I think you have categories for which no hosta fits...ie white margin blue center...if there's one like that let me know.. And where do streakers fit? Perhaps what is so appealing about hosta is the fact that the same plant can vary so. I was watering this afternoon and noticed a piece of Francee that I took from a plant in about 1/2 day sun and planted in the shade....the leaves are about twice the size, the whole plant is larger and if I hadn't carved off a couple of eyes 2 years ago myself, I wouldn't believe it's the same plant. In your classifacations you also ignored plant shape...like praying hands and halcyon are both bluish hosta....but very very different in shape. Linda C

I like the budget idea, as well as location. I'd definitely separate a "facelift' from a remodel. So, for under $10,000 facelifts and remodels really should be separate, because in THEORY one can do a full remodel for that. I also think a DIY section would be really helpful - for people who did at least 75% of the work themselves (as I am planning to do). Perhaps countertop install, electric and plumbing can be common exceptions. As far as breakdowns, this actually seems to be a common problem - I've seen a few people tell me that they really cannot say the cost of the kitchen because one contractor did the entire house remodel, including kitchen, for one fixed cost. Location: VERY useful! For example I live on Long Island, NY - here and in NYC a "budget" remodel apparently costs $40,000! "Average" is $75,000 plus (and MANY of those look like crap). I'm planning DIY, and PRAYING I don't go over $10,000. This, unfortunately, will exclude plumbing and electric (new space - must be hired out), and my vintage Chambers Stove. I'm also not including the new flooring because the new floors were installed by us and the $3,000 in wood covers both the kitchen/ family room and master bedroom. Also, we need new windows in the kitchen, and there is no way those will fit into the $10,000 limit. Basically, my KITCHEN budget will cover cabinets, counters and appliances. I am planning to take my cabinet specs to a few local cabinet places to get actual quotes (even HD is WAY over $20,000), then I am 99% likely to go out of state for whatever I don't build myself. NY is just WAY more expensive for EVERYTHING compared to other parts of the country. I'm doing this just to prove to my mother (who guessed that CUSTOM solid wood cabs would cost $5,000) that I AM doing this whole kitchen for CHEAP! I think good categories are: Under $10,000 Facelift Under $10,000 Remodel $10,000 - $20,000 $20,000 - $30,000 $30,000 - $50,000 $50,000 - $100,000 Over $100,000 I think most people will fall into the $20,000-$30,000 and $30,000-$50,000 categories, but having them separate is very important for people on a real budget, because lots of people just CANNOT afford more than $30,000 even if $40,000 is a common budget. I'm sure I'll end up in the $10,000-$20,000 category, and if I include the cost of my stove I'll end up in the $20,000-$30,000 range. Now I am very upset :_( Reality Bites!

Thank you all for the comments and suggestions. It's going to take me awhile to go through them all! There are a few major points that I completely overlooked and will add new sections to the checklist. (Some I have already added): - Island Size - how did I miss this? - Countertop Finish - Tile Countertop mfg - Opinions - great idea mtnfever! - Pantry - Family and Function - another great idea. Thx warmfridge! Still thinking of the best way to incorporate a kitchen "refresh" and electrical cover plates. And some questions: - learningguru - can you explain what you mean by "an area for special features"? Would that be something in addition to the "Special Features Other Information"? - liriodendron - "If electrons could be worn out then there'd be a huge scrap pile of FKB particles in windrows under my computer desk...." LOL! Are you a physicist? And some answers: - nancy_in_mich - Yes, the search box will be able to find text in the write-in boxes and the OTHER boxes. - clafouti - Unfortunately the search function won't let you select 2 entries in the same section. But you can select a single entry then use the Search Box to search for the other. (Does that makes sense?) - warmfridge - The Basic entry form contains the budget question. It's broken down into only 4 categories. Super Low (- DreamweaverMAM - I was hoping that members would use the Cabinet Manfacturer Details section to include details about their custom cabinetry shop. It could be the name of the shop, location, etc. How else could I reword the text that explains the section? And, as jakabedy pointed out, almost each section has an OTHER checkbox where more details can be listed in the OTHER INFORMATION section. So additional choices can be added. And if I've missed a popular choice then I can officially add it as a new choice in the section.

You can try here, but I don't know the success rate for starting new forums... Here is a link that might be useful: suggestions