Anonymous wrote:We have installed ikea cabinets in a few houses and they are fantastic. I’m not sure what you all are doing with water that makes them an issue but a few things on that front:

1. Whatever is water damaged is easily replaced and inexpensive.

2. Plywood cabinets use mastic which is water soluble and really no different whether mdf or plywood. So if you aren’t using solid wood then, well, you get the point. And, solid wood warps. Pick your poison.

3. If you have water issues affecting your cabinets you need to address the root cause which isn’t the cabinets.

Water leaks happen under kitchen sink or bathroom sink and mdf is like a sponge.
But overall a lot of people are happy with Ikea kitchen cabinets.

We have installed ikea cabinets in a few houses and they are fantastic. I’m not sure what you all are doing with water that makes them an issue but a few things on that front:

1. Whatever is water damaged is easily replaced and inexpensive.

2. Plywood cabinets use mastic which is water soluble and really no different whether mdf or plywood. So if you aren’t using solid wood then, well, you get the point. And, solid wood warps. Pick your poison.

3. If you have water issues affecting your cabinets you need to address the root cause which isn’t the cabinets.

We used https://www.cabinets.com/ and they are excellent quality. Good hinges and very good construction. They were economical and fairly fast. Three years in and barely any wear.

Anonymous wrote:We recently bought very expensive cabinets from a small high end designer as well as cheaper Brighton cabinets from Cabinet Discounters in Gaithersburg (Arbuckle Road), and it turns out they are about the same quality. The expensive ones look high end but after four months of install they are wearing much worse than the cheaper ones. As for Home Depot and such, I find that by the time you pay for the necessary upgrades (eg plywood boxes) the price is not cheap at all. And since the second-most important thing after construction quality is the competence of the designer who is measuring and ordering, I would avoid the big box places unless you are working with a designer you know and trust.

brighton might be cheaper than full custom, but they are expensive AF still. I did a very very small galley kitchen (literally 7.5 feet wide galley )using brighton and they were 50k. absolutely excellent inset cabinets, but not a middle class option.

Look, if IKEA scares you off with particleboard and designer showrooms with their price tags, check out online marketplaces. They often have a wider selection than local stores and are full of reputable brands offering furniture made from plywood and solid wood. What’s convenient is that they truly offer diverse collections to suit any budget, you can find sturdy mid-range options as well as something simpler. Read some 1stopbedrooms reviews, people specifically comment on how well the actual materials match the advertised specifications. There are dirt-cheap items, but also quite decent options featuring solid wood and plywood that don't cost a fortune. The main thing is to carefully check the specifications for the specific product line you're interested in, as there is a wide variation in materials across their inventory.