If you have a lot of cabs, you might want to consider two finishes. I have ivory glazed on the interior and a dark stain on the perimeter cabs~I find it breaks things up a bit. I thought having all 'anything' would be too much of a good thing. Dishes in drawers.....BIG drawers?

My cabs were made by a local cabinet company the builder uses.

1. How much design do you want? That sounds like the kind of price one pays to an interior designer who will give you a whole look. It's possible that people in your area have been using the designs they get from the better designers and going DIY without paying them for their work, leading them to charge a good portion of the design fee up front.

You should be able to get an "interview" with a designer before plunking down the cash. It's best to go into that kind of interview with an idea of what you want to do in mind so you have a starting place. Be open to what the designer says, of course, but have a floorplan with dimensions (and make sure that the designer does his/her own measurements before drawing out the design or fire him/her on the spot!) Also do some preliminary shopping and have an idea of what appliances you want, and more or less where you want them, what kind of look you want and that kind of thing.

If you want some design help here post your layout and the folks will talk you through it. And we'll check up on your designer too, if you want, because sometimes designers do things that are good looking but don't function the best way.

2. Most of us who want an automatic faucet get a Tapmaster, which uses a foot controller and an air pressure operated valve, and some have a touch on faucet like the Delta Pilar. I'm not aware of any sensor faucets for kitchen work. I'd worry that I'd accidentally turn it on while peeling carrots. I got the Tapmaster (with two controllers for both sides of the island corner) for my prep sink. I think I'll be adjusting the mixer on the clean-up sink too much to want it, but they're not hard to retrofit.

3. I tend to like the old world styling. There's your answer. It's a styling issue. Some crown is needed to adjust the difference in the level of the ceiling and level of stock cabinets (i.e., ones that are made to measure rather than made to your wall). If you really think that a few more inches of storage near your ceiling will be useful to you, go narrow. (I did, with 9' ceilings, to make my upper level cabinets a useful height for what I want to store up there, but most people don't use the top few inches of the top shelf of single door cabinets.)

4. Some people think 3' is adequate. I don't like working that tight--it feels closed in to me, and when multiple people are cooking, it would lead to a lot of dancing. 3' is generally fine for a "pinch point". That is, where something, like a fridge handle, sticks out and makes the aisle narrower. 39' is fine for some people. I prefer 42"-48". Anything much above 51" seems wide. 60" (5') is the absolute max before things start being just too far apart. (It doesn't have to be a multiple of three inches, it just seems to work out that way.)

5. Do a search on "trailrunner" for some tips on how to use your convection oven and try the cooking forum as well. Don't be scared of it! I'm a little unsure if you're talking about a range (stove/oven combo) or a cooktop and ovens combo, though I think it's the latter. A lot of us have a 48" range. Only a few have a 48" rangetop. (Cooktops only come up to 36" unless you use modules. Rangetops are literally that--the top part of a gas range with the knobs on the front.)

Unless you're cooking for masses or want built in griddle and grill you probably don't need 48" of stovetop. When surveyed, people report rarely using more than 3 burners at once. (One of our members with a 48" rangetop has all burners but a very large family.) A 48" range, especially one with a large and a small oven, would be very functional, but since you have a small kitchen, if you're going with separate pieces, do consider a 36" cooktop/rangetop. A lot of people do like built in griddles, less are thrilled with built in grills, and most are happy with burner top griddles and grills. Check the appliance forum for more information about various options.

6. I don't know the answers to this. I think there are issues with both plank and engineered (mostly with plumbing leaks), but I don't know if one is better than the other for kitchens.

7. Paint grade plywood will have less of a laminate look than the smoothness of MDF. Additionally, hand brushed paint will have brush marks and slight irregularities that factory sprayed doesn't have. The factory applied paint is supposed to be stronger, however, though the quality varies.

8. People love putting dishes in drawers. It's a bit low for me. I prefer first upper shelf. Lots of people here put all their dishes and glasses in drawers.

Alot of us haven't paid anything for a KD. We posted our designs here and these fabulous people have done the redesign. Especially in your case, when you aren't doing anything structural. They are FABULOUS about helping you get stuff set up so that you have a functional space. If you read the "Read Me" thread, it in inself is worth over a thousand bucks of advice, in my opinion. You have come into contact with some of the most giving and fun people around! Whenever I want to laugh I just do a search with "Boxerpups" and I find one of her posts that just crack me up!

1. First go to a place like Lowes/HD to get a baseline. Then look at cabinet shops locally and ask to see their portfolio. Explain the type of kitchen/style you want. Certain shops carry certain cabinet lines that cater to one style more then another. Look through the Finished Kitchen Blog (I'll link below) to see what appeals to you.
2.don't know
3.Old world styling is typically larger more traditional layered moulding in which case I'd suggest 39"
4. Depends on your layout. One or two cook kitchen. Will your DW be across from a range/frig/or anything that will need to be simultaneously accessed. 3' is considered a minimum standard and 48 max standard between island and perimeter.
5. For me, 20" on either side of a range would be way too small. I like alot of prep space.
6.There are lots of suppliers, let us know what part of the country you are in. Engineered is great for a more humid climate. The layers are laid horizontally and vertically so the plank does not expand and contract like solid wood. The benefit of regular wood is you can refinish as much as you want.
7. Depends on your budget
8. I'm doing all drawers and hardly any uppers but will have a more contemporary space. If you're doing traditional(ish) hutches often work out beautifully and give a more unfitted look.

Please post a layout so we can help you. It'll be so much easier to answer your question specific to you and your space with a layout and some info about how many in your family, how you cook, and the general layout of the rest of the home.
Our Finished Kitchens Blog (FKB) is linked below. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: FKB

(One of our members with a 48" rangetop has all burners but a very large family.)

And I still often wonder why I thought I needed 8 burners! :-) It's good for 2 people working side-by-side, but I think we might've done OK that with a 36", too. I rarely move the griddle/grill pan I keep over 2 of the burners. I think we're hosting Thanksgiving this year, so I'll probably be happy to have them then.

As far as a lot of burners or two ovens...Maybe you only need them 3 times a year, but if you do need them, you can't really add them in a pinch. Get what you need to cover your desired activities, even if not everyday...If you have the room and the budget, of course.

Will you have an island? If you have a workspace across the aisle from the stove, I think you can get away with less counter to either side. But if your prep space is beside your stove, leave yourself some elbow room.