<p>I think it also depends on what you are having done. If you are doing a major blow-out remodel (moving walls, changing the plan from say a galley to an open plan, etc.) vs. a cosmetic upgrade renovation (new countertops, refacing or replacing cabinets, tile to hardwood or vice versa), then you don’t want HD or Lowe’s, though they are fine for basic purchases. I preferred to farm it out during the cosmetic renovation we did…a dedicated granite place, cabinet place, etc. Some people prefer one-stop shopping. If you want high-end fixtures, I’d stay away from Sears, Home Depot and Lowes. The Great Indoors or on-line shopping will give you an idea of what’s available. If you’re good with standard appliances and sink/faucet (for instance if you are fixing up to sell), then those places are dandy. </p>
<p>The standard retail places are starting to carry a greater variety of finishes and styles…you can find polished nickel and antiqued bronze now which you had a hard time finding a couple of years ago (chrome and plastic, ick!) and they’ll special order just about anything. However, you can do better on line. I found a new eschuteon plate for my shower in the right finish for a good price and free shipping and they had nothing like it at the retail shops unless I wanted to buy a whole new shower set. Don’t accept ‘contractor grade’ <em>anything</em>…not paint, not faucets, nada! It’s usually the cheapest, most boring, and ooooogly!</p>
<p>I used my local Kitchen Tune-Up franchise and had a great experience. There were some mistakes – there always are – but they fixed them quickly, cheerfully, and without extra charge. I was referred to them by a friend after they did a great job on the friend’s kitchen.</p>
<p>Another contractor wife. Another problem with Home Depot is that when it comes time to schedule you don’t get nearly the flexiblity. They give you those huge time windows. If you work with someone local you will get them to come on your time frame.
As far as quality of goods. I think some sub contractors buy items from Lowe’s and HD because it is cheaper for them then their wholesale sources.</p>
<p>No experience hiring HD or L for jobs, but I’ve shopped at both. I had so many problems at Lowes I stopped shopping there. Employees either invisible, not helpful, or downright rude, and a variety of other problems. HD is hit or miss, but I’ve met some really nice, helpful people at HD, and just a few indifferent, or downright dumb. I still find that as a middle-aged woman I am often patronized or dealt with with sneering condescension in any sort of hardware or paint store. LOL - I’m the DIYer in my family, and my husband’s hopeless at it. Does anyone find, like buying a car, contractors treat women differently than men?</p>
<p>Probably much depends on the management of the individual Lowe’s or HD, how helpful & available the help is.</p>
<p>I have not had the classic problem of being dissed or ignored because I am female, however. I find if I go into a store knowing exactly what I want, they will give it to me; if I don’t have a clue, they will endeavor to help. Sometimes I will educate myself and get second opinions, of course.</p>
<p>As far as quality of cabinets at Lowe’s/HD–they look decent, but friends of ours who bought their cabinets there are not happy. A couple of years later, the fake wood layer to the inside of the drawers is flaking off.</p>
<p>Another downside to doing a kitchen design through the box stores–the person you worked with initially may not even be working there when it comes time for installation!</p>
<p>Get lots of quotes and ideas from various professionals. Ask as many questions of them as you possibly can. Even if you don’t expect to use a certain design, you can benefit from their expertise. Don’t feel guilty about getting a quote from the top of the line people. Combining various aspects from different designs/designers will give you the best results. </p>
<p>Sometimes it’s easy to go with the box stores, but I’d encourage you to check out local contractors and small companies. Doing the homework and planning is the most time-consuming step, but it’s the most important step for a remodel you’ll be happy with over the long haul.</p>
<p>HD is fine for things like buying tile that you plan to install yourself. Be careful with the advice you get, though. H got spectacularly bad advice on material to line a shower stall, and we have a decaying bathroom as a result. (Of course, that was H. I would have just retiled the whole thing, myself…)</p>
<p>I was recently looking for floating vinyl flooring, and went to both HD and Lowes. The HD flooring person was knowledgeable and realistic, the Lowes flooring dept employee didn’t even know what they carried.</p>
<p>For DIY projects, Lowes does not have the selection of materials that Home Depot does, but I would agree with the above and use an outside contractor.</p>
<p>As far as information, I haven’t used the clerks at either store for anything besides telling me on what aisle I can find something. That’s what the Internet is for. I research before I go, then when I get there I use my iPhone to research what they carry.</p>
<p>I’m pretty disappointed with retail lately, I just visited a lighting showroom yesterday and had a hard time finalizing our porch light. I showed the salesperson a photo of our house hoping she could help, and she just shrugged and said " they all were nice". I might as well go to Nordstroms! ( there were three clerks in the store, I was the only customer. We are looking to redo the main floor & exterior)</p>
<p>I have a very difficult kitchen where it is incredibly difficult to replace anything other than the dishwasher without creating a cascade of replacements. I’ve found that the guys at the appliance vendors and so forth don’t even want to attempt to help me figure out what I can fit into the available spaces: they just want me to hire a contractor and gut the space. Well, yeah, I’d like to do that too, but we can’t afford it. Incredibly frustrating.</p>
<p>I have solid kitchen cabinets original to the house- but H made the replacement doors in a style he wanted, even though what I wanted would have been faster.
I mainly want my stove moved away from the corner. It was put there originally I guess because the original wood stove ( which is in the basement) vented up the chimney.
I’m starting with replacing the lights. I have track lights, which are not period, and want to replace them with pendant lights that match the one over the table.
Then I will paint, & do something with the floor ( its linoleum), possibly repurposed fir.
I’d like a new stove, but can’t decide if I want to get a glass top one like the one I used at a residential inn that was great, ( I have an electric) or if I want to retro fit the cast iron white enamel stove in the basement that looks to be in great shape.
When we moved in- we actually still had a place for the icebox in the hall off the kitchen. Now we have a huge chest freezer in the basement and a tiny fridge in the kitchen.
( our refrigerator died when we were short of money and we replaced it with one that is just over three cu ft. I actually really like it- nothing gets lost)
I haven’t lived in a house with a built in dishwasher since I was a kid, but our portable dishwasher has a niche beneath the cabinet. To redo the plumbing to accommodate a builtin is more than I/H want to spend.</p>
<p>I may build an island as a work station though since I use the table more than I would like.
Eventually. ;)</p>
<p>We are in the middle of a huge kitchen remodel. We’re not using HD to actually do the construction work, but we did sit with a kitchen designer at HD and ordered the cabinets from HD. I found it to be extremely inefficient compared to using a kitchen redesign store 14 years ago. She was basically an order-taker for us – never even came to the house to see the space, although she kept saying she would. The cabinets will be delivered this Friday (hooray!!) and, while I anticipate the quality will be fine, I would not work with HD again if I ever have to do something like this again.</p>
( there were three clerks in the store, I was the only customer. We are looking to redo the main floor & exterior)</p>