New kitchen cabinets, Buy stock or build?

[johne]

I am planning on a gut renovation of a kitchen. I have years of experience on kitchen layout, design, buying stock cabinets and installation. I have zero experience of buying here in the DR.So a couple of questions:
1. I'v noticed here on DR1 numerous mentions of custom built furniture. Does that include kitchen cabinets?
2. I don't want that mahogany , dark, heavy look. I want an upbeat, light, modern look. Think Ikea, BUT upgrade of their quality. Would stock cabinets like this be available? (Think Home Depot in the states)
3. Are there stores devoted to various lines of cabinets in or near the Capital?
4.Would I really be getting a better kitchen for custom built cabinets and what do you think the % of uncharge would be?


Many thanks in advance for your valued opinions.

 

[Fulano2]

Buy Ikea. I have a custom built kitchen here, like 8 years old, falling apart.
I never have bought Ikea in Europe and will never, but they told me Ikea kitchens are value for your pesos.

 

[Pikobello]

Well Johne, if you want cabinets of wood, then caoba is the best choice, it's a tropical wood and lasts a lifetime. Wooden like pine are sweet and that's what the termites liked, so in bad luck and when they come over your cabinets they destroy them in a few years. A good ebanista allso can paint the kitchen in colours you like. I've a set of bedroom furniture made by a ebanista from caoba and painted in white, after 16 years in use looks still elegant. All my apartments have kitchen in caoba or in aluminium, but they are for rent.
A good cabinet builder is Italporte in SD, they do big projects, so you have to ask if they do some individual work for you.

Home - Italporte

www.italporte.com.do

Here you can find modern kitchen, and this month is mothersday, so you can save up to 30%:

Baccessory - Baños, cocinas, electrodomésticos y cerraduras

El surtido más amplio en República Dominicana de las principales marcas de baños, cocinas, electrodomésticos y cerraduras.

baccessory.com.do

And if you want highend take a look here:

Inicio

marmotechdc.com.do

Ikea is another option, I have some furniture from them, in one of them the termites have start theire "work", I combate them with acido borico and leche condensada, they love sweet stuff. But when you get them in your house, it's a long battle and it's better to change furniture who's affected by those bitches to save the other furniture. I really like the kitchens from Ikea, but spending al lot of money ( and a kitchen is the most expensive furniture ina house) and see in a few years the destruction of the wood, allways bought me to the decision to go with caoba or aluminium.

Best luck for you with your choice, whatever it will be.

 

[hammerdown]

Have you tried Ochoa in Santiago, the big one just off 27 de Feb?

 

[johne]

Have you tried Ochoa in Santiago, the big one just off 27 de Feb?

I haven't tried anything yet. I went into contract yesterday. But will check it out.

 

[Pikobello]

I forgot, the cabinets can be produced in roble too, very hard wood and looks more modern like caoba.

 

[AlterEgo]

We had ours custom made, we wanted mahogany because of termites. Our guy recommended andiroba and that’s what we went with. It’s over 10 years and no issues. Paint it any color you want.

 

[AlterEgo]

I forgot, the cabinets can be produced in roble too, very hard wood and looks more modern like caoba.

Oak. Yes, we had some roble too.

 

[johne]

Over a long history of flipping crap houses I had many issues with termites. But always (more or less) external areas such as crawl spaces, foundation sills, winddow sills, etc. I don't recall ever having issues with furniture or cabinets. (Savannah Ga. that has similar climate as SD). Is this condition with cabinets and furniture unique to the DR in some way??

 

[johne]

Well Johne, if you want cabinets of wood, then caoba is the best choice, it's a tropical wood and lasts a lifetime. Wooden like pine are sweet and that's what the termites liked, so in bad luck and when they come over your cabinets they destroy them in a few years. A good ebanista allso can paint the kitchen in colours you like. I've a set of bedroom furniture made by a ebanista from caoba and painted in white, after 16 years in use looks still elegant. All my apartments have kitchen in caoba or in aluminium, but they are for rent.
A good cabinet builder is Italporte in SD, they do big projects, so you have to ask if they do some individual work for you.

Home - Italporte

www.italporte.com.do

Here you can find modern kitchen, and this month is mothersday, so you can save up to 30%:

Baccessory - Baños, cocinas, electrodomésticos y cerraduras

El surtido más amplio en República Dominicana de las principales marcas de baños, cocinas, electrodomésticos y cerraduras.

baccessory.com.do

And if you want highend take a look here:

Inicio

marmotechdc.com.do

Ikea is another option, I have some furniture from them, in one of them the termites have start theire "work", I combate them with acido borico and leche condensada, they love sweet stuff. But when you get them in your house, it's a long battle and it's better to change furniture who's affected by those bitches to save the other furniture. I really like the kitchens from Ikea, but spending al lot of money ( and a kitchen is the most expensive furniture ina house) and see in a few years the destruction of the wood, allways bought me to the decision to go with caoba or aluminium.

Best luck for you with your choice, whatever it will be.

Wow..with those 3 sites. Wow.

 

[JD Jones]

Wow..with those 3 sites. Wow.

There are tons of them, Johne. Dominicans with mucho $$ always go for the very best. I've seen woodwork here that blew me away and I used to build cabinets.

 

[johne]

There are tons of them, Johne. Dominicans with mucho $$ always go for the very best. I've seen woodwork here that blew me away and I used to build cabinets.

Ah, no wonder when I said to my wife...I'll take out these cabinets and maybe I can sell them on face book...she started laughing and said they have no value! True Dominicana.

 

[JD Jones]

Ah, no wonder when I said to my wife...I'll take out these cabinets and maybe I can sell them on face book...she started laughing and said they have no value! True Dominicana.

Put them outside and they'll be gone in a blink of an eye.

 

[Pikobello]

Over a long history of flipping crap houses I had many issues with termites. But always (more or less) external areas such as crawl spaces, foundation sills, winddow sills, etc. I don't recall ever having issues with furniture or cabinets. (Savannah Ga. that has similar climate as SD). Is this condition with cabinets and furniture unique to the DR in some way??

I think in countrys with the same climate it.s very common. I've been in many houses and apartments here in SD (I'm interior decorator and had a buisness here bevor) and have seen termites very often, most in furnitures whos wooden didin't made from caoba. And in doors and kitchens from pinewood.

 

[AlterEgo]

I think in countrys with the same climate it.s very common. I've been in many houses and apartments here in SD (I'm interior decorator and had a buisness here bevor) and have seen termites very often, most in furnitures whos wooden didin't made from caoba. And in doors and kitchens from pinewood.

You’re right. A year after our cabinets were installed, I ordered a large freestanding mahogany cabinet to match for an empty wall. Different carpenter. Found out later that the back wall was stained pine, when the termite trails appeared. 🤬

( from the “don’t trust anyone” file).

 

[Pikobello]

You’re right. A year after our cabinets were installed, I ordered a large freestanding mahogany cabinet to match for an empty wall. Different carpenter. Found out later that the back wall was stained pine, when the termite trails appeared. 🤬

( from the “don’t trust anyone” file).

View attachment 7719

This is very common by many carpenter too, use cheaper pine plywood for all parts you don't see from outside. So it's very important to make clear your carpenter to use caoba plywood for all those parts.

 

[XTraveller]

Over a long history of flipping crap houses I had many issues with termites. But always (more or less) external areas such as crawl spaces, foundation sills, winddow sills, etc. I don't recall ever having issues with furniture or cabinets. (Savannah Ga. that has similar climate as SD). Is this condition with cabinets and furniture unique to the DR in some way??

There is also here woodworms. You can tell the difference by: termites leave tracks (their tunels) Woodworms leave sawdust.
I am also looking into cabinets and would like to find PVC white cabinets, not found yet. I did see some kind of High density particle board that can be painted. So far I tested a piece that I left in water bucket for more than an year and was not affected so should be good for humidy and "they" say termites and woodworm does not eat possibley because of the bond but not tested.

Let us know what and who you find?

 

[Buffness]

Is this condition with cabinets and furniture unique to the DR in some way??

We tried Ikea …lasted 3 years ….tried custom built …even worse …anything wooden or wood-ish in DR gave us one problem or another …so ended up with Steel Kitchen cabinets…problems solved …long story.

 

[XTraveller]

We tried Ikea …lasted 3 years ….tried custom built …even worse …anything wooden or wood-ish in DR gave us one problem or another …so ended up with Steel Kitchen cabinets…problems solved …long story.

Doesn't Steel Rust? even stainless steel?

 

[Buffness]

Doesn't Steel Rust? even stainless steel?

Most probably …eventually . I’m guessing rust will be easier to deal with …lemon juice and salt …than termites , mold , wood issues etc .

Five years strong ..still as good as new …Rust-Oleum is on standby .