Cabinet Manufacturers

[Adrean]

I like to think I'm a bright girl. I'm sure it can be debated...

Please don't feel like we at Chief are trying to ignore, or aviod adding more flexible cabinet tools. As I mentioned before, focusing on manufacturers give double-benefit to our loyal and new users. It helps us identify weaknesses in our current tools, and it also provides those designers who DO depend on or have a need for specific catalogs with a toolbox of items that they already know how to use. This is only win-win for everyone.

We generally do use the Chief Architect parametric cabinet tools and customize them to meet the commonalities of a brandname catalog in order to generate manufacturer libraries. This means the work of creating specific catalogs gets done by us... it also means we are hitting those same road-blocks that are the limitations of the cabinet tools.

As always, I'm happy to hear all the feedback. It is perfectly fine to state your concerns and wishlists, I'll try to keep up the best I can!

[WendyWelton]

I design for what the client wants - and...

I'm doing a whole bunch of work for developers, who all seem to like Cabico

[WendyWelton]

btw - I'm very much in favor of libraries.

If you're designed to use stock cabinets, there's a boatload of time to be saved if those are just in here - especially if the manufacturer's can be pursuaded to update their library regularly.

I'm in favor of this augmenting good tools. If Chief can pursuade these manufacturer's to do a lot of the work, to see the value in their product being easy to specify - and Chief can bogart their resources for other stuff - well then we really are win-win.

[Keyser Soze]

Adrean, I am of the opinion that in the end if we had more tools to replicate most situations that are present in real life that would be the best.

In your poll there is a wide variety of cabinet manufacturers..so why waste the time trying to have then input them unless you are going to do them all?
And how different are they really in the end..can you tell from a rendering?

I think that if the cabinet manufacturers want to promote their brands they should get the libraries built for Chief users to specify.

I believe you can not design a residential home without designing the kitchen and therefore the cabinets to some extent. My experience has been with most custom home design the home owner will get a few prices and as a home designer I would never know which one they are going to use, and most of the cabinet manufacturers in my area will adjust my design and tweak it to suit the customer.

As someone else said as long as we can replicate what the cabinet manufacturers can produce then we can show our customer and let the cabinet manufacturer sweat the small stuff.

Thats my two cents.

[Stacey]

I'm with the rest of you that do a lot of custom work - even when I spec. cabinets off the shelf - I always customise them! Please - give us more custom cabinet tools! Right now I'm working on a kitchen - I'd like to be able to take a generic island, change the dim's., explode it and ***y it up! The idea behind Chief is to help us work faster... give us the tools!!!

[dgavin]

I agree with David Skogg and Stacey. I would rather CA spend their time on more customizing tools.

[steves]

I am getting a ton of clients who are choosing IKEA cabinetry

[TJD DESIGNS]

Mostly Shiloh here.

Tammy

[pamdesigns]

I think Gene Davis hit the nail on the head when he said: "Manufacturers are constantly evolving their product lines and adding new products and features, and any library issued would be out of date quickly."

It's been quite awhile since I've participated in this forum as I've been away doing all my kitchen and bath design on 2020.... not out of choice but necesity due to the pricing catalogs. I still use CA to create layouts because it works better (by far) than 2020. I would prefer to do my designs with CA because of the 'other' library options, ability to create (or have somebody create) symbols, and the ablity to import any material I want to represent.

I think one key issue has not been clarified -- Who's using CA to design cabinet layouts and to what end? If you need to do the conceptual design and rendering, but don't need to create a price quote, then CA already has all tools available to be able to make that happen. If you are a K & B designer that's going to sell the cabinets and need to create a price quote, then you need symbol library (specific to the manufacturer) with their prices in it. For the most part, retail price lists for manufacturers are proprietry to their dealers, so unless you are one, your aren't going to have access to it.

That being said, there are many manufacturers out there that have separate pricing software so you can do the cabinet layout using other design software. But again, you have to be a dealer (or be their designated designer) to get your hands on it.

[Kirby]

You can do some things with Thomasville that you can't do with Kraftmaid or American Woodmark.

[pamdesigns]

Kirby,
I notice you mention the three main cabinet lines carried by The Home Depot. It's true they are each different in their offerings, but quality wise very similar. When I worked with The Home Depot, I tended to like Thomasville also. If you like Thomasville, you may want to check out some of the other lines produced by Masterbrand that are very similar but not offered by Home Depot such as Diamond, Kemper, Schrock and HomeCrest. If you have vendors of these other lines, you may be able to do some comparison shopping for your projects.

I noticed that Thomasville is not listed on Masterbrand's website, but it is made by them but only sold at The Home Depot.

[Kirby]

Kirby,
I notice you mention the three main cabinet lines carried by The Home Depot.

Yup, HD is where I'm at right now. Haven't looked into Mastercraft's other lines but may need to in the future. How long were you with them?

[Kirby]

Hi Kirby,
I'm currently in the process of building a website for my business, PamDesigns, which is aimed at kitchen and bath professionals and related trades.

Sounds interesting - what will be on it?

[Adrean]

Hi All,

Thanks for continuing to add your favorites to this poll.

In attempting to build relationships with some of these brands, I'm finding them hesitant to get on board. I think this is because they are not certain that the user-base is out there to make it worth their investment.

Please see this thread:
http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread....021#post270021

Thanks!

[cgj@jds]

I think, more often than not, my client will choose their own cabinet mfr. based on budget, style, etc. I tend to try and stay away from specifying my client into a box (or cabinet). The more mfr. content that is made available, the more freedom I have to bring their dream to life in my plans. I would tend to agree with the posts that state, "the more the better".

When I walk into a home improvement store and am given a wide variety of choices, I end up much more satisfied than simply choosing the best of something I didn't really want in the first place. I think the same applies here.