The grass is always greener...

Have you ever heard this saying? This is how I see it relating to purchasing kitchen cabinets: A family decides to remodel their kitchen. They stop at a few kitchen places to get ideas, look through magazines, and determine how much they want to spend. They decide on where to purchase their cabinets. They may feel the inclination to purchase from a familiar lumber yard or big box store, knowing full well that in the end they may not be truely happy with the results, but they want to save money. Saving money is a good thing. One must invest wisely and you may save some money initially, but your new kitchen may not be what you wanted or could have had for a little more money. Visiting a local kitchen shop like mine may intimidate the general public. After all, we are a small outfit run by mom and pop which makes them think we are more expensive. We are not. We carry superior products that were carefully choosen for their quality and value. We already did the homework for our clients! We looked through many lines of cabinets (and God knows that there are tons of them out there) and we picked the ones that better suit our clients and this market. Our prices, if compared apples to apples with the big box store or lumber yard pricing will be competitive. We offer our clients the full remodel. Most box stores offer just the cabinets, some other finishes and maybe the labor to install. We feel that our clients need to know what the WHOLE project is costing prior to making the investment. It would be easier for me to just sell better cabinets all day long, but I love to see the project through. I like to be involved in all the aspects of the design and finish selection. This is something that the big box stores can't offer you. Their sales associate NEVER visits your house to see how you live and function in your kitchen and home. Yes, you may save a few bucks by shopping at the big box stores, but you will never get the level of service and quality that you will get from a local supplier. I also like to buy local and support my community and the small businesses that are thriving in the current economy. The large companies like the big box stores have deep advertising pockets that the small local company can't beat. I remember late spring last year feeling sad that one of our local farms was struggling to sell their flowers to residents. I always think of them before I pick up flowers at the larger supplier. It makes me feel good that my support provides for a local family.