I am fed up to the point that I am ready to order my kitchen cabinets online. I have had several people come out to measure up and send me a quote. I received two quotes out of five and I am now waiting on another two cabinet makers to come by and give me their quotes. It is hit and miss when doing business on this island. It is very important to do a background check on these people because you really don't know who you are getting. Some of them are very good and have a long waiting list. I am not prepared to go that way. Some are very expensive even in these lean times they are not flexible, and some are just pure jokers looking to make a quick dollar.
Whenever I mention about buying my kitchen on line, I get responses like" those kitchens are no good" and that "they are not made from wood". I know that they do not know what they are talking about. I am not saying that there are no online scammers but what am I to do? Build them myself? That idea sounds really good to me at this point in time.
I really like the shaker look for my cabinets and am trying to decide whether to go with light coloured wood or medium coloured wood or whether to paint them. I don't want to make a rash decision cause am afraid of having to live with it for the rest of my life. What am I to do? HELP SOS
Have any of you had any experience buying online kitchen cabinets? I have to prepare myself that they will cost me approximately 2.5 to 3 times more by the time I get it. This will be because the sea freight and our customs duties. I am sooo fed up!
I'm sorry, but I have no advice to give....just a compliment on the tile - it is so beautiful. I hope you get the advice you need and soon have beautiful cabinets :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, I know the feeling, living here in Grenada. It takes more than tooth pulling to find and get someone to do a decent job and not sell an arm and leg for it. Just getting it done, period. Wish I could help you. Hope you find someone. Keep checking around. Ask people who have had homes built and see who they used for cabinet making.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I can imagine how frustrating it is! I went through the same last year, but now I have a nice kitchen. About colou, light coloured wood will make the kitchen look larger, and will not give you a cramped feeling. But it is harder to clean .
ReplyDeleteAll the best with your project!
You have done a great job on the floor. The tiles are wonderful. I hope you will be able to find one contractor for the cabinets. Over here, they are many now. But you are right, it is quite hard to find one that's honest enough. Btw, you have a good kitchen space. Stay cool ok :-)
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you must feel! I'm getting my house painted (by professionals ... I wouldn't dare taking on the job myself. Plus labour is cheap in India!) and mid-way my husband decide that the woodwork needed to be polished . Oh yes, and the stone flooring needed to be polished so what started off as a 2-week job is still dragging on after 6 weeks! :P
ReplyDeleteI must say that the 'bones' of your kitchen looks great. Its going to look stunning when its complete and you can sit back with a cup of coffee and smile :)
Well Helen as you know, building a dog-house in TnT costs an arm and a leg these days.......
ReplyDeleteBut girl I do love your tiles, and your castle like kitchen, as for advice, when I can afford to make over my kitchen I plan to buy them from the US as well, they just seem to have the polished look I want for my kitchen.
My sister lives next to an expert cabinet maker, why not try to buy from here, there are stores here that sell US made cabinets as well, it may (emphasis on MAY) be a cheaper option.
Good luck and dont get stressed out, you'll have a beautiful kitchen in the end because you are off to a great start!
Folks thank you all for your kind support....yes the floor tiles are great however I haven't quite made up my mind about the back wall tiles. I bought some but make take them back to exchange them. I havent decided on the colour of the walls as yet. I have a feel for something that is a warm earth or stone tone. I can't make it too dark but I don't want too light either. Something like a burnish orange/copper. Very little wall will be exposed so I can play a bit with bright colours. Anyway until I decide on the cabinet colours I cannot make a decision on the walls or is it the other way around? LOL my brain is fried!
ReplyDeleteRoxanne....I did call some people in Trinidad and was told that they did not export. Perhaps you can send me some leads I will call them and that cabinet make next to your sister sounds great. Send me the info by email.
ReplyDeleteok, I will.....,
ReplyDeleteI think you will do well to get it professionally made in Barbados-I regretted not having my cabinets made-the wait is worth it-this will be a lifetime investment. You should have found your cabinet builder months before. You will regret the cheap flimsy stuff online. The only alternative is Scavolini-I can put you on to the dealer for the caribbean, and they are probably much more expensive.
ReplyDeleteI had all my furniture made in Barbados and that is one decision i rejoice at every day.
If you find a good cabinet maker in Trinidad it does not matter if they don't export, just contact Priya at cargo consolidators-I can give you all the details-and they will do everything for you, plus you dont have to pay customs duties from Trinidad. Its very easy to ship from Trinidad to Barbados. I shipped up all my tiles, windows etc from Trinidad and it was easy and a big savings. I know excellent cabinet makers but you need to book them a few months in advance.
ReplyDeleteNicole girl chile....thank you, many many more thanks for your sound advice. I am waiting on the quotes from two really good cabinet makers here on the island. I think I have a good back up from a friend who is out of work in the USA and makes beautiful cabinets. He wants a holiday so we may be able to negotiate something depending on what my quotes look like. For wood variety and cost I know Trinidad will be my next choice. I just need to link up with some of these guys. If you know any cabinet makers please send me their names and contact info or point me to their web sites. I can see that you are on the job and traveling thanks for taking the time to respond to my SOS.
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