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Covid-19 Updates: Designing Your Kitchen Remotely

With more than 30,000 visitors a month to the Main Line Kitchen Design website we get asked nearly every day to design and sell cabinetry outside our service area. This is why we recommend cabinet dealers outside our service area. Normally we don’t design and sell kitchens further than a 2-hour drive from our offices outside of Philadelphia. We believe that to design great kitchens and provide good customer service a dealer needs to measure a project, meet with customers face to face, and be readily available to assist if problems arise.

Blue and white kitchen in Wynnewood, PA featuring Fabuwood frost cabinets with an indigo island

These are kitchen designers and cabinet dealers outside our service area that appear to meet our criteria for being good designers and seem to offer quality cabinet lines at competitive prices.

Brighton Cabinetry in QS Oak

Here is how we selected the companies we are recommending.

First our designers looked over the Houzz.com projects of potential dealers to make sure that their projects didn’t have major mistakes in them. This is actually harder than one might think. For example, it took Paul and our other designers 45 minutes to find just one dealer in Los Angeles without blatant design errors on their Houzz page.

picture of 3D rendering

Once we found that a company met our minimum design standards and received good online reviews on Houzz, Google, and Angie’s List we then examined their websites.

The cabinet lines the companies carried needed to be quality lines and have good values, and their web site needed to meet our standards for transparency and professionalism.

While we do not know these companies firsthand, we believe our research provides a good starting point for finding a good designer in the areas we list. See the map and recommended listings below:

map of dealers

New England

Hingham Lumber Cohasset, MA Sarah Bullock (781) 741-1249 www.hinghamlumbe,com

Kitchen & Bath Gallery Locations in MA, CT, & RI: www.kitchenbathgallery.com 508-457-9720
Yarmouth, Martha’s Vineyard, Falmouth, North Attleboro, Uxbridge, Guilford, & Warwick 

Kitchen Living Marlborough CT www.kitchenlivingdesign.com   860-819-5847

Bender Bridgeport and New Haven CT https://benderplumbing.com/   203-847-3865

Kitchen Solutions Portlannd ME https://www.kitchensolutionsmaine.com/ 207-520-2311

Mid Atlantic

CopperLeaf Design Pittsburg PA https://www.copperleafdesign.com/ 724-471-4890

Majestic Kitchens Mamaroneck N.Y. www.majestickitchens.com 914-381-1302

Merri Interiors Commack NY https://merriinteriors.com/ 917-660-7658

Builders General Supply Little Silver NJ https://buildersgeneral.com/ 1-800-570-7227

Oakenshield Kitchens Poughkeepsie 845-554-3777 Kitchen Cabinetry & Design | Oakenshield Kitchens

Innovations by VP Supply Corp Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Erie, and more https://www.innovationsbyvp.com/our-showrooms 585-272-1560 Rochester location

South Atlantic

KBR Kitchen and Bath Bethesda MD https://www.kbrkitchenandbath.com/ 301-718-2800

Virginia Kitchen and Bath Herndon VA https://www.virginiakitchenandbath.com/ 703 793-1993

MidSouth Building Suppy Alexandria, Fairfax and Richmond VA    

https://www.msbs.net/ 800-284-7940

B&T Kitchens and Baths Virginia Beach, Norfolk VA https://www.bandtkitchens.com/ 757-502-8625

Creative Kitchens Charleston WV https://www.creativekitchens.com/ 304-529-2537

West End Cabinetry Winston-Salem NC https://www.westendcabinetcompany.com/ 336-722-6565

The Cabinet Design Studio at Forest Millwork Greenville SC https://www.forestmillwork.com/ 828-251-5264

Beautiful Spaces LLC Charleston SC https://www.beautifulspaces.com/ 843-693-1293

Insidesign Augusta GA https://myinsidesign.com/ 770-673-0721

Capital Kitchen & Bath Columbia SC https://www.capitalkb.com/ 803-345-5888

IAS Kitchen & Bath Orlando FL https://www.iasdesign.net/ 407-438-9080

Kabco Kitchens Miami FL https://kabcokitchens.com/ 844-695-2226 info@kabcokitchens

S & W Kitchen & Bath Tampa FL 6 Florida Locations www.sandwkitchens.com/ 877-400-0237

East North Central

The Jae Company Columbus OH www.thejaecompany.com/ 614-392-4466

Kinsella Kitchens & Bath Cincinnati OH www.kinsellakitchens.com/ 513-561-5285

Woodmaster Kitchens Detroit MI www.woodmasterkitchens.com/ 586-778-4430

Geneva Cabinet Gallery Aurora IL www.genevacabinetgallery.com/ 630-232-9500

Penny Craig Lowes  Store 2545 Milwaukee WI https://www.houzz.com/projects/users/pcwi    (262) 740-2728

West North Central

Kitchens By Design Minneapolis MN https://kitchensbydesign-mn.com/ 651-636-5266

Lampert Lumber – Pella Des Moines IA www.lampertlumber.com/locations/pella/ 641-628-9663

Bartel Kitchen & Bath Wichita KS www.bartelkitchenandbath.com/ 620-543-6767

A1 Kitchen & Bath Omaha NE www.a1kitchenandbath.com/ 402-513-3241

Knecht Home Center Rapid City SD www.meadcompanies.com/locations/list/ 605-342-4840

East South Central

Cabinets & Designs Inc. Lexington KY https://cabinetsdesignslex.com/ 859-253-9002

Kitchen Sales Nashville TN https://www.kitchensales.net/ 865-524-5529

Inside Outside Inc. Jackson MS www.insideoutside.net/ 228-864-3093

West South Central

Gulf Breeze Cabinets & Countertops Inc. New Orleans LA https://www.houzz.com/pro/gulfbreezecabinets/gulf-breeze-cabinets-and-countertops-inc 504-218-5435

USA Cabinet Store Houston TX https://www.usacabinetstore.com/ 713-322-5544

FBS Factory Builder Stores Austin Texas https://factorybuilderstores.com/ 201-709-6389

Midtown Cabinetry & Designs Houston TX https://midtowncabinetry.com/ 281-947-2120

Kitchen Design Concepts Dallas/Ft. Worth TX https://kitchendesignconcepts.com/ 214-827-9881

Kitchen & Bath Ideas Little Rock AR https://www.kitchenandbathideas.biz/ 501-812-0200

Kitchen Concepts Tulsa OK https://kitchenconceptstulsa.com/ 918-779-4480

Pacific

Kitchenland Inc.  Las Vegas NV https://kitchenland-lv.com/ 702-896-0265

Chris and Dick’s Salt Lake City UT https://chrisanddicks.com/ 801-972-8815

Luna Kitchen and Bath Seattle WA www.lunakitchenandbath.com/ 206-338-3763

Ovation Design Build Portland OR https://ovationdesignbuild.com/ 503-635-3456

City Cabinet Center San Diego CA   www.citycabinetcenter.com/ 619-521-2875

Cabinets and Beyond Design Studio  San Francisco CA  www.cabinetsandbeyond.com/  415-863-5550

Precision Cabinetry and Design  Sacramento CA  www.sackitchens.com/  916-854-7300

For additional help Call into our Friday Podcast 2-4 pm EST. Paul critiques designs and gives unvarnished advice on kitchen design, cabinetry, and other topics. Call 61O-5OO-4O71

Paul McAlary
Paul McAlary

Paul’s bio from the magazine Kitchen and Bath Design News:

Paul McAlary possesses a voice that resonates far beyond the boundaries of Philadelphia’s western suburbs and the city’s prestigious Main Line – the location of his well-established Delaware Valley design firm. McAlary, president and senior designer of Bala Cynwyd, PA-based Main Line Kitchen Design, is an internationally recognized kitchen design authority who has won more than a dozen local and national design awards, including being named a 2017 Viking Appliances Designer of Distinction.


Beyond his achievements as a designer, McAlary has also forged a burgeoning reputation as the creative force behind the “Main Line Kitchen Design Blog,” a unique online forum and social media resource that is read by more than 40,000 people each month and has been honored as one of the top kitchen design blogs in the world. Main Line Kitchen Design’s videos and blogs address a wide range of kitchen/bath-related topics aimed at sparking a constructive exchange of ideas among both consumers and design professionals.


McAlary, whose kitchens and comments often appear in trade magazines and on social media sites, is sometimes at odds with the kitchen design establishment, but he maintains a distinct sense of humor and is known as a fierce advocate for design standards, ethics and transparency in the kitchen design trade.

116 Replies to “Recommended Kitchen Designers and Cabinet Dealers Outside Our Service Area”

  1. Alicia Donovan

    Have you heard of Covered Bridge Cabinetry? I didn’t see it in your list but am very curious if you’ve seen these and how you’d rate them. We are looking at flush inset from them.

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi Alicia,
      Covered Bridge looks well-made. If you are getting an inset door style, make sure you get their Ultimate cabinet construction because the wall cabinets need to be 13″ deep to fit dinner plates inside an inset wall cabinet. The Ultimate construction is the only construction that comes that way.

      One thing that is concerning is that they only show one beaded inset door style on the website under door styles. And they don’t show ANY inset kitchens on their Gallery page of their website. This suggests to me that this is not something they are that comfortable doing. Much like the Bishop line is for our company. Yes, Bishop does do inset but we recommend customers getting inset spend just a little more and get the Brighton line we carry that specializes in inset.

      Inset is hard to do and it’s usually worth spending a little more to get inset from a cabinet brand that does the style regularly. Your kitchen designer should also be experienced selling inset as it is more difficult to design in.

      WARNING I would advise against getting Flush inset ovens when you are getting an inset or beaded inset door style. It is dangerous in my opinion. Read the blog below:
      https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/flush-mounted-ovens-the-new-danger-appliance-makers-and-dealers-overlook/

      1. Alicia Donovan

        Thank you so much! It was great chatting with you on the phone on Saturday. 🙂

  2. Joan Wallack

    Hello,
    Your blog and website information are very helpful. Can you recommend a kitchen designer/ dealer in Rhode Island or nearby area? The kitchen is a small 1950’s mid-century galley with a heated sunroom addition on the other side of the original exterior wall. This addition blocks most natural light. A structural engineering evaluation has been completed; hopefully the wall will be removed ( a beam is needed) and some of the kitchen ( mechanics?) moved into the sunroom area.
    Thank you for your suggestions.
    Sincerely,
    Joan

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi Joan,
      If you call in on a Friday 2-4 pm EST to our help line and Podcast, we can try to locate a designer in your area.

  3. Deborah Abernathy-Smith

    Looking reasonable designer’s and cabinets in metro Atlanta area.

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi Deborah,
      Since we don’t list an Atlanta dealer on this blog, we must have had trouble finding one in the past. This is something I can research for you on our Friday helpline and podcast. Call in 2-4pm EST to 610-500-4071 on a Friday and we can go through Atlanta designers on Houzz.com to find ones with good portfolios. Then we can and look up their reviews and the brands they carry, to hopefully find one that looks promissing.

  4. Nina

    Hi. You have Builders General Supply in Little Silver NJ as one of the recommended cabinet dealers. This same company also has a location in Freehold which is closer to me. Do you recommend the company in general or only the Little Silver location in particular? Thanks

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi Nina,
      We recomend the company in general but not a specific designer. Call first and ask to work with one of their more experienced designers.

  5. Deb Smith

    Hello,

    I live in Acworth, GA. We are looking all wood cabinets rating 2-3. Shaker or Shaker look. Semi-custom or box. We looked into Procraft and US. Cabinets. Please advise. Thank you.

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi Deb,
      I assume you mean Procraft and US Cabinet Depot. Both brands are well constructed and inexpensive. Price level 1 for both. If the designer is good either of these brands would be a good choice on a budget. We used to sell Procraft but didn’t have a reliable distribution center so we stopped carrying them. We have also considered US Cabinet Depot but are waiting until they get their a little better organized for our location. Very good value for both lines.

  6. romandenver

    Any recommendations for cabinetry dealers in Colorado? Have noted previous comments but am looking for an update.

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi Roman,
      We’ve had trouble finding companies in the past. If you call on a Friday between 2-4 pm and select my extension I can look for you.
      Paul

  7. Juan Jimenez

    Hi Paul,
    We recently went to Kabco Kitchens in South Florida and were told that the contemporary flat-front cabinet door we are looking for should be MDF, because a solid wood door could warp if not framed. We are very skeptical of MDF. They recommended a painted door made by Miralis. Do you have any experience with this brand?

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      I would recommend a veneered painted door with an MDF core. An all MDF door would damage too easily, but a solid door painted would make little sense.

  8. Lucie

    I am new to your blog and am finding it very informative. You stress the importance of a good kitchen designer and indicated in an earlier post that you are not a fan of “design and build companies.” Are you referring to kitchen design companies that also act as general contractors? Thanks.

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi Lucie,
      This is just generally as there are of course exceptions to every rule:

      Design and build firms tend to do one or the other well but not both. Usually it is the build part that they excel at. For kitchens I’d rather use a designer and cabinet dealer and send the designs to contractors to bid on. Then each specialty is separated. If an architect or engineer is needed then I’d use the professional the general contractor recommends. I think separating each discipline makes it more likely the overall job is professional.

      I firmly believe that thinking you can do everything well means that you can’t be great at anything.

      Our company creates great designs and sell quality cabinetry for a very competitive price, Our customers bid out installations with both contractors we recommend and ones that they find on their own. The result is that they usually hire experienced and knowledgeable contractors at a reasonable price. When they do need architects and engineers they get ones that are comfortable working with the general contractor running the job. Since they are being referred they don’t overcharge or make more work for themselves than is needed.

  9. california-kitchen

    Hello, I would love to get your advice on my kitchen designs. My KD is competent, but has limited experience. I feel I should get a second opinion. Are you still offering assistance to customers outside of your service area on Fridays from 2-4 EST?

    We are in CA; if we were in your area we would absolutely go with you. Your knowledge, expertise and care is obvious and appreciated.

    Thanks!

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hello California,
      Yes we offer assistance and answer questions free of charge Fridays EST between 2 and 4 pm. Leave a message if we don’t pick up we will call you back as soon as a designer gets free.

  10. Bela Bansal

    We are talking to a design/build kitchen company that utilizes Wolf and Kitchen craft. Another brand on offer is J & K Cabinetry. Which brand would you recommend?

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Both Wolf and J&K offer inexpensive well constructed cabinets. However I am not a fan of almost all design and build companies. Generally they are only competent building and not designing and they do not offer great pricing for cabinetry nor do they understand the issues involved in ordering cabinetry.
      I would hire them to install and buy my cabinets from a true cabinet dealership with full time experienced kitchen designers.

  11. Paul McAlary

    Hi Issac,
    Adding a flower box to fill in under the window on the outside of the house is an easy way to raise a window. Other questions we answer Fridays 2-4 pm. Call and one of us can see if we can find a place closer to you.

  12. Isaac

    Hello,
    I’m remodeling a kitchen in Bergen County, NJ and am looking for a cabinet dealer and kitchen designer to work with. I’m looking for a place within a 30 minute drive and your recommendations are all further away. Just from doing some research online I’ve found Alba Kitchen and Bath, Golden Source Kitchen and Bath, and Wholesale Kitchen Center. Do you have any insight into any of these places?

    Also, one of the windows on my kitchen wall currently extends below counter height. I’m toying with the idea of making the window smaller so that counter can be extended underneath it. The exterior of the house is brick. Do you know if this is something that is too complex/pricey to consider?

    Thank you!

  13. Chantal

    Your website is so helpful.Do you recommend anyone in Orange County, California?

    1. ITSAdmin

      Hi Chantal,
      No but if you called on a Friday one of us could take a look.

  14. KevinStever

    Thank you so very much for the thorough and truly helpful response.

  15. LTimko

    Hi there,

    Working with a company that works with Ultracraft cabinets. They’re not highly reviewed here. Is there a reason they came in low?

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Frameless cabinet construction with particle board and thin sides.

  16. Becky

    Are there any good designers in Spokane, Washington? The ones you have listed are too far away for us

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      We help people outside our service area free of charge on Fridays between 2-4 EST. This friday is crazy due to tariff price increases so only one of us will be manning the phones and it may be hard to get through.

  17. Judith Shill

    Thank you so much for your invaluable information. I am getting so educated by reading all your comments . We had planned to get a Woodmode kitchen at the cost of 70K for the cabinetry only! Woodmode no longer exists and I loved their quality but agree with you that the value is an A- . This has given me time to re think our project and want to find a company equal to Woodmode quality. I liked the kitchen designer that I worked with but found them very expensive at 160K for the entire project. In the Dallas , Fort Worth area you recommended The Kitchen Design Concepts and I consulted with them and there is no way we were going to spend that kind of money with that company. They were actually pathetic and their showroom and designer was not up to standard. Could you please recommend another company for me to work with and in your opinion what is the best cabinetry on the market? I know you said a designer was more important than the cabinetry but I at this stage don’t have either. Where should I start?

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi Judith,
      The cabinet companies we recommend on our site we do sight unseen based on their designs we see, their online reputation and the lines they carry. Individual designers can be good or bad at a particular showroom and what the showroom looks like has very little to do with how good a designer or a cabinet line might be. If you call 2-4 pm EST on a Friday one of us can see if we can find another place to recommend in your area. This Friday is fine next Friday will be too hectic as there are price increases in a couple of the lines we carry that are are making that particular day crazy for us trying to process orders before the increase takes effect.

  18. JKFred

    First, I found your website via a google search and have spent hours learning from the comments section. It is now my only “go to” site for kitchen advice/expertise. We have gutted a 1920’s ranch style farmhouse on my family’s farm in Northern Colorado and I have a kitchen/dining shell that is 23 x 14 feet. Based on your advice, I need to start with a great kitchen designer. I didn’t see any Colorado (specifically Northern Colorado, Fort Collins/Greeley area) designers in the Mountain Area region. Am I missing that list? Do you have any recommendations?

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi JKFred,
      We tried to find dealers that met our criteria for good design, a stellar reputation on line, and quality cabinets across price points in every state and most metropolitan areas. However it just wasn’t possible in many cases. In fact we just had an embarrassing turn of events when the location we recommended in Denver went out of business.
      Just because we can’t find a place to recommend in your area does not mean that there aren’t great designers and dealers there. It just means that from afar there just wasn’t enough information about any company to meet our criteria.

      If you have a great experience with a particular company let us know and we can check them out and if we are comfortable recommending them it can be a boost to their business. It would be a favor to them just like a 5 star review on Google, Yelp, or Houzz. If you find our blog helpful and would like to leave us a good review that helps us equally well!

  19. Venkat

    Hello,

    Is there one in or around the San Jose, CA area that you recommend. San Francisco, CA is a long distance for many of us.

    Thank you!

    Venkat

  20. Susie

    Hello, this is wonderful! I’m moving to a townhouse in Santa Fe NM. The kitchen is very small.- one wall and an island. There is no ability to reconfigure the space so I’m pretty much stuck with it. Can you recommend anyone to help with this? Also, I’m looking for good quality mid-range cabinetry without a huge price tag. I currently have Woodcase cabinets, a local company in the Phoenix area, and love them. Unfortunately, they only sell locally. I’d appreciate any help you can give me!

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi Susie,
      Unfortunately none of the kitchen design and cabinet dealers in Santa Fe meet our criteria to recommend. And of course there are always ways to modify and improve every design – you just don’t realize what is possible because you are not a kitchen designer. As Doug Mottershead CKD says in our funny video about this point, “people just don’t know what they don’t know” Video link below;
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxJgxCeeNTo&t

  21. LARRY MCALLISTER

    I really learned a lot from your blog. I building a new home in eastern NC and the two cabinet shops I’m working with offer the following in my price range: Shrock Kitchen and KCD baths or Green Forest throughout. All seem to have 1/2 in plywood construction. KCD showed staples and plastic braces. Any thoughts on these?

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi Larry,
      Green Forest upgraded is the better construction. Schrock has the nicer finishes. There are better choices out there if you have Schrock amounts of money to spend.

  22. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

    Yes we rate Mid Continent pretty poorly in our most recent cabinet rankings. Link below:

    https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/kitchen-cabinet-ratings-for-2018-updated-reviews-for-the-top-selling-cabinet-brands/

  23. Karen Legreid

    Thank you so so much!!! I deeply appreciate your help! Any strong feelings about Mid-Continent? Thx again! You’re providing a wonderful service!!!

  24. paul mcalary

    Hi Karen,
    Some truth in what hes says but not all truths.
    .
    MDF is Medium Density Fiberboard. It is denser than particle board and has some properties that are good but some that are terrible. On base cabinets that sit on the floor it is fine for the sides of cabinets as long as the sides that are exposed are plywood. On wall cabinets that carry weight that hangs on the wall sides of cabinets are much better all plywood. And the backs of cabinets or hanging rails should NEVER be MDF. Because of this it is simpler to just make the cabinet all plywood if you want to make a good cabinet. The companies that sell MDF cabinets where you pay extra to get plywood often over charge for the option.
    .
    Yes all painted cabinets scratch more easily than stained cabinets and are ruined by water more quickly. This is true for expensive and inexpensive cabinet lines. It is why some cabinet companies get bad reviews on line from consumers. Because the home owners blame the cabinet company when the paint they chose doesn’t hold up to abuse. You must be careful with painted cabinets. They can be touched up easily by refinishers though for a few hundred dollars.

  25. Karen Legreid

    One more thing😊- the guy said that w the paint (cream/beiges) you have to constantly wipe dry by the sink or the paint will start to chip/come off. Is that true? It seems hard to believe if whites/beiges are so extremely popular. Again thanks so much.

  26. Karen Legreid

    So the two popular brands in our area are Haas Cabinets and Mid-Continent.
    The guy who is pushing for MC mentioned MTD or something like that. He said it’s so much different than the particleboard of old. He also mentioned about using plywood only for the outside services which sounds suspect to me. I have read what you have said about particleboard. Can you give me your opinion on those two brands? Thank you so much.

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