I think my wife did - ROFL

Yes we have all settled on something and regretted it later. Almost impossible in a lifetime not to.

Todd

Lisa - I had a Company at one time that did Kitchens and Baths for Sear's. More time than not when someone ordered a specific color cabinet (especially cherry)  the color did not come out the same way that the sample cabinet showed. My crew installed a $70,000 kitchen and when the client got back from vacation they said it was the wrong color. We removed all the cabinets and they had a new shipment sent in. It was also the wrong color. The third set was not perfect but they accepted it.

When you work with real wood, stains react different. Color will never be the same since it has a great deal to the structure of the wood fiber. I can take an Oak tree that spent its life in an arid climate and one that was grown in a humid climate and apply the same stain and come up with two colors that don’t even resemble each other.

Any salesman that has worked with real wood cabinets should know this and tell the customer that the grain and water content of the wood changes the way a stain will penetrate and does change the color.

I don’t think that anyone was trying to take advantage of you but I think they failed to advise you of how wood reacts to stain. You are installing real wood cabinets, not a veneer. If you want to match a color with any type specificity, a solid wood cabinet may not be the answer. There are some quality veneer cabinets, that are made, that offer the great look of wood and when color is that significant, offer an almost perfect match.

They cost less but in the end, unless you are someone familiar with wood, they are hard to distinguish. A cabinets quality is how it is constructed more than what the outside shows.

I don’t consider myself an expert in this field since I only managed the Company but I have had this problem in the past and this was the cause.

Lisa, I have settled and regret having settled. Get what you want or feel like a victim.

Get what you want. It will be worth the wait. You will enjoy the final product alot more if you wait to get what you want.

And that's why I've gone with IKEA the last two times .... what you see is what you get, with many choices right there right then ... and they are so simple to install ... The truth is, I just can't see myself waiting for weeks for even the first order, not to mention having the wait for a re-order. To be honest, unless the color was VERY different, I would have probably settled. Good for you that you found the courage to NOT settle!

I believe I have mentioned that my previuos career was as an Optometrist for over 20 years. This thing about the color not being right reminded me of the elderly couple I had in one time. They had their living room painted a new color. The husband liked it, the wife hated it. The painter reluctantly came back out and painted it again. She still wasn't happy. While trying to convince the painter to do it for the 3rd time her surgery date came and she had her cataracts removed. She came home and said, "now that paint looks perfect!" Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and some eyes need help :)

Lisa,

Be a tiger lady!  No you do not settle!  It is so hard when you are representing yourself with issues of remodeling but here's how you go to bat!

Step 1:  Tell them your expectations and in writing - have them sign a copy acknowledging your expectations

Step 2:  Let them know that YOU KNOW that nothing will match at all.  It won't.  

Step 3:  Tell them you don't have time for a lawsuit, so here's their options:

     (a) Give you your money back in full, including the time for inconvenience and call it a day.  Inconvenience to me is having to eat out, not being able to entertain, having to pay for a mortgage payment without a kitchen that is fully functional;

      (b) Tell them you want to a better quality cabinet, of your choice with guaranteed delivery and talk to the manufacturer representative;

      (c) sadly, but the people at these stores can't tell the difference between and apple and an orange - so one never assumes;

      (d) talk to them on a bad hair day - that always reinforces ones attitude but be nice.

I'm trying to figure out if you are dealing with a GC, a small time outfit or a kitchen company.  Get hold of the Better Business Bureau on this one to get a heads up of their reputation, history, etc.  Know this information before you attempt my approach.

Although I am a Realtor and sell real estate, I rehab homes for resale (yes, I'm a flipper), as well as save homes for buyers that want to live in a quality home with their design, layout, choices, and quality.  I am one of the few woman in Chicago that does this as a Realtor.  I have a few female friends that are Realtors that do this type of work but whether you are a man or woman, it is not easy and the followup work is a real thorn in the flesh at times.  

Never assume that you know when things are going to be deilvered, when they are in but the supplier doesn't care.  You have to make them care and believe me when I say - while I am nice, I am one of the toughest woman in Chicago rehabbing and saving homes that expects communication.  

Give them the options and tell them "Look, its my way or my way.  Which avenue do you want to pursue?"

Thought:  Amazing how we put all our best efforts in for our clients but we have a hard time knocking on doors when it comes to helping ourselves.  

Barb