Tina, I think your plan looks great. I've had both things that you seem a little worried about, and really liked them both -- I've had nothing but laminate counters my whole life until my current kitchen, and I was always really happy with them. In my old kitchen, my fridge was just around the corner from the main kitchen and that functioned great for me (as long as you have a good landing spot). I wouldn't be worried about either of those things.

The only thing I question about your plan is the 9" base cabinet next to the stove...you mention Crown Point cabinets (which I now have and LOVE), and I don't know if that means you are planning to get inset doors. If so, the door opening would only be about 6" which is really narrow. If you aren't doing inset doors, then may not be a problem...although if you are using face-framed cabinets, you might run into the same thing?

Is your house a bungalow??

You don't have to apologize for choosing laminate! It is a great and functional product, and has lovely options for looks, also. We have a very custom kitchen, and although we opted to try a little stainless counter and built our wood island top, most of the kitchen counters are laminate. We also have a very custom house with custom builtins, and have laminate in the bathrooms, the laundry, the sewing room, and my builtin desk. I had more important things to spend money on than stone counters I didn't really care to have. Enjoy! Your plans sound reasonable and lovely.

I was thinking the same thing about the 9" base to the left of the stove. How about an 18" drawer base to the right and a 15" base to the left.

Are you reusing your current fridge? because if you got a 36" counter depth (27" deep), you could put that where the 21" pantry is and have a 21" cabinet instead of a 36" cabinet. I am fine with it in the other room if that works for you.

As for the laminate...I love it. I saw Janie Ks kitchen too and will now be using that laminate in a new kitchen I am designing. The HO sold a house that she can no longer afford that had a 100K kitchen with soapstone. We are renovating a small house, and when I got a sample of the soapstone laminate she was thrilled.

There is something really beautiful about your existing kitchen, and it sounds like you are thinking the right way about recreating the look with a layout that is more functional for you.

As for lighting, the kitchen is small and rectangular enough that I would try planning a grid of ceiling fixtures rather than lighting specific areas and creating an irregular layout on the ceiling.

I agree! When did laminate become a 4 letter word? Like any other counter material, it probably has pros and cons. Also like any other material, it can look great!

I also think you are being smart by investing in good quality cabinets. Those are definitely a big ticket item that should be with you for a long long time. I think your plan is solid.

Thank you all for the encouragement!

arlosmom: If I do CP it will be frameless and I might even go for frameless in the Brookhaven if I go that way. But, on the advice of palimpsest I think I should increase the size of the cab to left of range to 12".

palimpsest: Thanks for your great observations and suggestions. Yes, the fridge is being reused and I really like it where it is. Want the pantry cabinet in the kitchen for storage too. What a great idea about a period lighting grid of fixtures! I think I could do a grid of 4 small fixtures with nothing in the center. I will have to sacrifice the current one which is fairly new but perhaps ebay...

You have all made me feel better about the laminate and my plan in general. If I can possible do CP cabinets (which I am not certain I can yet) then that will be it for the budget and I will have to keep everything else at bay!

I am wondering now if I can convince my contractor to find low formaldehyde particle board for the laminate counter top. I am going to trouble for that for the cabinets and the next problem is to find that for the countertop.

palimpsest: Just read your post again and yes, I can't describe it, but I love my existing kitchen too! However, it really has to go for numerous reasons. That being said I want to keep the spirit as close as possible and to make sure the replacement is up to the same build quality of the existing cabs.

I don't know how to-the-inch your plan is.

If you use frameless, the corner by the range and the upper left corner will need starter molding (filler) of at least the depth of the door moldings - this is so you can open your drawers and doors without rolling into the door molding. Whether you need fillers using framed cabinets would depend on the width of the frame.

Using any type of cabinet, you should allow for an additional 3/4" to 1.5" filler on the sink run of cabinets. Most walls aren't straight, level, plumb or square. When both sides of a cabinet run are bookended by wall, a small filler is pretty much required. I believe it would be enough to plan on using a single 1.5" filler - one for a starter molding and just cut it down as needed.

Other than that, consider maybe a 27" pantry and a 30" drawer base cabinet?

bmorepanic - thank you for the advice. Yes the filler might be ugly with frameless in those places but it will have to be done. THank you for pointing that out. If framed then I hope extended stiles rather than filler and same goes for sink run.

Hmm, yes I should think about a wider pantry. I was stuck on the 36" drawer base because until the eleventh hour I was determined to keep my tall pantry cabinet.....but now I have caved which means as you point out I have more freedom in the design. The pantry would be great for storage.

I can't move forward with detailed measurements and cabinet designs until I choose the cabinet line itself. Then I will have to get serious.

Thank you all for the great input.

Tina