frequently asked questions

the first and most important step is to talk. if it’s a kitchen design that you’re interested in, keep in mind that before we’re able to design for you, we’ll need to know what appliances you’ll be using, and anything else that has a specific dimension or specification that will effect the design. it's a good idea to start shopping for those now.

that’s not a problem at all. as with every project that we work on, what interests us is simply helping you design what you need; just as you imagine it can be. if you already have plans or a list of materials, simply contact us, and a designer will reach out to you. you can also order our stock cabinets online, and have them delivered right to your home.

the emails that we receive are sometimes, and unfortunately, prefaced with the concern that a project is too small, or potentially of little interest because it’s not a large kitchen renovation. many of the brands that we design with have an order or freight surcharge for orders fewer than 5 cabinets, but we’re more than happy to help.

within the greater chicago area, an employee or professional service provider can visit your home to gather all of the information needed to create a complete, purchasable design for you. more than that, if we measure, we take responsibility for your cabinets fitting in the spaces that we measure.

before designing, we’ll provide an estimate based on what you’re looking for, to see if it aligns with your budget. from there, we typically design for free; all we ask in return is for projects to be brought to us in earnest, and with open communication. for especially large or complicated designs, we may ask for a retainer that will be applied toward your purchase.

the simple answer is that your cabinets can cost whatever you need them to, within reason. we offer a wide range of options that fulfill our customers’ needs across the entire pricing spectrum, from stock to fully custom. whether you’re hoping for a return on investment, or building your forever home, we can work with your budget.

stock cabinets typically take approx. 2 weeks to be pulled and shipped to your home if nothing is on backorder. for semi-custom brands, the lead time is currently 6-8 weeks on average, up to 12+ weeks for fully-custom cabinets. it’s important to remember that eta’s are only estimates.

the cabinet brands that we’ve partnered with will occasionally offer additional discounts or incentives, depending on the time of year, which will typically have an end date associated with it. we’ll make a note of any discounts or end-dates along with your quote.

to file a claim, simply take a photo of the damage, note the item, and email us. to prevent add-on delays and receive your reordered items as fast as possible, please try to inspect everything and submit one claim. reorders typically arrive in a quarter to half of the original lead time.

everything that we sell as a company is either special-order, or made specifically for you, which helps us offer a remarkable range of solutions to meet everyone’s needs and aesthetic preferences, but unfortunately it also means that nothing that we sell is returnable.

most of the cabinet makers that we work with offer limited lifetime warranties, which cover any manufacturing defects for as long as you own the home. warranties are limited to the replacement of defective parts, and do not include labor charges related to the removal or installation.

our company does not provide installation, with the exception of countertops which come with installation from a licensed fabricator as part of the cost, so you will need to retain services for all labor portions of the project that you don’t wish to perform.

this happens from time to time. if the project is postponed, your design will be saved in our system for up to one year, so that when you’re ready we can pick up where we left off.

we recommend not demo’ing the existing space until everything needed to complete the project has arrived, been inspected, and is ready to install; including any possible reorders of damaged or missing items.

our rta cabinets, assembled primarily with a handheld drill and philips bit, and a mallet, take about an hour each at a leisurely pace. most of our customers make a rewarding weekend project of it.