What I Like: Remodelers Tell Us About Their Favorite Products

Cabinets

Wellborn Cabinets

After vetting seven cabinet companies over a two-year period, Dave Myers says it ultimately was the relationship with the company’s regional manager that helped seal the deal with Wellborn. But these three reasons were also key:

1. Quality: “A lot of what are custom features for other companies are stock features in the higher-end Wellborn cabinets,” Myers says, adding that the quality control of Wellborn’s cabinets starts early—with the tree itself, which Wellborn hand-picks and cuts in its own sawmill.

2. Order-to-delivery timeline: For two of the top-tier made-to-order products, “we receive our cabinets in three weeks. And the custom line gets to us in four weeks,” Myers says. The brand he previously used took eight to 10 weeks to arrive. Getting the cabinets delivered more quickly “saves us time and money, gets the customer living in the space sooner, and gets us more referral business,” he says.

3. Finishing system: “Wellborn is one of the last manufacturers to use an oil-based finish,” Myers says. “It uses a 24-step finishing process, which is almost double the industry standard.” The result: “a very consistent look and a deeper, more durable finish.”

In addition, Myers likes that Wellborn is environmentally conscious. He is now a dealer for the cabinet company and has found another plus: as a dealer, he has his own customer service rep.

Dave Myers, general manager
J. Francis Co.
Pittsburgh

DeWils Cabinets

Todd Jackson carries two other cabinet lines, but what makes DeWils his go-to line is a pricing structure that he says has made it easier for Jackson Design & Remodeling’s team to deliver a good customer experience.

Typically, cabinet manufacturers charge different prices for different wood species. DeWils does not. “They basically said, ‘Throw away your price books except for oak, and all the different species will cost the same,’” Jackson says. Now Jackson’s team doesn’t have to consult different books each time a client orders cabinets; there’s no separate pricing for the usually higher-end species such as maple, cherry, alder, quarter-sawn oak, bamboo, mahogany, or walnut. Price variations exist only in door styles.

Doing this has made it easy to train designers since they’re working with just one product, Jackson points out. And it reduces error—a designer can’t say that he or she mistakenly priced out alder cabinets for an oak job.
“I can sell the project before locking in a particular wood or stain, and my designers can help clients fill in the particular selection. It expedites the sale. It’s a great selling tool,” Jackson says. And he has found that if, in the middle of a job, a client wants to change from walnut to cherry, it’s an easy switch.

There are two other things Jackson appreciates about DeWils. First, the company manufactures its own cabinetry, so there’s no waiting for back orders. “They meet their commitments and always send an order in full,” he says. And second, DeWils’ owner will visit Jackson Design & Remodeling and will often go to jobsites to see the products being used.

Todd Jackson, CEO
Jackson Design & Remodeling
San Diego

Elmwood Fine Custom Cabinetry

In a word, variety is what Shannon Kadwell likes about Elmwood cabinets: “They have a good product that’s made well and has a lot of variation in the cabinetry line—from traditional to contemporary.

“Elmwood can do pretty much anything for you,” she says. “They have different boxes—solid wood dovetail, a European style with a metal box, a walnut box that looks as beautiful on the inside as the outside … and there are a variety of finishes including vintage, contemporary, bamboo, reclaimed wood, and unique woods.”

There are styles to fit a range of budgets. “You can go custom and draw something and they’ll make it for you, or they have a budget line where you can pick the box you want and pick affordable door styles.”

Kadwell’s relationship with her cabinet supplier, Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens (JCRK), adds to why she likes the product. She sends the firm a drawing and says “they make it happen using the Elmwood line.” JRCK inspects each box and shows Kadwell how the parts and pieces go together so “it’s not the remodeling company’s responsibility to figure it out like a puzzle without instructions,” she says. And, since Elmwood is made in Ontario, Canada, materials are expedited if needed. “We don’t have to wait for a crown or filler,” Kadwell points out. “It’s not like it has to come over on a boat.”

Shannon Kadwell, kitchen and bath designer
Anthony Wilder
Washington, D.C.