We have been hearing about readers' experiences with local shops as they go about their own projects and thought it helpful to start passing them on. Adrienne is at the beginning of redoing her kitchen with Home Depot. This is chapter #1.
"So far, I have been to Home Depot on opening weekend to inquire about measurements and to look at cabinet options....
A headache ensued (bad idea to go opening weekend) from the crowds. My tendency towards indecision wasn't given much hope from the countless options... some were in kichen mini-model form, others were just panels of wood - from which you had to extrapolate a whole room's view - not my forte when surrounded by others who are much more eager than I am.
I found out about the measuring service which costs $100 for a room ($150 for two) and entitles you to a consultation with the resident HD interior designer/art consultant. The frenzied HD employee helping me tried to assure me that the person who I would be sitting down with (for two or three sketches) was an actual designer with legitimate experience.
That's the furthest I got in terms of checking out qualifications.
I signed up for the one room deal, and they called to schedule the measuring within the time period they specified, and showed up within the time period specified as well. The guy who did the measuring said that HD would call (within a few days) to schedule an appointment with the "artist", but I haven't heard anything as of yet. Fortunately, I'm not in a massive rush, so I don't mind waiting a bit.
That's where I am right now. I'll be more than happy to share if you don't mind my tendency towards rambling..." Adrienne
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
I'm debating whether or not to use Home Depot. I signed up for the measuring service and have had two meetings with my designer, but the whole thing seems so expensive for the little I want. The bid they gave me for my kitchenette's faux-granite counter is only a little less than my mom's real granite countertops for a whole suburban kitchen with a large island, and her price included the installation. On mine, installation is just a big question mark, and I know that HomeDepot takes 10% of the installer's fee.
I'm a first-time home owner and a first time renovator, so I don't really know where else to go. When I heard here that Home Depot had negative ratings with the BBB, I started to feel like my jitters about the general chaos over there were more legitimate. If anyone has used other people for kitchen design and renovation, I'd love to know what their experiences were like, good and bad.
I went to Home Depot for two project assignments. One was to modify an Effective Ikea unit to an entertainment unit. The list I had was short and the helpful HD did not foot the bill. First on my list was an oval grommets and heat vents for the back of the unit. Home Depot had only the standard plastic grommets and no vents. Second was replacement hinges. I wanted larger than a 90 degree swing on an inset door. The helpful HD guy told me, that such a thing would not work. That the metal would be too fragile and special hinges of that sort are not available at Home Depot. This led to the argument as to what Home Depot is about. The helpful HD guy stormed off after he stated that Home Depot is a home renovation store not a specialty hardware store. Ughh. So my search for modifying my Ikea unit ended and search has gone elsewhere. I found all that I need via mail order at http://www.rockler.com. I can talk to any of the guys there and not feel like an female idiot.
I would love to suggest to the woman above before she hands over her kitchen to the bane of Home Depot, that NYC is a unique place and has tons of fabulous show rooms for kitchens and fabulous showrooms for hardware. Start an idea book for what you want. Take some field trips, get some ideas and actually see some products up front. Near the Home Depot on 23rd is Häfele at Madison Park (25 E. 26th St) will show what a draw pull can do and more. Soho has some great ideas and show rooms. On Wooster Street is a great Italian kitchen designs and further down near Green Street are some others. A lot of these value ergonomics, space efficiently and style. Take the time and browse down the Bowery, there are a lot of professional kitchen/display suppliers there as well.
Personally I wouldnt trust the professional help at Home Depot with a stick, they are just making minimum wage like every one else there.
I can't under stand how a company as large as Home Depot can treat customers so poorly. I signed my roofing contract on 9-14-05, Home Depot has now installed three roofs on my house and are getting ready to install the fourth one. They pay their contractors as little as possible and that is why they get poor quality contractors. Home Depot does not return phone calls, emails or letters for weeks or never. When you see my web page you can see the distruction they do to peoples lives and property. When you search the internet for "poor customer service from home depot" you can read for days, how do they get away with this?
http://www.freewebs.com/myroof
Thank you,
Don Wenzel
Oxford, Michigan