Four years ago we remodeled our small kitchen. I have wanted to write this unbiased Barker Cabinets review ever since. This Barker Cabinets review is not sponsored, and the links are not affiliate links. We purchased these cabinets long before I began this blog.
Why Did We Choose Barker Cabinets?
The three main reasons we chose Barker Cabinets for our kitchen remodel were customization, quality, and price. We needed the cabinets to match the custom office/dining built-ins we had installed the previous year, but our budget did not have room for custom kitchen cabinets. We also needed flexible cabinet sizes to make the most of our kitchen’s limited space.
Customization
When ordering from Barker Cabinets, you specify the height, width, and depth of each cabinet. Width and height measurements are to the quarter-inch. Depth is specified in 1-inch increments. This level of customization really increases the flexibility of the final design.
The Refrigerator Enclosure and Pantry
Save to Pinterest: Custom Fridge Enclosure with Pantry {Closed}
Save to Pinterest: Custom Fridge Enclosure with Pantry {Open}
Following the guide from Barker Cabinets for refrigerator enclosures, we designed our enclosure to fit our counter-depth, French-door refrigerator. At the time we had not yet ordered the refrigerator, so we used the online manual to determine the proper dimensions for the opening. This included a gap behind the refrigerator for proper ventilation.
Our refrigerator enclosure also includes a pantry cabinet. We followed the recommended height for the lower cabinet and ordered it with three drawer pullouts and a flush toe kick. Setting the exact size of the enclosure to best fit our available space and the refrigerator was wonderful.
Drawers of Uncommon Width
The bank of drawers between our corner cabinet and stove are 14.25 inches wide. Standard cabinet widths (e.g., 12 and 15 inches) would not have worked as well. We would either have had to give up precious drawer space, or our cabinets would have been too wide for the space. With the option to size the width of the Barker cabinets to the quarter inch, they fit perfectly and helped maximize the storage space in our small kitchen.
The Island
Save to Pinterest: Custom Island {Shallow-Depth Appliance Cabinet}
Save to Pinterest: Custom Island {Trash/Recycling Pull Out}
The island is one of my favorite parts of our kitchen remodel. It is comprised of two cabinets that open on different sides. The appliance cabinet opens toward the stove, and the trash/recycling pullout opens toward the dishwasher. This was one of the harder cabinets to visualize on my graph paper drawings. I asked for design help on the Barker forums and was pleased with this quick and thorough response.
Quality Construction
We took a big risk by ordering cabinets from Oregon and shipping them to Ohio. Our time frame did not allow us to order samples first to test the quality. Instead, I watched all the videos and combed through the Barker Cabinets website to ensure that they would be of quality construction. I also did an online search for “Barker Cabinets review” and read about other people’s personal experiences with this company.
A standard feature on all Barker cabinets is soft-close hinges and Blumotion drawer glides. Our custom built-ins in our dining room had soft-close doors and strong, full-extension drawer glides. We were pleased that this was standard and not an upgrade.
One concern that we had regarding our cabinets was the use of a PVC edge band for painted cabinets whereas the unpainted cabinets come with a real-wood edge band. The edge band is used on the front of the plywood cabinet frames and shelves. Customer support explained that painting the real-wood edge band had led to inferior results. Four years after installing our Barker Cabinets, the edge bands are still in great condition and really do match the cabinets well.
Price
Quality construction and customization are great, but they have to fit the budget too. Price was a huge concern for us as we were paying for the kitchen remodel with savings and had to remain in budget.
Barker Cabinets has a wide range of wood choices, finishes, and door styles to choose from. In the buying process, you select the cabinet and provide the dimensions, style, finish, etc. As you make these choices, the price changes automatically so that you know exactly what each cabinet costs.
I created an Excel spreadsheet with rows for each cabinet, finish piece, etc. and columns for all the options. I also included two pricing columns: one for the price of the unfinished cabinet and one for the price of a painted cabinet. The spreadsheet not only helped us stay organized in the planning process, but it also gave us full, at-a-glance knowledge of the cabinet costs. We did debate saving about $2000 by ordering the cabinets unfinished. In the end it was money well spent for both the quality of finish and the reduction of stress had we painted the cabinets ourselves.
What Should You Do Before Ordering Barker Cabinets?
Be Thoroughly Prepared
You are responsible for making sure that you order the correct cabinets and sizes. If you are considering ordering from Barker Cabinets, completely familiarize yourself with all cabinet types. I stumbled upon this vented wall cabinet just days before ordering. I’m so glad we didn’t have to retrofit a regular wall cabinet for our range vent. I also recommend organizing your order in an Excel spreadsheet. This will help you track all dimensions and details so that they are correct when you place your order.
Barker cabinets ship RTA (ready-to-assemble). You’ll need garage space to store the shipping crate(s) when they arrive. Although all pieces have labels, it will take time to sort the pieces and assemble all the cabinets. Buy or borrow an impact driver.
Don’t Assume, Ask
There were several times in the design process when I had a question and wasn’t sure of the answer. If you are uncertain about any detail, ask ahead of time. For example, I asked how many shelves came in upper cabinets. Because the ones I ordered were 38″ tall, I wanted them to have three movable shelves. Upon asking, I learned that these tall cabinets came with two shelves by default. I could request an extra shelf for those cabinets on my order free of charge. I also asked how to create the valance over the sink as I needed to hide the LED light strip behind it.
Know Your Lead Time
Make sure that the estimated lead time fits your remodel schedule. It takes several weeks to complete your order. If you opt for finished cabinets, the lead time will be longer. Also factor in extra time for freight shipping. Our cabinets arrived in the estimated time frame.
Understand That They Are People Too
We had a very positive experience with Barker Cabinets, but it wasn’t without a couple of hiccups. When we were putting together the upper corner cabinet, we discovered that one of the pieces wasn’t cut correctly. Upon notifying Barker Cabinets, they remade that piece and shipped it promptly. In addition, one very small painted piece did not ship with our order. Before we even realized it, Barker Cabinets discovered the error and shipped it to us. Fortunately, we received it the day we needed it for installation.
Whether through email or the Barker Forums, customer service answered our questions promptly and thoroughly. We are well pleased with the quality of their product and their service.
Would We Order Barker Cabinets Again?
Absolutely. We have enjoyed the quality and beauty of our Barker Cabinets for four years now. As I write this, we’re preparing to move to a house that will likely need a kitchen update in the next few years. When that time comes, I will definitely consider ordering from Barker Cabinets again.
If you have any questions about this Barker Cabinets review, please comment below or use the contact form to get in touch with me.
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Jess
Great feedback on Barker cabinets. Do you ever wish you would have made the pantry cabinet the same height as the fridge? Thanks for the note about the over sink use of a valence…..think I will create a recessed shelf and valence to keep led lighting at the same height as the rest of the cabinets. Is the cabinet interior smooth? After months of dealing with putting a flooded kitchen back together…this has been the most reassuring article I’ve read….thanks.
Rebecca
Hi Jess,
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had to deal with the aftermath of a flooded kitchen for many months. That sounds awful.
When we designed the pantry cabinet, I decided to go with their recommendation for the pantry cabinet height with the stacked cabinet above it. The height difference in the upper cabinets never bothered me. In fact, this was one of my favorite parts of the new kitchen design as it added so much storage and beauty to our kitchen. One change I might consider with regard to the pantry is increasing the number of pull-out shelves/drawers in the bottom cabinet. Because this cabinet was deeper, it was hard to get to items at the back of the stationary shelves. I had wanted to maximize storage at the time of design and stay within budget, so I did a mix of pullout and stationary shelves. I used the upper cabinets to store items we didn’t access as often.
For budget reasons and simplicity in design we opted not to do any lighting under the cabinets except over the sink. I do remember Barker Cabinets having an option to run a type of molding under the cabinets to hide any lighting. Barker was always very responsive to my forum questions and emails although there might have been a day or so of lag time. If you have any questions about their cabinets or any step in the process, do ask before designing/buying.
The interiors of the cabinets are smooth. I really liked the frameless design of Barker Cabinets. We moved to a fixer-upper last year and I’m back to a kitchen that I desperately long to remodel. The framed cabinets and stiles that block my ability to easily put away dishes are a nuisance. It will probably be two to three years before we are able to remodel the kitchen of our new house. I will definitely consider Barker Cabinets again when the time comes to gut the kitchen.
When we remodeled the kitchen featured in this post, I loved being in complete control of the design of the kitchen and not having to make sacrifices due to standard sizes of cabinets. However, it was a very daunting task knowing that if I messed up the dimensions in the order, the fault was entirely mine. I used an Excel spreadsheet to keep dimensions and cabinet costs straight and graph paper to layout the design.
We did our remodel in 2015. You said you found this post to be the most reassuring article you’ve read. If you’re having any doubts about Barker Cabinets, definitely contact them with your questions/concerns and see if their responses put you at ease or not. With it having been five years since our experience with Barker Cabinets, it’s possible the customer experience or quality could have changed.
I hope this response helps you as you continue the design process of your kitchen. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
-Rebecca
Kathleen Dolan
Hi Rebecca,
Would you please share the white color you chose from Barker Cabinets, pure white or dover white as I am undecided between the two. I am looking for a “soft” white over a creamy or ivory white. Thank you! Your post is most helpful! Your kitchen looks great!
Rebecca
Hi Kathleen,
I chose Pure White. They are Sherwin Williams colors, so you can get a paint sample card or color chip from them. We bought their paint color deck to make picking paint colors during remodels easier. Also for reference the wall color is Monorail Silver (SW 7663).
Thank you for the compliments on the post and the kitchen. We moved last year, but that kitchen served us well, and I look forward to redoing our new fixer-upper kitchen sometime in the next few years.
I hope you love your new cabinets!
-Rebecca
Ellen
Hi! Could you tell me the make and model of your refrigerator? Does it sit flush against the cabinet? Does the refrigerator door stick out in front of your pantry cabinet or is the front of the refrigerator flush? I cannot find a refrigerator that has a zero-clearance hinge that will open next to a wall. Thanks!
Rebecca
Hi Ellen,
This fridge is from GE (model #PWE23KMDES). It’s a counter-depth, French-door refrigerator in the slate finish. I need to find my Excel file with all the measurements, but if I remember correctly, we made the fridge surround 26.75 inches deep to account for extra air flow at the back of the fridge. The fridge is positioned so that the sides are in the cabinet but the doors are not. This gives them room to open on both sides. Regarding the slate finish, I loved it both in the look and because it didn’t show fingerprints. Because we opted not to have an ice maker and water system in the door, we gained a lot of space that helped with it being only a counter-depth fridge. I much prefer the French-door design than the side-by-side fridge we have now. I also felt like I didn’t “lose” food as much in the shallower counter-depth fridge.
If your wall extends beyond your fridge, you may need to allow more space than the standard 36-inch width of most refrigerators. We have that issue now in the fixer-upper that we moved into last August. The fridge that came with the home barely fits in the 36-inch space, and the wall on the right prevents me from opening the door all the way, so I cannot rearrange shelves or remove them for cleaning.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
-Rebecca
Dana
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you so much for this thorough review of Barker Cabinets! I am researching them and stumbled upon your article. I have been reading about framed vs frameless cabinets. The claim is that framed cabinets offer more support to the cabinet box and better prevent the door/drawer fronts from going out of alignment. Yet, I appreciate the openness and larger capacity of the frameless style (like Barker’s). Did you find any problems with things “going out of wack” over the course of time??
Much appreciated, in advance!
-Dana
Rebecca
Hi Dana,
Our Barker Cabinets were installed in the spring of 2015, and we sold that home in 2019. After four years of use, they were still in great shape. We had no issues with alignment, and the Blumotion hinges and slides that Barker uses were very high quality. My dad recently redid his cabinets on his own but used Blumotion slides based on my recommendation, and he loves them.
My current kitchen has the original cabinets from the late 1980s, and the frames/stiles get in my way all the time. I would definitely choose frameless again if given the choice.
I hope all goes well with your kitchen remodel.
-Rebecca
Trillium
I bought Barker Cabinets this past year and installed them. I paid extra to have the cabinets finished by Barker. What would I do differently having been through it all?
(1) Request more shipping pallets to keep them smaller as ours were tipsy. Also make sure someone can help get the pallets into the garage on delivery day.
(2) Buy unfinished cabinets. Ours were poorly finished, and we were not happy with their ability to fix the issue. Replacements were not much better. Samples will appear of great quality, but what you receive when you order is not up to the same standard. We ordered the Windsor panels and are unhappy with the rough cuts and poor varnishing. An attempt to get touch-up stain directly from Barker was a hassle.
(3) Barker cabinets are not for the faint of heart. Directions need improvement.
(4) In our experience, putting the cabinets together and keeping them in alignment was difficult. We tried a drill but preferred a screwdriver to ensure alignment. This is a two-person job.
(5) You will need a lot of room to assemble cabinet boxes. Our cabinets took up every space in our house. Do put them all together ASAP in case any pieces are missing or have issues. We did have issues with missing pieces that were shipped later.
(6) The boxes and the hardware are decent, but the finishing job really was the weakest link in it all. I would NEVER have them finish cabinets again. The boxes are strong and the drawers too so they will last. A professional painter/finisher would probably do a better job of it.
(7) Barker offers no design help. We laid out painter’s tape to map out the space beforehand and remeasured it two extra times to make sure. In our case we didn’t try to fill the space all the way down to an inch since we knew the walls would be off and the cabinets are not perfect either.
(8) Our cabinet doors did not come with the soft close accessories which I would recommend.
(9) I would recommend the trash door knee closing option and this has been well worth it. My husband who doesn’t care about this stuff too much really likes that feature. I also got the sink tip out which I really like.
(10) Images on the site may not be up to date, so email them if you have any questions. We believed that there would be no panel between the trash can and the drawer above it based on the picture, but we were relieved that there was a panel.
(11) I would recommend the pullout drawer for under the sink. Another really great feature. So worth it. It is so strong I put my kitchen mixer on it to store it off the counter. It pulls out so easily. I also found a great liner for the roll out shelf to protect the drawer from cleaners leaking or a water leak.
(12) I also had the over the fridge cabinet come all the way out over the fridge which was a great idea and should have ordered a roll out drawer for that one! I put a ton of stuff in that one. Back up paper towels and Kleenex and huge bowls and platters. It came with a shelf too. We will be putting a roll out drawer in that cabinet like the sink eventually.
(13) We got one big panel for one side of the fridge. These are expensive, so try to avoid them in your design. Ours seems cheap but fortunately the fridge and the cabinets hide this.
(14) I did not buy any fillers and I plan to just stain some cherry from a local wood supplier since it would give us a chance to try to match the stain and varnish and prepare us for when we do have to touch up the cabinets. Maybe show us how much better the finish should have been?
(15) Barker cabinets has few options for a lazy Susan. Our corner door bangs into the drawers to the right of them. I wish they offered a push-through lazy Susan. Instead I got a corner unit with a middle shelf and put two Rev a shelf wooden turn tables in since some reviews had complained how the plastic ones were not holding up. The wooden ones are excellent. I also lined them with heavy plastic table material I found on Amazon so they will look nicer longer. But every time I open that corner cabinet we have to be super careful that door doesn’t bang into the adjoining cabinet fronts.
(16) Barker cabinets are a trade-off between customizing cabinets size and saving money versus low quality control, poor finish quality, and poor customer service. What you see online is not what you’re going to get but somewhat generically close to that. It is a better alternative to say Ikea cabinets for sure. Better quality than the box stores like HD and Lowes in some ways but in the finishes it is not better and subpar. We spent a lot to have these finished and it was not worth it at all. I wish there was a way just to order the boxes and drawers from Barkers and go through another outfit to get better door and drawer fronts.
(17) We did not find Barker cabinets to have good customer service. Their showroom had outdated cabinets that they no longer offer. They respond to requests in their own time (by email, not phone). It took posting pictures on their forum to get them to partially “fix” some of the issues we had, but it’s hard to tell the difference in the fixed ones and the originals.
(18) I had planned to use Barker cabinets in other locations in our house but am still disappointment in our kitchen results.
Rebecca
Thank you for this extended review. All feedback is helpful when making such an expensive and lasting purchase. I did add numbering and create an abridged version for conciseness and readability while trying to keep all the points of the original review.
I’m sorry that Barker cabinets didn’t work out in your case. Our project was in 2015 with a different cabinet style, and it’s entirely possible that the quality has gone down since then. We’ll be redoing the kitchen in our new fixer-upper at some point, and I will keep this review in mind when we begin cabinet shopping.
-Rebecca
Trillium
Rebecca, I am glad you appreciated hearing my experience with my Barker cabinets. It is not all that bad and that is what makes it a tough decision. The tradeoffs can be more than you expected. I don’t expect Barkers to change course by improving their customer service or finishing.
You did a great job of editing my response and laying it out so well. Thank you.
I would like to add that I have always been told that you will recoup the money from a kitchen remodel, but now I am not so sure. You will never know what a new buyer of your home will like or dislike and if they will see value in the upgrades you do. It can be a bit heartbreaking to put all that much effort into a kitchen remodel only to learn the new owner tore it all out. So investing too much in homes may not pay off.
Instead remodel based on your own likes and needs and don’t spend more than you can afford to lose. If it is your forever home, then spend more. If it isn’t, then spend enough to make it good enough to get by with. Put more money into the appliances that you can take with you and that will make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Learn about the appliances online and then shop it with local smaller appliance stores. Consider European brands that are made for Canadian/U.S. electricity regulations. Many are very well made and worth the investment and the wait for getting them special ordered. I would love to buy U.S.-made but the quality is not what it used to be.
Most homeowners will make changes to a kitchen, but this can be difficult to make even simple changes like replacing a sink if it is undermounted. Contractors will not take responsibility for the counters since lifting them can cause cracks, etc. Since replacing an undermount sink can be so expensive, I chose a large stainless-steel, single-bowl drop-in sink.
I also am going with a laminate counter (Formica 180FX Classic Crystal Granite). We would install the laminate ourselves but with seams in the corner we will have experts install it. Even with installation it will be a fraction of what granite or quartz would run installed. The design will hide many issues down the road but as we all know we can get bored with our kitchens and to change the laminate would be an easy, inexpensive thing to do.
We bought a Miele dishwasher from a contractor supply place and paid a bit more for it, but it was so worth it. The utensil rack on top is just wonderful. There are so many ways you can adjust the racks to fit bigger things in. I love the fact the display is on the front so I can quickly look at it and know how much time is left in the cycle. It even takes salt for those who have hard water but want soft water for their glasses. Plus, it is quiet. The stainless is not rusting.
I bought a Fulgor (Italian) wall oven. I love this oven which is at the same level as a Miele or Gaggnau at over half the cost at ~2k! It has tons of features. They even took care on how they designed things that most of us don’t see. For instance, there are handles on the sides of the oven which makes it easier to install. Little details throughout they could have skimped on but didn’t. The temperature is exact too. It has true convection and two fans and it is pretty quiet. I got the black glass front what won’t rust and stays cool to the touch with door locks and a meat thermometer feature! The dishwasher and the oven will come with me if or when I move. Here is where you can spend a bit more since you can take your appliances with you and replace with cheaper models.
I have a love hate relationship with my 4 year old Whirlpool French door fridge that I noticed rust spots on after only 4 months. Whirlpool conveniently let me know that their warranty on rust expires after the first 30 days. What a racket! The wheels on it are a joke. It is noisy.
Also I love the look of painted cabinets. So many fun cheery colors to pick from. The reality is these cabinets take a beating and painted cabinets with chips can be more noticeable. Trying to match the paint for touchups can be difficult since as paint ages the color can change too. I am now big on staining cabinets with better wood fronts. This way you can more easily hide the nicks, etc. with a simple stain touch up. It doesn’t have to be a perfect match either. Plus a darker stain visually pushes the walls out and makes the room look bigger. It also hides dirty finger prints, etc. so you are not always needing to wipe them down so often.
Best of luck on your next kitchen remodel : )
Rebecca
You have a lot of wisdom for those considering kitchen remodels. I did edit again for conciseness.
You’re right that homeowners should remodel according to their desires – especially if they do not plan to sell soon. We knew we’d eventually move when we did our remodel, but we also had lived there long enough to know the pain-points of the original kitchen and what would make it better. Although our appliances weren’t as high-end as some you mention, we did shop locally on a suggestion from our contractor and loved the personal advice and service. I fully intended to leave my appliances behind and am glad I went into it with that goal in mind as we wouldn’t have been able to move our oven/range or microwave to the new house. Even now, after a year of living in our new fixer-upper, I’m not sure what style of oven/range we’ll decide to use when we gut the kitchen.
The painted cabinets we had from Barker were finished well. Our kids did cause them to get dirty more often than we would like, but they cleaned up easily. We did have a nick or chip here or there over time, but I would opt for painted again in a heartbeat.
Although we did not fully recoup our remodeling costs, we loved that kitchen for the four years we had it, and the changes enabled our large family to stay in that small house longer than we could have otherwise. We were happy to leave that house much better than we found it, and we sold it on the first day listed in the top price range for that neighborhood at that time.
-Rebecca