I would make sure I get pricing directly from the retailer. As a retailer myself, I was involved in a situation recently where the contractor was purchasing the cabinets but didn't want me discussing pricing with the customer as he wanted to add something to the kitchen for himself. It put me in the most awkward position because when the customer wanted pricing, I had to go through him. Finally, I told the contractor that I couldn't work that way. In this particular situation, although I reduced my profit by 25%, the amount he added to the kitchen was much more than I would have charged if the customer had come to me directly. I have another contractor who constantly brings me business and expects nothing from me. I would ask your contractor if he is passing those discounts directly on to you. The economic downturn has caused retailers to lower their prices. I'm earning about 1/3 less (profit) than a few years ago. That factor makes it unlikely that your contractor is getting discounts. If he is,- and I do charge certain contractors less - again, ask if he is passing that savings on to you. What you don't want is the contractor charging you more than you would have paid on your own! Makes me crazy!

I am a LIer. I ended up going out of state to get my cabinets because I found LI so overpriced. Nonetheless, I shopped extensively on LI and found that no one will give you a price break down and it can takes weeks of communication before you can get any idea of price. Kitchendesign.com is the web site of Ken Kelly kitchens, as mentioned by hellonasty above. I believe their design fees are credited towards your cabinetry purchase and the $5000 fee only applies if you end up not using them and want a copy of the design. I did not use them due to budget, but I was impressed with the advice they gave me during my free consultation. I was impressed that they were willing to share layout ideas and essential decisions points without a retainer. I also liked that they gave me a price range for my cabinets on the spot whereas every other shop on LI took weeks to give any idea of price. KK was one of the first shops I went to and I thought their price was very high as I had initial sticker shock. Having priced cabinets at at least 10 other LI retails, I can now say they are in line with other places. LI cabinet retailers want you to come to their store and fall in love with a particular door style and they will generally talk to you about what you want, storage needs, etc. Most are willing to visit your home after you visit the showroom and you seem willing to move forward. I found that most LI shops will take several weeks to give you any idea of price and it is near impossible to comparison shop. Packard Cabinetry in Sea Cliff seemed strong on design and had some unique ideas for my space. Artistic Kitchens on 347 in Smithtown area (next to Carrabas) also had good design sense. Lakeville Industries in Lindenhurst area has a great showroom and they sit with you and do a design mock up (they seemed to work mostly with Medallion cabinets and I never got the price for the Plain and Fancy cabinets I actually was interested in). North Shore Cabinetry was also strong on design, and I know 2 people who used them and have great kitchens. Their price was highest of all I priced. If I had to do it again, I would try to find an independent designer and then shop the same design to different shops to get cabinetry prices. Good Luck, I think LI is an especially tough market.

Thanks all again! Fortunately... in the heart of Long Island suburbia and a hop away from NYC where I work, I was able to touch and feel literally every appliance possible. Just no gas/water. I double checked the Eletrolux double ovens (old vs new).... To be honest, I couldn't really tell much of a difference in regards to better made or not. Did look different, but nothing I could point to specifically. The rails did seem to be less smooth on the newer ones, but maybe it was due to the install. In some ways, I thought the Kitchen Aid and Bosch seemed more sturdy on the inside. Maybe it's just me. Wife thought the Electrolux was hands down the best (looking). It was still cheaper to buy the Electrolux with a 5yr extended warranty... so I am hedging my bet on this one. I switched to the Bosch 500 DLX dishwasher. Just felt that it was a better product. Haggled the price down a little more to justify the switch. Switched to the Faber Tender chimney hood for a little more. Wife thought it looked better. As for Berta... I checked the Bluestar, Capital, Viking, Miele, Dacor, Thermador, FiveStar, American, DCS ( just to see what I was missing on the high end)... The ones I just mentioned are basically in their own price point (and to some extend better). Berta being 25%-50% less expensive... is in the price point of a Kenmore Pro range top and cheaper than a Kitchen Aid. So the Berta was technically an upgrade for me. Those smaller Bertas are popular NYC apartments fixtures that can't afford pumping out a Viking. I've pretty much made my purchase today. (Sink will have to be purchased elsewhere.) I was told I have the option of switching some of my appliances before delivery. I was able to get pricing barely down below AJMadison... and secured cheaper white glove shipping. All for the sake of keeping below the $10k budget. Thanks all for your help! Will definitely provide an update on the status of the appliances. This post was edited by nyli2014 on Sun, Dec 28, 14 at 1:53

Update: The pyrolave is a match. We will meet with the carpenter in 2 weeks. We are planning to repaint the cabinets. They are 20 years old now so as much as it pains me to paint over something that is working I think it will make everything more cohesive and it's probably "time" to paint the cabinets. We are considering BM Edgecomb Gray which seems to work with the countertops. The actual limited painted kitchen walls are currently BM Navajo White. I think that will still work. I may have to repaint trim and the ceiling. From what I have found on line it sounds like BM Dove White is a good choice. It's all northern exposure. I am leaning toward a stained island but using pyrolave for all the countertops. I am also considering a painted island. I think the stain may warm up all that stone. Question now: We cannot match exactly the marble tile and we are putting in one little section of open shelves in place of the hutch (over the new counter). Should we just have a painted wall behind the shelves or try to get some sort of matching tile to the kitchen tile across the room? Or should we use the countertop pyrolave as a small back splash? Do we paint the coffered ceiling beams to match the cabinets?