Larinita2 - I am concerned on your behalf that you say your layout is mostly scribbled bits of paper, while the cabinet guy needs decisions and specs this week. Before you set your order with your cabinet maker, you really should have a specific layout with every detail, that you can review, and give the OK or change. I have been on this forum a long time, and I can't tell you how many posts I've read where the poster is miserable with his/her new kitchen cause the layout wasn't what s/he planned, or there were surprises, or the cabinet maker thought one thing which was completely different than what s/he thought, or the doors were a different style, etc. etc. Lots of money spent, and perhaps the person has to re-do it, or live unhappily with it, all because plans were vague and not specific. Above all else, before you give the go-ahead to your cabinet maker, you should have a layout with specified dimensions. There are some threads on the Kitchens Forum that discuss free downloads of software for kitchen layouts; you should do a search for that. The software will also give you a way to see your kitchen in a "3-D" version that will really help you visualize it.

I liked the software on ikea.ca. You don't have to use their cabinets, but it's GREAT to use software that lets you switch between layout and 3D view - that's where you can evaluate sightlines, which IMO are so important. You can also email the planner to yourself and then share the link with others in case they want to alter the layout.

For learning SketchUp there's a pretty decent series of books called "Google SketchUp for Interior Design and Space Planning" or some such. I bought them last winter when I was first learning it. The books ended up being a bit too basic for me, since I learn computer stuff quickly -- it's what I do for a living. By the time the books arrived I'd already learned most of what was in them. But for someone who's just starting out I think they'd be good. The series has 3 books. They're all pretty thin and fairly inexpensive. I bought them on Amazon. I agree that graph paper is a good place to start, though. Or go buy a cheap architects' ruler at Office Depot. I think I got one for $5 or so. Laura still annoyed that Google got rid of SketchUp

Thanks everyone for their responses. Looking at Amazon, it would appear there are two different (and very similarly named) products: One is Chief Architect **Architectural** Home Designer and one is simply Chief Architect Home Design (no "architectural"). Within the non-architectural product there is a "Suite" which is $70.36 as od3c mentions above, an "Essentials" and a plain version (w no modifier but is a couple bucks less than the "Essentials". ) The Architectural version is the one to which athomesewing refers. I am getting the impression that of the less expensive options, the "non-suite" version would be fine. So is the Architectural product mostly aimed at people who are going to be making plans that the contractor is actually going to build off of ? Sorry for a the questions . . . Ross