When it comes to installing new cabinets in your kitchen, you want quality, durability, and value for your investment. Two popular cabinet brands—Medallion and Cardell—both offer attractive options for a kitchen makeover with some key differences between their offerings.
How do you decide which provides the best fit for your needs?
This guide provides a detailed comparison of Medallion and Cardell cabinet lines so you can evaluate which is better suited for your kitchen vision, lifestyle, and budget.
Keep reading for an in-depth exploration of construction, materials, cabinet storage solutions, pricing, warranties and more so you can make an informed decision for your home.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Attribute | Medallion Cabinets | Cardell Cabinets |
| Construction | All-wood box construction | Engineered wood construction |
| Materials | Kiln-dried hardwood, furniture-quality plywood | Engineered wood, thermofoil, laminates |
| Drawer Construction | Dovetail joinery | Staple & cam construction |
| Customization Options | Wide range of sizes, storage solutions, finishes and modifications to suit kitchen layout | More limited customization available |
| Price Per Linear Foot | $150-$650+ | $100-$300 |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime | 1 year |
| Manufacturing Location | USA | Imported |
Medallion Cabinet Pros
- Superior Materials for Durability
Medallion uses top-grade plywood and hardwoods in cabinet construction, resulting in a more solid feel and higher weight capacity per shelf.
Dovetail joinery drawers are sturdier than stapled assemblies.
The all-wood box frame construction also allows the humidity and temperature changes of a kitchen better than engineered woods.
No cheap particle boards or plastics—Medallion cabinets are built to last.
- Fully Customizable American-Made Quality
With manufacturing based in the USA and a streamlined process from order to installation, Medallion allows extensive customization to your precise kitchen layout and preferences.
Their Quality Cabinet Making approach delivers completely tailored cabinets designed for how you cook and live. Unique solutions like spice pull-outs, tray dividers, or custom inserts are available.
- Timeless Styles to Match Design Vision
From classic Shaker to elegant inset cabinets to modern, sleek styles, Medallion has the choices to match your ideal aesthetic. Their finish options—from paints to stains to glazes—allow you to incorporate today’s latest kitchen trends into cabinetry built to stay beautiful for the next decades.
- Responsive Customer Service
Ordering semi-custom cabinets for an entire kitchen is a major investment, and Medallion aims to provide exceptional service throughout the process.
Their team helps you perfect final plans, processes orders efficiently, keeps you updated on timelines and assists with any installation or warranty needs. Many happy customers praise Medallion’s commitment to making cabinet buying seamless.
Cardell Cabinet Pros
- Affordable Kitchen Upgrade
Compared to many cabinet options, Cardell offers attractive, quality cabinets at accessible price points—a great option if working with a limited kitchen remodeling budget.
Their streamlined construction process focused on efficiency passes significant savings to the consumer.
Without sacrificing everyday functionality, Cardell allows consumers to affordably upgrade to current styles.
- Contemporary Styling Choices
Cardell cabinet doors and finishes offer many contemporary, sleek options perfectly suited for open, modern kitchen layouts.
From matte thermofoil colors to integrated handles creating clean lines, Cardell’s styles complement other contemporary design choices. The more limited customization options still allow today’s most popular kitchen trends.
- Quick Delivery and Installation
Because cabinets are mass-produced and imported with more limited customization, Cardell can deliver cabinets faster, often within 2-3 weeks from order to delivery. Their cabinet components with cam locks also allow for quicker installation once delivered—another time and cost savings benefit.
- Lightweight Construction
Cardell’s engineered wood construction results in cabinets lighter than solid wood alternatives, an advantage when remodeling kitchens on upper floors. The lighter weight also facilitates DIY transport and installation for savvy homeowners aiming to save on labor costs.
Medallion Cabinet Cons
- Significant Upfront Investment
There’s no getting around the reality high-quality, customized all-wood cabinets come with big price tags. Kitchens with extensive cabinetry will necessitate a large remodeling budget when selecting Medallion.
While designed to last decades, part of what you pay for is skilled American craftsmanship—expect to make a major financial investment.
- Lengthy Lead Times
With extensive customization options made to order in American factories come longer wait times—often 6-8 weeks from final order approval to delivery.
Patience is required when remodeling kitchens through a full gut and install. Timelines also mean once decisions are finalized, modifications become difficult and costly. Know your plan before placing orders.
- Professional Installation Best
Given the semi-custom nature, higher price points and heavier wood construction, Medallion cabinets are best left to skilled kitchen remodelers and carpenters to install.
Attempting DIY risks damaging expensive cabinetry during the tricky installation process. Leaving it to professionals may add installation costs but better protects your purchase.
Cardell Cabinet Cons
- Quality and Durability Concerns
While improvements have been made in recent years, Cardell has faced customer criticism regarding inconsistent cabinet quality and durability issues such as peeling finishes or falling apart shortly after installation.
Thermally fused laminates and lighter engineered woods question long-term sturdiness, especially compared to solid wood options.
- Limited Size and Layout Options
Cardell’s mass manufacturing model allows little ability to modify cabinet sizes or solutions suiting a specific kitchen’s dimensions or unusual storage challenges.
If your kitchen layout or storage needs require something beyond standard widths, heights and depths, Cardell likely cannot accommodate special requests. What they offer out-of-box determines possibilities.
- Imported Materials and Production
Cardell cabinets are made overseas, predominantly in China. Beyond creating longer lead times for American consumers, questions arise regarding overseas environmental standards, worker ethics and regulations compared to US manufacturing.
Issues like formaldehyde use, quality control inconsistencies and inability to address problems exacerbate durability concerns.
Still Undecided? Key Questions To Ask Yourself
- What aesthetic am I going for—timeless or contemporary stylish?
- What’s my budget? Can I accommodate a large upfront investment?
- How customized do my cabinets need to be to kitchen layout and specialized storage needs?
- How long do I want these to last? How concerned am I about durability?
- Do I plan to DIY install or hire a kitchen remodeling company?
- How much inconvenience can I handle during the remodeling process?
Cabinet Shopping FAQs
Yes, Medallion is known as a top-tier semi-custom cabinet provider that constructs all-wood cabinets completely customizable to your kitchen. Made from quality hardwoods and plywoods sourced and built entirely in the USA, they offer exceptional durability and storage solutions. Expect meticulous craftsmanship and responsive support from a family company specializing in cabinetry since the 1970s. Medallion delivers exceptionally sturdy, unique cabinets designed to last, but also at elevated price points reflecting custom materials and work.
Cardell cabinets continues to operate today offering affordable import cabinets mass produced overseas with contemporary finishes and styling popular for fast kitchen upgrades. Durability and customization represent potential drawbacks, but value pricing makes Cardell a reasonable quick-fix option for consumers prioritizing modern aesthetics and budget. They may have discontinued some door styles from previous decades as trends changed. As an import brand still relying on foreign manufacturing streams, supply chain issues can impact stock availability. But Cardell itself remains a functioning cabinet company servicing today’s remodelers.
Cardell constructs cabinet boxes predominantly using engineered woods rather than solid woods. They often utilize medium density fiberboard (MDF), laminated particleboard or plywood joined together rather than natural cut lumber. These composite wood products allow more moisture resistance than solid wood. Cardell then outfits boxes with thermofoil or laminate doors and drawers representing a more affordable alternative to real wood doors but with enhanced durability over painted MDF. Hinges, tracks and other hardware represent other key components. compared to all-wood cabinets with dovetail joinery, Cardell takes a more mass production approach prioritizing speed and cost savings over highest quality materials.
Medallion’s product lines include good, better, best options allowing you to match quality and price points to kitchen needs. Their Premium line provides a step up from baseline options with furniture-grade plywood box construction, soft-close drawer slides, full overlay doors, dovetail drawer boxes and adjustable shelves. The Deluxe line utilitizes Medallion’s best materials and features with solid wood doors and face frames, luxury touches like glass inserts, enhancements cimplifying access, and intricate storage solutions. Premium makes sense for most kitchens wanting excellent quality without paying for Deluxe line bells and whistles that may not provide value matching higher prices. Expect to pay at least 15-20% more for Deluxe embellishments.
Final Thoughts
Your unique taste, kitchen layout and lifestyle should drive choosing between Medallion and Cardell more than company names alone. Giving thought to the differences in quality, customization and prices highlighted here will guide you.
Medallion’s exceptional semi-custom offerings cater to homeowners focused on durable, lasting beauty through quality craftsmanship. Cardell provides affordable alternatives for contemporary-minded remodelers working on a budget.
Carefully considering your cabinets investment upfront will ensure you pick the cabinets suited to kitchen needs now and in the coming years so you feel happy with your decision long-term.
What choice makes most sense for your home?
