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designideas4me Whats the key factor that determines who you hire? The cost of the project?

Sigrid Usually contractors don't commit a time to your project until you've paid a deposit. You should get a quote or a contract, depending on the size of your project. When you contact someone they usually let you know what they require.

You should do some research on the Better Business Bureau or Angie's list to make sure the contractor is reliable. As for fit, usually talking to several gives you a feel for whom to hire.

I'd start with a few kitchen showrooms. It will give you some ideas of what you want, don't want and some price/quality trade-offs. You'll pick up some of the vocabulary.

A kitchen designer might give you plans, to be implemented by someone else. If your kitchen, like many kitchens, has only one logical layout (particularly if you aren't planning to change the plumbing or the gas to the stove) you may not need a designer. If your kitchen is awful, you may want a designer to help you figure out how to steal space from another room.

designideas4me So start with a kitchen showroom? Ok so there are not many around me. Should I than head to San Diego and look for show rooms and expect the designer there to come to me..45 mins away...and do a measure which so many require even if you give them your measurements? I see local cabinet makers but they dont have showrooms just website. Same with flooring stores that do kitchens and sell the products as do the tile stores but then you have to get your own installer or designer. I am a bit confused which direction is best.

Studio NOO Design You should hire a designer to help you start your project, to know at least where you are going with floor plan, budget, time frame, other costs, etc. Then, have a quote made by any kitchen showroom on line. Once you have a floor plan, you can get quotes. Then have a contractor come to your home to quote on work to prepare for new kitchen.

I can help you from a distance if you want, just to get you started. if you are interested, contact me via info@studionoodesign.com.

michigammemom If you don't have a kitchen showroom that you trust in your community, ask friends and neighbors for recommendations. Once you have selected a cabinet provider ask if they have an experienced design staff. If you desire, they should be able to provide references from past projects. They will have suggestions for the best work triangle, storage features, and finishes and they should definitely come to your home for accurate measurements. They should also be able to provide you with a computer generated layout that will give you an idea of what the finished product will look like.

Judy M some kitchen showrooms have certified kitchen designers. They do space planning (functional) first and then esthetic design. The showroom then orders your cabinet from any of the cabinet manufacturers that they carry (example Kraftmaid). Some have contractors they work with to do install or you can hire your own.

We used a local cabinet making place. They have a designer. They measured, she made a computerized layout and then they made and installed the cabinets for us.

designideas4me Ok well this is what I have done so far. Home depot.............doesnt seem like it will work...the dont have frameless cabinets and wont even let me check out doors to take home on the lines I like. Plus they have no display of those doors in a kitchen set up.So I have to buy the doors just to see it at home. They wont do more than a line drawing without a charge and they dont even know if or how much the frame will show, So I guess thats out. Then there was a guy who says he does great work referred from a painter and he wanted 9k to reface all my cabinets but I kinda feel like i dont know what the final product will look like with trying to match veneer and new doors. So I didnt do it. Plus expensive for still my same boxes. Then I tried a flooring store who sells cabinets and he said the wood he offers was too expensive to stay under 12 and wants me to have his cabinet maker look at it. I am a little scared to trust someone I havent seen the work of andeven if i see pics I dont know if he can do a modern kitchen. I am new to this area and have made some friends yes but dont know anyone who did a new kitchen. a few houses for sale i saw that rustolium cabinet stain done by the flipper but thats it. Most houses had the upgrade done when they bought the house or they still have ugly oak and just put in a piece of granite. Same with flooring. I dont thing a lot of people are doing big upgrades on these homes.Not the people i know. Ok than I tried to get cabinets thru this guy who says he installs them for all the new homes being built and he quoted me a really cheap price..4500 for all. But I waited a few months and he kept saying that employee orders come last since its a busy time for them. Ok so I didnt get anywhere but frustrated. I tried cabinets to go and I never went to the store just spoke online and phone he did do a basic sketch for me and it was about 12k. I suppose I have to drive to the showroom and see if I really want that door style and color.I guess thats what I need to do is drive around and look. There are only custom cabinet makers where I am and they are too expensive. My kitchen was measured a few times and there doesnt seem to be many possible configurations. I am stuck with how it is other than to reface or replace all the cabinets. I guess I have to get a laminate type with particle board or plywood cuz solid wood is too much. Then a place like all wood cabinets at costco doesnt have installers in this area so I guess I have to do my own measure with them and find my own installer. Each place seems different. This is not an easy undertaking. Maybe I should save more or just hire an ikea designer and do ikea cabinets. I just wanted to compair a few options before i did that but i must admit they make the process easier with people who specilize and can design and install plus a big showroom. I will try a few more online designers. I was maybe going to try cabico.........I think is the name...I just want simple and modern...........low cost but soft close and some pull outs and I prefer some glass doors .thx

michigammemom Designideas, I also live in a very rural area where the nearest kitchen and bath showroom is 35 miles away. It is definitely worth the time and effort to travel outside your community if resources are scarce. Go on a fact finding trip and find cabinets that suit your modern aesthetic and budget. There is nothing like seeing a finish firsthand, inspecting construction, and testing function in person. I would be wary of purchasing any kind of cabinet online.

Eutree Wide Plank Flooring We have provided floors for Houzz clients as far away as Canada. We are a manufacturer however, not a service provider.

Sigrid I used Angie's List, when I moved to a new state. I interviewed 2-3 contractors for every job and liked who I found better than the neighbors' and former owner's recommendations.

My process was to figure out basic costs of a job (like refinish versus replace), then to talk to contractors about the job I wanted. For a big job (painting my house) I talked to 4 or 5 contractors. You absolutely need them to come to your house, if a ball park quote on the phone sounds right. You also need to talk about your reservations. If someone is going to refinish your cabinets, ask how the dings will come out, while he is standing there, looking at them. An honest contractor will tell you.

I suggested you start with showrooms to pinpoint styles and prices. You didn't sound like you knew what you wanted.

If your layout is pretty clear and is the same as the bulk of the kitchen now, you may be able to get custom woodworkers to replace the doors on your cabinets, in many kitchens, the doors are all you see from the outside. If the boxes are in decent shape, and you want some glass doors, you can just paint the inside of your cabinets.

The wall unit in my living room is a very clever mix of solid walnut and walnut/glass doors, walnut veneer over particle board, and walnut-look laminate. The areas you see are all walnut. The insides of the units is walnut-look laminate. It was far cheaper than a solid walnut unit of that size (it's huge, I don't know where I'll put it when I move).

designideas4me Thank you. Yes i know what I want. NEW KITCHEN. But I also know I cant afford exactly what I want so I am weighing the options. I dont like my doors or cabinets for that matter. But lets say I could live with the inside if the doors were made of particle board with laminet and full overlay. This is the issue. I dont think its possible to be full overlay. I asked this in another thread. And am looking at these utube videos but i am not an expert. In fact i know very little. Plus I think most cabinet makers charge 100 pluc per door and that means 2500 bux so maybe new is a better option. Here is a video. Do you know if a framed cabinet can take a full overlay door?

Dezign Studio Inc Upload some pictures and the layout with dimensions,maybe some of us can help with the layout. After that we can worry about the details of the door style and stain.

designideas4me Not many options I think. I already moved the island door like 12 inches and had the island extended in size to support more counter top near the refrig. on the right side of the sink. Now its too tight I think and the frig either must be moved into the wall behind it...which is a huge job.... or I have to just cut off some of the island again... giving me only 12 inches or maybe 15 in. on that side of the sink for prep. I dont like this layout but what can I do. The pipe under the sink is now moved all the way over without major plumming work. opposite that you see the qas oven and stove. thats where the gas line is located. So yeah this is pretty much all i can do. No hood vent to the outside either and I have solar panals on the roof above. Than that pantry just ends and it would look better to have something all the way to the window. Let me know your thoughts. Thank you. I took the doors off and sanded them. They arent brown anymore. I have a new microwave over the oven. Just so your updated on how it looks.


posting pictures of this kitchen is embarassing to me. I hate it.

Dezign Studio Inc If you can add more cabinets upper and lower on the right side of the stove and take the pantry right to the end . Then you can move the island more on the pantry side, so that it is centered with the longer side of the Kitchen.this may be possible if you are refacing your kitchen or replacing the cabinetry completely, as you may not get matching doors s your existing ones.also if you have space for a tall panel on the right side of the fridge, you can have a deeper cabinet above the fridge, or pull the existing on in line with the fridge face.
If you extend your cabinets all the way to the end, then you can have a few glass doors, maybe one on either side of the stove.

Dezign Studio Inc see if these would help

designideas4me The picture did not enlarge. My water pipe is as far as it can go down now towars the window unless I have the concrete cut. Isnt that expensive? Also if I do move the islnad down than I wont have any area for a table in the kitchen. Shouldnt I leave room for a table? The one thier now is only 35 by 55 inches.

Dezign Studio Inc Guess there's not much you can change. The previous picture did not show a table, but guess you need a table. It seems like a functional kitchen forming a triangle with work surfaces.Hope it works for you. Good luck.

eagledzines designideas4me--You have a lot of questions but you are trying hard to find answers to them.
I'm going to start with the ones you brought up in the beginning.

"How are away should I look.." Start close by and then further and further out, till you find what you are looking for.

"What questions should I ask to see if it's a good fit?" 1) Do you have a portfolio that I could look at?
2) Are you insured 3) What type of cabinets do you sell or make? Do you build full overlay cabinets? If not, could you put a full overlay door on a framed cabinet? 4) Could I have a list of references with telephone numbers? 5) Do you have some doors that I could look at?

"What exactly does it mean to make a commitment to a designer or builder?" It means you sign a proposal or contract with them.

"What does it mean to get a contract?" A contract is an agreement between you and the contractor. It states what he is willing to do and what you are willing to do. Is should be very detailed including what materials will be used and whether they will be new or existing already in your house, how disputes will be settled, how unforseen events will be handled, a warranty including the length of the warranty, who gets a building permit,who will clean up and take the construction debris away. How much he will get paid in total and how the payments will be broken down and when they will be due. What insurance he will carry and what insurance you will carry for the job. It will be signed by both of you.

"What does it mean to pay a deposit?" That means you make an initial payment on work done. It means there are more payments to be made to complete the total charges. You don't make a deposit until you agree to a price and terms in a Contract. Sometimes the words Proposal and Contract are used interchangeably.

"How do you know who to hire?" It depends on what you want done.

A general contractor is someone who handles administrative parts of your job. He may also do work himself on the job. He hires subcontractors (people who are licensed to do specific parts of your job, like an electrician or plumber) and he makes sure they do their job. He also hires employees himself usually. He is responsible that everyone does their job so that he fulfills his contract to you. He pays the subcontractors and employees himself. He has direct control over his employees but subcontractors work for themselves and schedule their own time, so he has to coordinate with them to get the job done.

A cabinet maker has a shop and often designs woodworking, including kitchens. They don't often work with standard cabinet measurements like a kitchen showroom. Their cabinets are 'made to order' and as such as generally more expensive. You need to ask them what they are used to doing. Do they install their own cabinets, so you don't have to find someone to do that? Most likely they do, but ask them anyway. If they don't hire electricians and plumbers directly for you, they will probably be able to recommend them for you and then you would be working with them directly in that case. You should have a contract with the cabinet maker, plumber and electrician--all three of them in that case. A cabinet maker will be more willing to work with cabinets you already have that you want work done on.

If you go to a kitchen showroom, they will have their own designers who work around the style and measurements of the cabinets they sell. They will probably not want to sell you doors for the cabinets you have. They are in business to sell whole kitchens. The designs they work up for you are based on the cabinets they have available to sell. They contract installers for you.

You could also get kitchen plans from an independent kitchen designer.

"What's the key factor that determines who you hire?"
What you need or want done. What you want to do yourself and what you want someone else to do.
Other factors are: If your state requires that a general contractor be licensed, is he licensed. All states require licensing for electricians and plumbers as far as I know. Make sure they are licensed. Do they have good references from people? (Talk to the references yourself and look at their work). Check out the Better Business Bureau. Are there serious complaints against them. How long have they been in business? Are they insured? (Get a copy of the "Certificate of Insurance" from their insurance company. Let them know you are going to do that and ask for the name and number of their insurance company). If they have employees, make sure they have Workman's Compensation Insurance. Make sure the contract states that it is their responsibility to do have this.

eagledzines Now to address the door issue and your kitchen. Don't be embarrassed. Kitchens are always a mess when in the middle of renovation. People that work with kitchen remodeling are used to it.

If you want to change doors, I would suggest going to a cabinet maker. You will have to buy 1 door. If possible, pick the color and wood of the door before you order it. It will be yours, so have it finished the way you want it to be. Have the cabinet company give you the size of a door that you would have to buy anyway, that way, you'll have one less door to order if that is the one you like. That way, you and a cabinet maker will already have those things out of the way if you like what you get. If you are going to paint it anyway, ask for a paint grade wood. Poplar is softer than Maple but is also cheaper. So you would ask for a 'paint grade poplar'. It paints well. If you wanted something harder, try a paint grade birch. It paints well also. A cabinet maker hopefully will have some pieces of poplar and birch hanging around his shop so you can see it. If they make their own doors, they may have some sample that they can show you. If they don't make their own doors or if you don't like what they show you, there are companies that only sell doors to cabinet makers. Here is one: www.waltzcraft.com
You can take a look at the doors they offer and pick one out that you like. A cabinet maker will be able to order it for you.

As far as full overlay doors. I did see your previous post. I had a cabinet shop and we used full overlay doors and European cup hinges. However, there were times, we would put a frame on one side of a cabinet to fit a particular application. We wanted the doors to look the same though. So, the answer is yes, you can get a full overlay hinge to go on a frame cabinet. The Blum hinge that was indicated on the previous post is a good example. It's not the one we used but does the same thing. Instead of screwing into the inside of the cabinet it screws onto the frame. I believe it overlaid the frame 1 9/16" at the most. In order to find out if this was going to work on your cabinet, the cabinet maker should come out and look at your cabinets and find out the exact width of the stiles (the wood that goes top to bottom) and the rails (the wood that goes side to side). Make sure they know you are interested in the Blum hinge type specified in the other post. There are other sizes besides 1 9/16". They would make a list of all the doors you need and then give you an estimate of the cost. The company I mentioned above won't give you an exact shipping cost. If you figure on 30% of the cost of the doors you will be safe. The cabinet shop should give you a price on 1) coming out to do all the measurements 2) The cost of the doors and hinges 3) The cost of installing them 4) The cost of installing knobs/pulls if you want them to do that as well 5) The cost of painting them, if you want them to do that as well.

designideas4me Yeah I am pretty limited in this space due to the walkway that goes thru the house and if i move the island out it will interfear with thatpath and look funny. One reason I actually pushed it closer to the oven but still I have 42 inchest of space there. I just feel stuck trying to remodel the layout. Makes sence to have a table ther I think. If I did move the island down more towars the window and no table than i kind of have no pathway to get to the cabinets besides next to the window or next to the refrig which seems odd. I think now the main issue is to choose a cabinet line in my price range and decide on color and material. Thats really why I wanted a decent color rendering.


Thank you so much egeledzines for that very detailed response. I think the biggest obsticle i am finding is that I dont have a lot to spend and so for me I am trying hard to see what cabinets I can actually afford and then compair quality and instillation factors. Several cabinet people.. I guess those who custom make and design gave me measurements but then when they are to give me estimates they always say its too expensive and then i get nowhere. If every kitchen picture had a price next to it then it would save people a lot of time and energy. Ikea does that. Then I could look at a 10 by 20 kitchen and say ok these zebrawood cabinets are 50k so thats out. These italian modern cabinets are 40k so thats out. It takes so much effort to just get a ballpark figure. I am kinda getting tired of it all.

So for under 12k just for the cabinets ...so I can still get a counter and some new appliances............should I look for.............plywood? particleboard? can I get soft close? dovetall? metal insides only like at ikea? Why isnt there a site or something that compairs brands and prices? why must I start from scratch over and over? It seems stupid.

eagledzines If your cabinets are still good, I would first try to fit them with new doors for the best price. Start with that. After you get a price back you will know what you have for extras like dovetailed drawers. (These are usually expensive). Soft close shouldn't cost too much, but may not be available with the Blum hinge we talked about. That is a pretty basic hinge. There may be an attachment to it though--would have to ask.

Counter--It probably isn't what you would be looking for, but pricewise, the best price would be for post-formed laminate. It comes is so many colors, I think you could find something you will like. Don't despair...just start with the cheapest and then you can at least get the needed basics.

I will look for the cheapest paint grade door from waltzcraft for you and let you know what to ask for from a cabinet maker. (I live in the Northeast and am retired but I still have the price book).

eagledzines As far as design goes. You might think of keeping the cabinets over the refrigerator and over the stove and one cabinet on each side of the stove. I think it would look striking and be cheaper if you put some subway tiles on the wall and used some floating black shelves or glass shelves with corbells under them. That might save you some money. Also, you could move the pantry down and switch it with the the base cabinets to the right of it. Do the subway tiles and shelves of them as well.

How are the drawers in the cabinets you already have? Are they holding up okay?

designideas4me Thank you and i did look at ubube regarding the blum hinge and somewhat understand it better but here is the thing... the face frame is.............3 inches in the middle and 4 to 6 inches on the sides. Look at the picture where the cornor of the cabinet meets the other corner ..its almost 6 inches of face frame exposed. How can it ever be covered? ... so i dont think its going to be possible to get anything close to a full over lay look.

mcbride2304 Do you have a Lowe's in your area. Sometimes they are better than Home Depot. A kitchen designer will be expensive. Sometimes the big lumber companies have cabinet showrooms. It seems that your first step is to find cabinets that you like, not online, then get a good installer's price. Often the installer can work out some of your placement issues. Do you need a table if you could seat 4 at your island? You really do have to do some legwork to find what is possible...these places all have computer programs that can do layouts quickly and quote prices. Right now you are too scattered to make a good descion without help and price comparison. Go to yellow pages to see where there are available showrooms. Those kitchen designers are paid by the company and free to you.take your pictures. Ask about sales when you visit these places. Don't give up. It is daunting but worth it in the end. Unfortunately redoing a kit hen is stressful.

eagledzines For Walzcraft door-cheapest
Ask for a Veneered MDF Core, Rotary Cut, Natural, Standard Grade, Machined edgebanded, The edge band is 1/32". The species is Birch. This would be the best for painting.

Remya Warrior Designs I'm a designer who uses my home as a showroom. I know there are a lot of designers who are doing this now a days to save on the overheads. Try to find someone in your area who does this. You will be able to get a semi custom line for a very decent price. Framed or frameless they both make full overlay cabinets. If you can find a US manufacturer their particle board cabinet may be better than the plywood cabinets which are imports. I deal with both, my US manuf gives lifetime warranty vs imported cabinets are a year warranty.
You can also tell quality when you inspect the drawers. Most of the manuf gives dove tail drawers now a days. But the hardware is usually very diff between the diff grades of cabinets. Find someone who will show & explain everything to you.
Please done spend a lot of money refacing your cabinets. I had gotten a price for refacing & was able to redo a brand new kitchen with decent cabinets for the same money. Now I have pull outs, which I wasnt even getting with my refacing quotes. It's a big decision. Good luck.

eagledzines I am not able to see the detail of the face frames but here is how it would work. If you had a hinge that covered 1 9/16" then the size of the door would be adjusted on both sides. That means 1 9/16" on the left and 1 9/16" on the right. That's a total of 3 1/8". So that actually covers more than the 3 inches you have. So you would use the next size down on the hinge. I don't have the link right now, but you could probably get back to it in your e-mail. So you see, the 3" is not a problem. Also you do need approximately 1/4" between the doors anyway. That's how a full overlay works. The doors don't actually touch one another.

The 4" and 6" that you were speaking about--I'm not sure what that is. But this is what we do, when there is space showing that shouldn't be--we take a piece of wood and fill it--on top of the cabinet to give it a smooth, seamless look.

eagledzines I think if you just paint these and put new doors on them and get a countertop and backsplash you are going to get out of this the cheapest. That is just my opinion. If the cabinets are in decent shape that is what I would first try to get prices on.

If you really need to replace the cabinets; they are not right for you or they are in bad shape that is a different story.

designideas4me Thanks Remya... I agree... I think refacing is going to be too expensive. I want new cabinets. If I absolutely have to talk myself into settling and i really think I wont be happy..than I will paint over the wood............its not that its in bad shape........its that I hate the oak grain and 3 inches of face frame all around. Its hard to spend 100s on a counter when you dont like the cabinets. Some say the boxes I have now are made better than ikea orther less expensive cabinets and others say ikea is really good and mine are recessed veneer in the middle and thin.

mcBride... yes I started at lowes 2 years ago...lol........... and i guess the 10-12k price I got back than shocked me but maybe now I am realizing that I have to save and spend at least that or more to get what I like.I am not good at compromise to just get it done.I think I have to come to terms with spending 15k cash to just get what I want or I will never be happy. I dont want to spend 8k and still hate the kitchen. Its a huge undertaking. I did already invest 4k in these 2 jenn air appliances so I better just continue on and nnot cut too many corners. What can I put over that wood counter to make it more livable til I decide?

designideas4me eagel...............you are super nice and helpful. How much are those doors? any idea? What do you think about the quality of my boxes? Is it even worth trying to reface them? Its melamine inside and they are thin wood on the outside and the draws are not wood inside or dovetail. They just seem cheap builder grade. I think I would really prefer new cabinets if I can find something modern and in my budget. Any suggestions on key factors to look for in quality? I know i will be somewhat limited in choices due to money.

eagledzines Hi desingnideas4me, The cost of the doors will vary from cabinetmaker to cabinetmaker depending on his upcharge. However, I can tell you they are the cheapest flat doors offered by that manufacturer. The cabinet maker himself may be able to offer their own doors cheaper but probably it will be in the same ballpark.

If the the melamine is in good shape, you could still reuse them. Cabinet faces are normally 3/4" thick. The issue with melamine is sagging shelves, sagging drawer box bottoms, and sagging box bottoms and screw holes stripped out (making it difficult to put new doors on). If you have those issues, you should probably be looking at new cabinets altogether from a place like Lowe's. You don't need dovetail drawers to get a good drawer. Some manufacturers offer them standard.

You will get what you pay for in quality. Good quality cabinets will have plywood boxes, plywood or wood shelves, adjustable shelves (top and bottom), dovetail drawers with plywood bottoms. You might have to ask about that. We always used plywood for the bottom of the drawers but also laminated them so they would be easy to clean. The drawer bottoms should be set into a groove on each side. They should not be stapled and glued to the bottom of the drawer. The drawer slides can be ball-bearing or plastic rollers. Either one holds up well on most drawers but if you have wide drawers that are going to hold a lot, it would be good if they were ball bearing. Look for full extension drawer slides so that the drawer comes all the way out. With a limited budget, you will not get all these things. You'll have to decide what is important to you. If, because of budget you decide to try and keep the cabinets you have then here are some things to consider:

If the faces aren't all banged up and you decide to paint them and the doors your good to go.

If the boxes are good enough and you decide to go with natural or stained wood, you might have to resurface them OR sand them down yourself and then use the same wood for the doors as the cabinet fronts. A cabinet maker will probably have to help you decide what the wood is. If you like the wood and it's in good shape on the front, then you could go with the same wood for doors.

If the fronts are in bad shape or you didn't think you could sand them yourself, then you could have them resurfaced. The resurfacer would provide the doors in that case. I would suggest you get a price from a resurfacer just for comparison sake.

A cabinet maker could help you decide if you need new boxes but he may try to sell you new boxes of course too. This will cost you more than if you buy them from a kitchen supplier like Lowe's. But you should be able to tell if the boxes are sturdy. If they are sagging or falling apart, yes, you will need new boxes. If the drawer bottoms are sagging or coming out, you may just need new drawers. If he says you need new boxes, ask him to explain why. That should help you make a decision.

michigammemom Have you considered open shelving as opposed to upper cabinets as a way to economize? You would still achieve a nice modern look, and you could utilize your budget for refacing or new door fronts for the lower cabinets.

designideas4me Thx michigan mom.. where do I put the microwave..................oh I see some of the kitchen has a place for the oven and micro and some has shelves. I feel like I have open shelves now..lol......its very easy to access. I am open to that for sure but it looks like I will also get a lot less storage for dishes.

onthefence michiganmom, I had been thinking along the same lines. Personally, the more kitchens I see with open shelving/few upper cabinets the more I like them. I really like the look you posted.

designideas, if you could find budget to do floor to ceiling cabinets in the area where your table is, the MW could go in there. You'd need to open the door to use it but personally, I'd rather not look at a microwave. I suspect there's power already in that wall so it would just be a matter of leaving access to the plug. Also planning on a shelf wide/deep enough to allow sufficient ventilation.

The biggest issue w/ THAT plan is that you would need a vent hood to replace the current venting.

ccwatters So I am going to offer just a few suggestions, but must admit that I did not read through all of the posts entirely...so apologies if I am repeating.
I built a cottage last year and wanted a beautiful---but affordable---kitchen. I went with a line of cabinetry that I had never heard of, but checked them out and was impressed with the look and features that came with them. Take a look at Kemper Echo (not just Kemper). I have soft close drawers and even had a couple soft-close cabinets.
Also, I went with formica's "oiled soapstone" for a countertop. I had it fabricated thinner than normal laminate thickness in order to resemble soapstone. I knew that this would be something simple to change down the road to the real thing...if I even care to. Have to say, I actually love that formica more than the granite at home.
My backsplash was 23 cents a tile from Lowes (Home Depot had it too, but the Lowes tile matched cabinet better).
I bought my light fixtures from Ikea (love love love Ikea)

I might check out Kemper Echo, locate a distributor near you. Even if it's an hour away, it will only take one trip to check out the line (or others). After that, the kitchen designer will come to you to measure, etc, and you can also get details worked out via phone and emails.
I have also read many posts on various sites where people actually found that local custom cabinet guys were more affordable than the standard kitchen lines offered in stores.

Posting a few photos of my kitchen so you can see the cabinets, countertops, etc. My kitchen may not be your desired style, but it will show you the products I just wrote about.

designideas4me Thank you.. your place looks really nice. ccwaters. How is formica fabricated or made thinner. If I did the cabinets now and the counter in a year from now in maybe quartz but want a temp solution now so I dont have to work on wood board with a few sample tiles.............than what could I cover this board with that can still get wet and be cleaned. I can cut on something else. I will look at that line you suggested and ask them for a quote. I have been emailing several cabinet companies this week to get estimate and compair. Are your cabinets frameless? Are they particle board or plywood?

JWinteriors For a temporary counter solution, home depot/lowes/menards sells premade formica countertops that already have the bevel cut. You simply cut it to length and cut out the sink. All of this for around $100. Find out what the last posting paid for her cottage kitchen as the sizes are very similar. I would take your picture with exact room size to IKEA and get a price quote. We have done new doors on existing cabinets, added crown moulding, new hardware, cut out for glass doors, new drawer fronts and inserted new shelves for a completely new look. Remember, the doors are the expensive part of any cabinet...the boxes are the cheapest. If you dont like all of the "wood" look to the cabinets, have a carpenter cut out and replace all of the panels on uppers with glass for a lighter feel. Add a crown moulding for added detail. Repaint cabinetry creamy white. Paint inside of boxes a color for contrast. Subway tiles in white keep things clean. Quartz, granite, concrete, or upgrade laminate completes the project. Set your price for completed kitchen at $12,000 and choose your materials to stay in budget. Make that first step!

designideas4me I did ask about that formica at lowes once and it was 100s and had to be cut and it was thick..I dont recall but it was not a simple solution. The pieces were big and heavy as I recall and it was kinda uglt to be honest. Plus I have this wood subtop nailed on it now. I guess I didnt like the rounded edge either. I was thinking like a contact paper thats cheap. Hopefully I will decide soon. thx

ccwatters I can't remember if the cabinets at the cottage are frameless/plywood/etc or not as I haven't been there since Christmas, and we are there primarily in the summer. I do have frameless at home and have for the last 9 years, but whatever the Kemper Echo are...they have only struck me as great cabinets for the money. So if they are framed/different from mine at home, it has not struck me. I included a link here that you can copy and paste to see the pdf of the catalog.

http://www.mbci1touch.com/marketingcenter/content/documents/Kem_Echo_Full_Line.pdf


Regarding countertops, if you can find someone local who does handywork, etc., laminate countertops are a pretty easy DIY. They could probably make a "thinner" countertop for you for less $ than a store since stores have a standard laminate thickness and often "upcharge" for any deviation. If you decide to do this...to make it look less like laminate, ask for "straight edges with radiused corners". I planned to take gray/black Sharpie markers to the seam/edge to further hide that it was formica, but never did because it never caught my attention.

As far as cabinet price, I will have to dig for that as my kitchen was just one component of an entire new build. I think they were between 9-11...but not positive. There may be other lines that are affordable as well, but my builder had me look at these and I was impressed at the value.
The downside with a line like this, is that the door style choices are limited, and the "embellishment" details are limited as well compared to pricier lines. This didn't affect me as I wanted a clean simple look. My door is called Marimac, and are painted maple.

You actually have a great space to create a very functional kitchen.
I would move your refrigerator to where the pantry currently is, and move the pantry to where the fridge currently is. This will tighten up your workspace/triangle, making it run more efficiently. You could move your stove over a bit away from the fridge to create more counterspace.
Move your microwave to any one of of the cabinets along your wall (there are cabinets for this), somewhat close to your workspace. Then install a hood over your stove. This is super important, regardless of what type of cooktop you have (gas/electric).
Put 3-drawer bases in wherever you can, in lieu of cabinets or cabinets with rollouts. Rollouts are great for a pantry, however, especially on lowest shelves.
Bring your cabinets all the way to the ceiling by adding trim. This will look great, but will also eliminate dust.

Where are you located?

A Direct Distributor Corp here's a really good resource when you're just getting started, need to know what to expect during renovation etc. http://www.kempercabinets.com/get-started

I can explain how we do things here if that would help. I would get an idea first of what appliances you are going to want to purchase. If a customer doesn't do this, we automatically design with standard size (24" dishwasher, 30" range, microwave, 36" fridge etc). If you are going to have a beverage center or another additional appliances that the cabinet designer will need to design in and fit in your kitchen, you want to know this in advanced. Our company sends the designer to the customer's house, free of charge, to measure and meet with you to discuss likes/wants/needs. They come back and design your kitchen, and will email over the 3D design to you. You can then see the first option and make changes from there. We take 50% down to order, and 50% down for delivery. Since we are a wholesaler, we can recommend someone to install for you (someone who we have seen their work for years, and know that they are great installers), or you can come in with your contractor. You will want to know lead times. Some cabinet lines you can get in 2 weeks, Kemper is running 3.5, and custom can be 8-9 weeks.

When deciding on cabinet styles- know if you want full overlay or partial. Raised panel, or shaker style. etc. Paint or stain. Let me know if you need any more help! We are always here for advice :)