Cabinet Encounters

We recently completed a complete renovation of our kitchen and could not be any more pleased! The designer we were assigned, Leanna, was so professional and offered many excellent suggestions (some we took and some we did not), while keeping within our budget. The cabinets came in within 6 weeks and are just lovely! The carpenter, Fabian, was very professional and you can tell an expert at what he does. My house was left clean and he even helped me hang a few pictures back on my walls.
Hope this review helps others. We have recommended Cabinet Encounters and Leanna to our friends too!

I’ve come as far as having the measure done (which was excellent — by a separate contractor) and then met with a designer in their showroom, looking at cabinets, quartz, etc. After that point, you are supposed to meet again with said designer who is to have your CAD drawing done, and, if you like it, you go on to commit to Cabinet Encounters for supplies. If you want the drawings but don’t commit, the cost can be up to $ 1200 (direct quote from the designer). After the initial meeting with a designer named Leanna, I received a few terse, snippy emails in reply to queries, where the «I have other clients to draw for,» quip was sent to me. Puzzled and curious, I met with her to see what designs she had come up with. She said her computer wasn’t running very well, so we could only look at paper ‘from above’ drawings. The kitchen looked exactly the same as my current layout, with a few empty walls dotted, but incorporating designs I’d come up with myself. Nothing special about it at all. When she saw I didn’t LOVE it, she became immediately defensive (I’m talking 5 mins after I arrived) and told me she wasn’t going to waste any more time on it. I think there may be an attitude issue… an underlying anger at the very system they have cultivated themselves. Customers are not a priority and some serious re-​thinking re long term goals are needed by management.

I cannot comment on the work or professionalism of Cabinet Encounters on new installations or remodels, as we inherited a kitchen they did when buying a home. We did need them for a very small issue that they made into a BIG deal.
Briefly, we needed a small inexpensive replacement part (a 3″ piece of plastic) and the manufacturer referred us to their local dealer to handle. My wife left countless messages and eventually emails with pictures of the broken part. One of their return emails included a contract to engage their services and advised it was required as company policy. Huh?
Skipping much detail, they did make an «exception» to the agreement letter but insisted they had to send someone to my home to see what was required for the fix, notwithstanding the supplied pictures from many angles, and there would be a $ 40.00 charge. BTW, anyone in the cabinet business would clearly be familiar with the required part. Their man showed at the appointed time, looked in the drawer opening for 2 minutes, announced he would return the following morning and left. I expected he would have the required part with him but that would make too much sense. He never asked for $ 40. which at this point I was willing to pay.
The owner Frank then emailed my wife quite «miffed» that their man did not come back with $ 40.00 (although again he never asked for it) implying I refused to pay him, and further advising when they come to do the replacement the total charge will be $ 80.00! We were tired of looking at the missing drawer opening and resigned ourselves to this ridiculous situation. We waited and waited and waited with no return phone calls as to the status.
We stopped by the store on two occasions till my wife met Frank who had the required part on his desk. He let her know the part was free (the manufactures site advises «lifetime» warranty on parts) and she asked for the part as we would gladly install it. She left with the part and Frank did not ask for any payment. My handy wife installed the part in just five minutes.
Is this a well run company and we ran into an aberrant situation? Not sure, but given this clusterfuck I would be very hesitant to be involved in a remodel situation with Cabinet Encounters.