Mother Hubbard's Custom Cabinetry

We selected Mother Hubbard Custom Cabinetry to perform our kitchen remodel after looking at several companies in the Harrisburg region. We chose Mother Hubbard because the price for the job came in lower than other places that offered a higher price for less quality. Additionally, John was knowledgeable, professional and down to earth. John was very careful about our budget and was in constant communication with us during the whole process. All of his staff, as well as the companies he contracts with, are very professional and polite. John was very patient with us as we navigated our first major renovation. He helped us make several design decisions and offered some unique design choices that made our new kitchen perfect and simply beautiful. We are very happy customers and highly recommend this company. Our kitchen remodel took place between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2016. The project stayed on pace and was completed a few days before Christmas. We had new floors, cabinets and counters installed. We also tore down a wall and added a little extra work to our powder room. All of the workers that came to our house were extremely polite and professional. We even had many Christmas packages delivered during this time while we were at work. His team was nice enough to bring the packages inside and all items remained secure. Having trustworthy workers in your house is priceless! I would not hesitate to reach out to Mother Hubbard again when we are ready for our next project.

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John was amazing to work with. He came to the house and walked us through our options for our kitchen taking everything into consideration. He was with us every step of the remodel including meeting us to select countertops, sink and faucet. He presented us with options and solutions. The job was done timely and in a professional manner. The installer also was very professional and detail oriented. Overall it was a very positive experience.

John was very easy to work with, knowledgeable and had a flair for colors, design and explaining things.

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First, he visited our house to determine if the old Corian countertops could be refinished (They could) and if it was worth refinishing the Silverstone sink (It wasn't).  During the visit, we asked him lots of questions about the new backsplash and what we would have to do in preparation for the work his company would do. He was generous with his time and expertise.

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We visited his store to read and sign the work order quote. While there he told us about an addition to the soap dispenser faucet which allowed use of a supersized dish detergent bottle to be stored under the sink. It really appealed to me because we wouldn't have to fill up the dispenser from the top through the teeny opening. He used this device hiimself. We wouldn't have known about this on our own. He had prepared suggestions for the sink and faucets and advised us to visit Fagers in Camp Hill to make our choices. We knew we wanted subway tile and he sent us to Conestoga tile to choose which color and manufacturer. We had used those companies in the past when redoing our bathroom and knew they would make sure our order was right and delivered quickly.

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After I visited the display rooms for the sink, faucets and tiles, I emailed him our choices which he used to update the quote. We arranged the 3 days of the installation through his assistant who was very pleasant. The work order agreement said that it might take longer to than the 3 days (a surprise to us) which would be a problem because the flooring contracter was scheduled to begin work right after Mother Hubbard completed theirs. But the assistant said it was a standard clause and she didn't think there would be a timing problem. The work was done on time, though they have to come back to install the soap dispenser faucet which hasn't arrived yet.

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The price for the work seemed reasonable. His workers were competent, neat and nice.

I would use them again.

Stacey arrived very soon after our call for help. We knew we would redo the kitchen as we purchased this home. Unfortunately, the previous owners bought into the idea that buyers are looking for granite and stainless. The shoddy work and cheap box store appliances just sealed our decision to completely gut and replace the kitchen before moving in! I enjoy cooking and loved the kitchen I was leaving. Stacey listen to my work needs, my entertaining style and photos of my previous kitchen. In what we thought a small dark space, Stacey convinced us it was actually a large room that was poorly used and redone over the years to make it even worse. Now I have a light bright, large,efficient and very gorgeous kitchen !! The room transformation is something I couldn't have envisioned and no one who has visited can believe our description of the room it was! The work was extensive. We totally gutted the room, had new flooring installed and then Mother Hubbard's crew arrived. All the skills were very good but several craftsmen were almost artists in the excellence and care with which they worked. Stacey carefully examined and managed every step. She even reordered cabinet fronts that I hadn't noticed a problem but she rejected as inferior. She made sure every detail of her design for us was exact. A small miscalculation on a measurement by the counter top providers, a detail again that Stacey insisted was redone . We felt well cared for in every step. I had to be vigilant with our floor installers, pointing out issues and insisting on fixes. Stacey took care of all that with our kitchen work! Our new kitchen was expensive but I now have a room I can use, enjoy, entertain my friends and family ! The room I disliked most in this house is now my favorite! Thank you Stacey and Mother Hubbard's!

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John Petrie drove down from Harrisburg to York to assess my kitchen. I was so impressed with him, I'm writing a review solely based on his professional acumen, credentials, likeability factor, and his very excellent website and blog. Please read both as you contemplate a major kitchen renovation. The knowledge he imparts is incredible. And I should probably emphasize that Mother Hubbard's Custom Cabinetry specializes in MAJOR kitchen renovations, not minor, i.e. (cosmetic facelift) so please keep that in mind before calling.
Though we decided to put off our major kitchen renovation until we could better afford custom cabinetry, and updated appliances, we will have no hesitation in calling Mother Hubbard's Custom Cabinetry to do the job!

Short Review: Do not ignore your local kitchen design firm when you seek out ideas and estimates. I expected them to be overpriced or at least well outside my budget range. I was wrong. Both local kitchen design firms worked within my budget and Mother Hubbard's Custom Cabinetry not only worked within our budget but came up with the most creative solution to our kitchen remodel. AND they threw in extras like lighting and outlets that the big box stores and contractors would not have included. In the end, John Petrie at Mother Hubbard’s came up with the best solution and kitchen design for us within the budget we had. They did an outstanding quality job at a fair price. I highly recommend them.
The whole story:
We live in a 39 year old suburban home in Hampden Township that had an old dated worn out kitchen that had never been remodeled. We set out to remodel our kitchen, eating area, powder room and flooring on a budget of about $20,000. The final cost will end up being closer to $25,000 when it is completed, including the flooring and painting done by different contractors. I wrote down detailed dimensions and drawings of the area to be remodeled. My wife and I discussed our “need” and “want” list and we went looking for estimates. After consulting with friends and doing some internet searching, we discussed our project and got estimates from six contractors: 2 big box stores (big blue and big orange); 2 local kitchen design firms; 1 local remodeling contractor; and a local contractor who had previously installed our roof, siding and windows. All the local contractors had good references and had been in business a very long time.
We were disappointed in the one local remodeling firm who showed little interest in our project. She felt they could not do the job within our budget range ($15-20,000). This firm eventually gave us a high ball estimate by phone never even looking at our house or showing us the cabinets they proposed, let alone a design. Waste of my time. Four of the remaining five firms basically wanted to simply replace the cabinets we had with their cabinets with little difference in the layout of the kitchen. All five remaining firms were within $1-2,000 of each other. There was very little difference in cost which was a shock to me.
But one firm, Mother Hubbard’s Custom Cabinetry redesigned the layout of the entire kitchen to make it open and modern including the addition of a small kitchen island. Mother Hubbard’s also threw in new lighting and electrical upgrades that were not included in anyone else’s plans. The icing on the cake was the owner, John Petrie, who not only carefully redesigned the kitchen layout but brought over 20 years of experience designing kitchens and baths. He also is actively involved in the local and national chapters of the National Kitchen and Bath Association, including serving as president of this national organization for the past year. His father also served as the NKBA’s president in 2003. So this long family commitment to this area and nationally to kitchen and bath design made us quite comfortable about getting quality work for our project.
Our only hesitation was we really liked the cabinet color from our local contractor who had done the roof and siding on our house. He had worked with a local lumber yard and their design team. But his price was slightly higher and we really loved the design John had prepared and his firm’s long experience in kitchen design and installation made us more comfortable about the project being a success. So Mother Hubbard's it was.
We met with John a few times to finalize the plans and the contract. John was very easy to work with. He is friendly and polite. Answers questions honestly. He does not beat around the bush. We had no problems scheduling meetings or getting in touch with him. If he was not available immediately, he got back to me quickly. We scheduled the project time to begin after mid-June so my wife could monitor the project while she was home from work.
Demolition went quickly and was completed in about two days. The workers were very clean and organized. No complaints about the demo. The separate flooring contractor came in and installed a tile floor in two days. The first installer for Mother Hubbard’s was very good. He has worked for Mother Hubbard’s for a long time and did very high quality work. He and a young assistant worked consistently although not at a breakneck speed like the flooring installers did (the flooring guys were quite impressive at their speed as a team of five). However, they made steady continuous progress. The installer started each day telling my wife or I what was completed the previous day and what the plan was for completion the next day. We really appreciated knowing this update on a daily basis. John Petrie estimated the project would take 4-5 weeks.
We ordered over the internet a new sink, faucet, garbage disposal, door knobs and drawer handles. I was able to get them less expensively than John could from his local suppliers and we had a larger selection to choose from. And John had no problem with my sourcing my own items as long as they were ordered early so they did not hold up the project. I did give him the opportunity to match the cost if he could. So we saved some money on those items.
The installer and his assistant made very good progress the first three weeks. Much of the initial time was spent reworking the electric wires, installing new cabinet outlets and pot lights. Then the cherry cabinets were installed. They went in quite quickly. I pointed out one cabinet door where the grain was badly matched by the manufacturer. John had absolutely no reservation about ordering a replacement door. The Bishop cabinets are of high quality and we are very pleased with the quality of the cabinets and the installation.
About when the cabinets began to be installed, the first installer was replaced with another installer from Mother Hubbard’s who had recently gotten out of the hospital. Because of his age, he also did not work on Friday’s. So the project moved more slowly. The second installer had worked for Mother Hubbard’s even longer than the first installer. But he did work at a slower pace. We just liked and clicked with the first installer more. My wife and I did express our concern with John Petrie, the owner, about the change. But it is his company and I can’t tell him how to manage his projects. The second installer was not doing anything wrong or poorly. Just a little slower and our personalities just did not click as well as with the first installer. I suppose if this was the highest point of friction between me and a contractor, that is not much to complain about. The first installer did return to finish the electrical and plumbing that he had started once the cabinets and counter tops were in place.
A third installer for the company came in on the third week to measure for the laminate counter tops. We originally wanted granite but for cost reasons settled for a very nice dark laminate from WilsonArt that virtually duplicated the look of a dark granite. John suggested clipping the edges to give them a more rounded look. We love the laminate. The color and look works wonderfully with the cherry cabinets. And the counter tops fits like a glove around all walls and cabinet surfaces. Very high quality work creating and fitting the counter tops.
Almost all of the project was completed by about the 7th week. A couple items were forgotten. A sliding trash can for one lower cabinet and the cherry cap for a knee wall near our family room. The first trash can mechanism was defective and a second had to be ordered. The kitchen was completed by the 11th week but was fully functional and being used by the seventh week. In fact, we were probably using the kitchen around the 5th week where minor trim and other adjustments were being completed.
Overall, we ran into very few problems or issues for such a large project. I am very particular and

First of all stacy was great with her designs and helpful with her suggestions.
the entire job was done in 5 weeks and we could not be

MORE PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME.
WE HAV E A VERY SMALL KITCHEN AND IT LOOKS GREAT.
I WOULD NOT HESTIATE TO RECOMEND THIS COMPANY FOR THE EXCELLENT WORK THEY DID.
THEY FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH EVERY THING PROMISED

See above.

Everything about the job was professional and they worked with us to get it all just right, to solve all the problems with the old kitchen and to incorporate my ideas. We went shopping together to pick out tiles, floors, etc, we went over the plans many many times before and throughout. Installers showed up on time, did everything right, were neat, cleaned up, and when there were a few minor issues to tweak at the beginning, showed up to fix them. It took several weeks, since the work went beyond just the kitchen. Throughout, the designer kept tabs on what was happening to ensure everything was just right.

I enjoy working with Stacey. I liked her the minute I met her. She listened to all my ideas and wanted to do what I was comfortable doing with both price and layout of work. Looking forward to the finished product!

We are in the finalizing stage plan with them. We have made changes and revisions and had them move things. They have been very good to work with and very responsive to our changing needs, which is good. We talked to 3 companies and we are leaning our direction to them. Their patience is good. We started with them in a general way kind of knowing what we wanted but not really sure and we have gone back and forth in the design as what we wanted. We wanted an island for a while and then we didn't and now we do. They have been very patient with us. Each time we've talked they have shown us some stuff and given us some new ideas.

Products (cabinets) were great, design service was very careful and meticulous. His installer was extremely careful, and a great guy to boot! Other Subs (floor refinishers) were first rate. Painting has yet to be done so...
John really knows his business and made sure everything worked and was well planned and executed. We aren't completely done but what is done looks great.
Only suggested improvements: There were a few things (i.e., how high the extended height of the cabinets would be - making it hard to get to those top shelves; depth of cabinets compared to our old ones) that we were a little surprised by and it would have been less of an surprise if we had talked about it prior to construction. John also appeared to adhere strictly to our budget and didn't raise too many options that would have taken us over budget. We may be strange but we would have rather he raised the option and let us reject it.

Met with John Petrie, owner of Mother Hubbard Custom Cabinetry. He was most helpful in design. After we agreed on a price, he helped us select various items. He was most helpful in suggesting various items and in helping us to clarify exactly what we wanted. He promptly prepared plans, and we agreed and signed contracts. By the way, I am a law professor who teaches contracts at a law school. His contract was in plain, clear English, and the terms were fair and standard foir this type of work. So much down; so much at 60% completion; so much on completion. He helped with selection locally. We were picky on several items, so we selected them over the Internet. He took care of ordering and installing them seamlessly.
When the job began, he had a very experienced, lifelong finish carpenter at our house working on the entire job four days per week for nearly six weeks (of course other subcontractors came in for specific jobs). The carpenter was remarkable in the work that he did--it was beautiful--, and he was able to oversee any jobs that MH personnel weren't actually performing: however, MH has most of the skilled workmen on staff permanently, and subcontracted jobs were few. There were only a very few days in the six week installation that there were not workmen on the job. All work was done excellently, and the workmen understood how to work in a home where we were also living--they cleaned up every day and did not leave a mess at any time.
We made several changes, and for all except the largest, there was no additional charge. MH ran into several problems, but they came up with solutions to every one of them that made us happy. For example, in the powder room, a sliding door on the sink/cabinet came from the shop with an exposed bottom metal track which made the cabinet appear unfinished. When we brought this to John Petrie's attention, he embarked on a search and ordered and installed a door hanking system for the sliding doors without charge--and this change took substantial work and parts. Similar problem occurred with the unusual glass tile that we ordered. He and his men worked and researched until they came up with a solution that was perfect.
We had guests in for the first time last week. They were speechless wtih the design and appearance of our new kitchen and powder room, and we are too. John Petrie is an honorable businessman, and a very expert remodeler. He is a perfectionist, and makes certain that his workmen get the job done to the highest standards of workmanship. He lived up to every statement that he made, and it was a true pleasure doing business with him. I could not think of any business that I could recommend more highly. We will be having additional work done to two bathrooms next year. We would not think of having anyone else than John Petrie and Mother Hubbard do the work.
P.s. one thing that I forgot. When the job was done, we had a small and quot;punch listand quot; of minor things that we wanted fixed or changed. John came in and said, just wait a day or so--normal procedure for us is we also do our own punch list. If you need more after that, we'll do it. His punch list took are of all our items, and took care of a few that we hadn't even noticed. When he was done, we did not have a single question or suggestion for them to finish up. John Petrie is a true professional.