boxes, not the other way around. 4. What warranty backs the cabinetry? A limited lifetime warranty signals a product built to last. A short warranty tells you what the maker expects. 5. What is the realistic lead time? A straight answer here shows they know their process. Vague timelines are a warning sign. Expect a range, not a promise of speed. 6. Who manages the installation? A local team that installs and stands behind the work is very different from a delivery dropped at your curb. Accountability lives here. 7. How do you handle changes once we start? Changes happen. What matters is whether there is a clear, fair process for them, or whether every change becomes a fight. 8. Can I see finished projects and talk to past clients? Finished projects and client references are easy for a good shop to provide. Hesitation tells you something. 9. How do you coordinate with my designer or builder? Kitchens fail in the gaps between trades. You want someone who treats coordination as part of the job, not an afterthought. 10. What happens if something is wrong after install? The honest answer is that occasionally something needs attention. The question is whether they will be there when it does. A local partner will be. If you get clear, specific, unhurried answers to these, you are probably in good hands. If you get a hard sell and soft answers, keep looking. A kitchen is worth the diligence.
Cabinetry is one of the largest line items in a kitchen and one of the hardest to judge from a showroom. These ten questions cut through the pitch. Ask them of anyone you are considering, including us. 1. What construction do you offer, and which fits my kitchen? You want a specific recommendation tied to your home, not a template answer. Inset, frameless, and European each suit different spaces. 2. What wood and finish quality am I actually getting? Ask about hardwoods, joinery, and how the finish is applied. Dovetail joinery and hand-applied finishes are signs of the real thing. 3. Is it made to order or pulled from stock? Made-to-order means it is built for your room. Stock means your walls get fitted to the boxes, not the other way around. 4. What warranty backs the cabinetry? A limited lifetime warranty signals a product built to last. A short warranty tells you what the maker expects. 5. What is the realistic lead time? A straight answer here shows they know their process. Vague timelines are a warning sign. Expect a range, not a promise of speed. 6. Who manages the installation? A local team that installs and stands behind the work is very different from a delivery dropped at your curb. Accountability lives here. 7. How do you handle changes once we start? Changes happen. What matters is whether there is a clear, fair process for them, or whether every change becomes a fight. 8. Can I see finished projects and talk to past clients? Finished projects and client references are easy for a good shop to provide. Hesitation tells you something. 9. How do you coordinate with my designer or builder? Kitchens fail in the gaps between trades. You want someone who treats coordination as part of the job, not an afterthought. 10. What happens if something is wrong after install? The honest answer is that occasionally something needs attention. The question is whether they will be there when it does. A local partner will be. If you get clear, specific, unhurried answers to these, you are probably in good hands. If you get a hard sell and soft answers, keep looking. A kitchen is worth the diligence.
PULL QUOTE
If you get a hard sell and soft answers, keep looking.
If you get a hard sell and soft answers, keep looking.
A kitchen proves itself slowly, through school mornings, holidays, and every meal in between. We build for that.
Alex Molkentin
Third-generation Colorado builder and founder of Shadowline Cabinetry in Lyons. He designs, specifies, and installs every project the studio takes on, and stands behind the work locally.
