Thanks all. We did tell him about doors not closing properly...and some of them actually make a long moaning sound as they close (soft close doors.)In fact, one morning as my husband opened one of the doors, it came off in his hand. HA! In April cabinet maker said no big deal "out of square"and said another one was "racked" or needing to be "racked" whatever that means. My husband knows the buzz words, not me. We have tried to be patient but should have asked for a timeline commitment. As far as checking out the paint manufacturer, the company reps came to our house, assessed the situation, took samples, and determined the catalyst as problem. We are in a holding pattern with the cabinet maker. It has now been another month since he took 4 doors to shop to buff, and clear coat. Everyone who has seen our cabinets say they actually look like a protective finish coat was never applied as they are very flat. The house is very level...no complaints. Our builder did a beautiful job. We have documented all communication...and continue to wait.

Marcolo, this isn't necessarily for you, but for someone who might be considering linoleum type counters in the future. When we were first married, we lived in an old farmhouse that had red lino floors, and red lino counters, perfect U shape postwar remodel, sigh. (It looked like they used the cutout of the floor to do the counters!) I don't know if the problems came with the age of the lino, or what, but every time I tried to lift something warm up off the counter, it would stick fast. So, things like a bowl of soup or a bowl of oatmeal would stick. When I'd finally pry the bowl up, a small chunk of linoleum would be stuck to the bottom of the bowl. Yuck! We were very happy when we could replace those counters with some laminate. I hope you find that durable finish you are after. Have to wonder if hard wood countertops might be a good option. I think they'd still give you somegrounding with the colors you are considering. This kitchen is especially bright, is it grounded enough?

Hi - sorry for the delayed response, we went away for the weekend. Hated to leave my new kitchen, but the kids deserved some sort of a summer after dealing with the remodel. My "Yawn" title is tounge in cheek, I figured you are all tired of all the cream cabinet/soapstone kitchens - but of course each one *is* unique, and I love seeing each and every one of them. Sundownr - I don't know if I had a comment on that light fixture or not, but my brother & his then girlfriend gave that to me as a wedding present. It came from a foo-foo artisan place in Cambridge, MA. It was high style for the times (88) :-) Rubyfig, the towel bar is a find from the bath department of Marshalls (but I saw the same ones at TJ Max and home goods). It's 18", and I think I paid $10 :-) Which is WAY less than the $140 for the Fusion Sonoma one that matches my soap dispenser. Here are some pictures for you: From Lynne's Kitchen Renovation From Lynne's Kitchen Renovation From Lynne's Kitchen Renovation Hi Kristin - yes, I love the hardwood except for the big scratch that they left in it :-( And, I am really sorry to say, I've got a buckle in front of the fridge! That's another post. I can't wait to see pictures of your kitchen with the backsplash - I decided to forego one in my kitchen, partly a budget decision, partly due to the size, etc., I am trying to keep it simple. Brutuses - actually, that's the Electrolux French door, but same difference about the ice, I'm sure. I don't have to worry about a dog (until my brother brings his to visit), but I'll keep that in mind! Penny, the cabinets *are* cream - and the biscotti is definitely on the yellow side of the creams, but the KD brought the biscotti and the other one (linen?) to my house, and I realized that it was almost an exact match for the paint I had done in our adjacent office and paneling. I love it, but I'm glad it's so easy to clean, because you do see every drip (although, maybe not every fingerprint, because I noticed them on the close up pictures of the hardware, but not before then :-) Thanks to all for the compliments - I do love it, and I think it will really improve our quality of life. It's easier to work in, excellent to entertain, and is easier to clean up. It will take a little getting used to it, but I'm finding it's coming a lot quicker than I thought it would, which is a good sign, right? Please feel free to ask any questions - I'm happy to help in anyway, I got so much help from this forum, I want to give back. Lynne

No, the door isn't 7 1/4" deep! The "case depth" (without doors) is 24", the depth with the doors is 28" and 31" is the depth with the deepest part of the handles included. My cabinets are the same depth as the case, so that just the doors stick out. The fact that the handles apparently stick out 3 more inches really isn't noticeable.