Can we talk about that one customer who insisted on melamine for a high end kitchen?

I had a client last spring in Denver who was dead set on using melamine for all their cabinet boxes in a $45,000 kitchen remodel. I tried to explain that particle board edges will chip and swell with any moisture near the sink. They stood there and said "I've used it before and it was fine" while pointing at a Pinterest photo. Has anyone else had to push back on a client who just won't listen about material quality?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancyg1414h ago

Oh man, I feel your pain! I had a client in Phoenix try the same thing, so I pulled up real before/after photos of melamine swelling near sinks and dishwashers. Once they saw the actual damage instead of just hearing about it, they finally agreed to upgrade to plywood boxes.

the_wade19h ago

Hold on, are you saying melamine actually fails that badly because I almost used it last year on my own kitchen.

robert65912h ago

the_wade bro trust me melamine fails that bad. I had a client in chicago last year who swore by it too and six months later i saw the cabinet boxes near their dishwasher literally peeling apart like wet cardboard. the humidity just eats it alive. i had to show them close up pics of that bubbled edge damage before they finally caved and let me swap to plywood mid project. it cost them more in the long run since we already built the first batch.