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The Customers Who Almost Bought Their Kitchen at Lowe’s.

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10 on The Customers Who Almost Bought Their Kitchen at Lowe’s.

But got a better kitchen design deal from Main Line Kitchen Design.

One of our customers told me a story about how they nearly bought a kitchen at Lowe’s. After working with a designer who took their direction regarding the design and type of cabinetry they wanted and getting a quote from Lowe’s on their kitchen installation, they were nearly ready to order. The Lowe’s designer told them that if they ordered that day, they would receive a 20% discount!

Lowe's Store

Fortunately, our customer was very sales savvy and knew that any company that offers you a 20% discount to sign their contract today will still honor the same offer a week or two later if “push comes to shove”. Just asking for the sale this way made him and his wife uncomfortable, so they decided to do a little more investigating.

A friend had recommended Main Line Kitchen Design and Matt Super from MS Contracting. So they decided to get quotes for their cabinetry and their installation from us as well. They contacted the contractor first for an estimate. Matt gave them a ballpark and recommended contacting one of our designers to review their design first. Just Matt’s “ballpark” was significantly less than their quote from Lowe’s. Even with the 20% discount included. I was the Main Line Kitchen Design designer who came to their home. After looking over their plans, I was unimpressed to say the least.

Their Lowe’s kitchen plan was very similar to the kitchen they Had. And it used the available space very poorly.

This shouldn’t be surprising since the Lowe’s designer was just doing as he was directed. He wasn’t bringing any design expertise to their kitchen. The customers were slightly skeptical of the initial design I came up with for their space, it didn’t have a few of the components that they thought that they wanted. However, the design I recommended was more spacious. It also offered better functionality and more cabinetry and more countertops. It only took a few days examining the new design for them to warm up to the changes and understand why it was so much better. Best of all they were saving money and getting more — Main Line Kitchen Design’s price was also about 15% less for cabinetry than the sale kitchen at Lowe’s!

Our customer’s kitchen is now complete.

Since it’s been done, they’ve told me that a day doesn’t go by where they don’t appreciate how the design by Main Line Kitchen Design has enhanced both working and socializing in their new kitchen. They also can’t believe that they came so close to spending $10,000 more for a kitchen and installation that in retrospect was so inferior.

The Home Depot

Buying a kitchen and doing a kitchen renovation should be a thoughtful and well-reasoned process. Trying to pressure customers into making decisions quickly and to order on the spot doesn’t have the best interest of the customer at heart. Lowe’s Home Improvement and The Home Depot aren’t alone in pressuring customers to make these big decisions, and any dealer that does is unprofessional in my opinion. If they can offer 20% discounts, then it stands to reason that they are over charging at the outset.

Here’s another blog explaining this topic:

Why You Shouldn’t Buy a Kitchen at Lowe’s or Home Depot

Wishing all our customers a pressure free spring.

…and as Julia Child who would have been 114 years old this summer said with such enthusiasm…

Bon Appetit!

Paul

Written by:

Paul McAlary

Bio from 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.

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10 Replies to “The Customers Who Almost Bought Their Kitchen at Lowe’s.”

  1. Louis Pass

    Kitchens by Design
    3920 US HWY 1
    Vero Beach FL 32960

    They have different cabinet manufacturers.

    Do you think I should look at framed cabinets instead?
    The upper cabinets I like frameless because that centerpiece can be a pain. The bottom cabinets are all going to be 3 drawers pull out. So they would not be frameless I believe.

    Please,
    Advise

  2. Louis Pass

    I am going to check out
    Kitchens by Design
    3920 US HWY 1
    Vero Beach FL 32960

    They have different cabinet manufacturers.

    Do you think I should look at framed cabinets instead?
    The upper cabinets I like frameless because that centerpiece can be a pain. The bottom cabinets are all going to be 3 drawers pull out. So they would not be frameless I believe.

    Please,
    Advise

  3. Louis Pass

    I wasn’t sure about Lowe’s design so I am in contact with
    Kitchens by Design
    3920 US HWY 1
    Vero Beach FL 32960

    They have different cabinet manufacturers.

    Do you think I should look at framed cabinets instead?
    The upper cabinets I like frameless because that centerpiece can be a pain. The bottom cabinets are all going to be 3 drawers pull out. So they would not be frameless I believe.

    Please,
    Advise

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi Louis,
      Drawer bases have nothing to do with whether cabinetry is framed or frameless. Read this blog to understand the difference:

      https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/kitchen-cabinet-storage-space-framed-vs-frameless-cabinets/

  4. Louis Pass

    I was wondering what you thought about Modico cabinetry by Lowe’s? I was looking at the Rift-Cut White Oak Cappuccino, it is a European style door and I believe the front of the door is veneer? Is this a good cabinet to purchase?

    1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

      Hi Louis,
      Modico is a new frameless brand made by Medallion (Schuler) for Lowes. Schuler’s framed cabinets upgraded are great. However, I don’t know if Modico offers a plywood upgrade. A 3/4″ plywood box is very important in a frameless cabinet since frameless cabinetry is less durable than framed cabinetry having Plywood sides and a Plywood back instead of particle board is very important. I also worry about the less experienced designers at Lowe’s designing in a frameless brand. It is harder to design in a frameless brand and you must be careful not to design in ways that put cabinets under extra stress. For example like the 36″ wide two drawer bases shown on the Schuler Modico picture.

      1. Louis Pass

        I had them design the space but basically it is just a replacement of what I have now. The new base cabinets are 30”. I will ask them the question as they told me this line is there higher end but I will find out.

        1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

          Hi Louis,
          We almost never would recomend doing the same design that a customer had. The likelihood that the design could be improved is almost 100%.

          You can always call into our Friday help line. See below:

          Call into our Friday helpline most Fridays between 2 and 4 pm Eastern Standard Time. We review designs and give design help. Call 61O-5OO-4O71 then leave a message and we will call you when a line opens. Be ready to email designs or measurements you want Paul to consider. Or email them in advance to Paul@MainLineKitchenDesign.com. Some calls we turn into podcasts with the callers permission.

      2. Louis Pass

        Do you think I should look at framed cabinets instead?
        The upper cabinets I like frameless because that centerpiece can be a pain. The bottom cabinets are all going to be 3 drawers pull out. So they would not be frameless I believe.

        Please,
        Advise

        1. pmcalary[ Post Author ]

          Framed cabinets do not have wood pieces in the middle any more. They use butt doors. I would recomend framed cabinets as long as the door style you are selecting isn’t a slab style. Very contemporary kitchens look better in frameless because the gaps between cabinets and doors is slightly less.

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