@Gina: The paint that was used the first time that there was a problem with was Sherwin Williams CAB acrylic lacquer. I believe this is a perfectly great product (the finish itself was beautiful where enough paint was applied) and I know a lot of people really like it, it's just the painter who did my cabinets did not understand how to work with it. I don't honestly know what the new cabinet paint is. All I know is that it is Benjamin Moore and waterborne or water-based, but I don't know what specific product. There are a lot of good discussions on this on the paint forum though. @rkb: I was about to come back and say that the overspray wasn't really bad at all (presuming they do a really good job taping off). I did tell them ahead of time that I'd be repainting the walls so I let them spray there and they said it was easier to go up on the ceiling (which is wood painted the same color in our case) and then come back and touch it up. BUT tonight I realized that our freestanding walnut-topped island, which was pushed way into the far corner of the room, beyond the plastic curtain, got a good dose of overspray. At first it looked like dust, but a piece of paper we had sitting on it left a nice little square of un-oversprayed area. It stinks but it's not a huge deal because we only oil our island, so hopefully it will come right off but if it doesn't I can give it a light sanding and re-oil pretty quickly.

I had a ball looking at all the hardware, too. But, I'm getting some arthritis in my hands and wanted everything I chose to, not only look great with my news cabs and coordinate well with each other, but feel good to use (no sharp edges, etc). I love Igloochic's cool hardware, but most would hurt my hands, I think. I ended up going with bin pulls, two different sets of knobs and one other set of pulls for my kitchen, all in the antique pewter finish. I had the hardest time choosing the right refrigerator door pulls, as most were too thin or uncomfortable when I pulled on them. But, in the end, I found the "perfect" ones and they look great together and feel good to use, too.

Thanks! I agree with you - it still looks great after several years. It's not as trendy and that probably helps. Here are a few of my inspirational photos: Sunset 2010 Dream Remodel. Click on the link below to see more of this kitchen and the house. Studio Stratton Square Deal Remodel Kitchen Lab JS Design Build Attic Magic (or maybe that should be Attic Mag and I goofed on the tag?) I forgot to label the source for this hutch and it's too long ago for me to remember. If anyone knows, please let me know so that I can give them credit. You can google the first 5 kitchens to see more of the contractors' or designers' work Here is a link that might be useful: Sunset Dream Remodel 2010

Live Wire Oak - While I respect your opinion and think you give great advice on this forum, I have to disagree with you about not being able to get a quality finish here in California. It's true that we have stricter standards but what is also true is that we have and can use conversion varnish. I actually got a call about this a few days ago as I was pulling out of the parking lot of one of my suppliers here in LA who has conversion varnish on their shelves stacked up to the ceiling. The facts are (and this comes from a chemist at Valspar, one of the world's largest coatings manufacturers): Conversion varnish in Califiornia has been reformulated for our stricter regulations. It's 275 VOC. In some counties you can still use the old 550 VOC. They use some different solvents and there's a bit less solids in their formulation. It's still conversion varnish and has all the same properties. If you've ever sprayed CV, you know you have to thin it to spray it anyway, and with any conversion varnish, you can't exceed a certain mil thickness or you will get cracking. All this ultimately means to me is I get less paint for my money, but it's the same durable finish. Christopher Peacock, which is considered by many to be one of the best cabinet lines, does not top coat with conversion varnish. The paint he uses runs about $150 a gallon, (I'm using some right now), as opposed to about $25 for regular paint. It's all about the prep, the type of brush and the skill in the application. There's almost no visible brush strokes. As far as which companies have the better finish, unfortunately, it's usually the more expensive ones. A better finish is more labor intensive and there's more artistry involved, so the price is higher. I also agree you can't always get a great finish from a small custom shop. There's three major elements involved in the making of fine cabinetry: the design, the construction, and the finish. Each are distinct and complex skills and it's hard to find someone who can do all three well, but they are out there.I spend a great amount of time deconstructing the higher end lines and what makes them what they are. It takes a lot of knowledge and experimentation to get it right. The national brands use designers to put together their lines for mass appeal and they use industry techs to formulate their finishing schedules for a consistent product and look at that level. John