We just had an IKEA kitchen installed, so here's my assessment so far. Planning. The IKEA planning software is pretty easy to use, even without any prior experience with CAD/3D programs and despite some idiosyncrasies/bugs in it. Its 3D perspective is great for visualizing how your cabinets will look in your space, and it's really handy to have the entire IKEA cabinet inventory in the database to plug and play with different options. It also dynamically updates your cabinet order and recalculates the total cost depending on your selections--another nice feature. Ordering and payment. The IKEA kitchen sales people, as other have said, are mainly sales people. They seem to have some specialized knowledge of the kitchen products, but don't expect them to provide design assistance. You need to know exactly what you want. Make your list and check it twice! Our person at IKEA Emeryville was mostly competent, but there were were minor two goofs with our order: (1) He ordered two hinge dampers per door, when one is generally sufficient for all but the heaviest doors; and (2) he ordered two giant island cover panels instead of a bunch of smaller ones, which our installer/contractor later said wouldn't work. After placing our order, we walked over to the long line at the cash registers. When it was finally our turn, we gave our list to the cashier, who incorrectly told us to bring our order to the pickup area and pay there. When we went over to pickup, they said we had to pay at the cashier. Thankfully, when we complained that we were directed to go to pickup, they took note of the cashier who misdirected us and processed our payment without sending us back into the queue. Delivery. We had our order of 20 cabinets delivered by IKEA. It cost a bit more, but considering it was well over a ton and that we live on the third floor of a walk-up, it was a bargain. The delivery people were competent, considerate, and careful. They delivered in a middle of a heatwave and didn't charge us extra for the stairs, so we tipped them generously. There were over a hundred pieces, so I spent the better part of an afternoon verifying that the correct pieces were all accounted for. This was made harder by the fact that the same parts may appear more than once on your order sheet, rather than being grouped together. Resolving Order Issues. Four of the doors that were delivered were of the wrong style, so I ended up calling the customer service number to notify them of the error. (You have only a couple days to do this or else.) The call center is in Philadelphia, and our customer service rep handled the call well and seemed competent. The problem arose, however, when our case was handed over to the Emeryville, CA store where we made our purchases. The Emeryville IKEA was somehow responsible for calling us to confirm our new order in a couple of days, which they never did. When I called to inquire about my order status, they said that two doors were on their way to us via UPS. I told them there ought to be four doors, but they insisted that I had only ordered two, and that I had no further recourse. When I asked, if this meant that even though I paid for the four doors, and called the problem in using their protocols, that I wouldn't get what I paid for, she said yes. This is when my wife stepped in. She spoke to additional representatives and the customer service manager in Emeryville, all in vain. At one point, one of the reps had the audacity to claim that she herself had called me in the days after I placed the new order, and that I had confirmed the order of two doors. My wife said she had the call records to prove that was a lie. Finally, the rep gave in and said she'd order the two extra doors, but that if we had any other problems, that they would not help us any more! We were appalled that they would treat us like common criminals, having spent more than $5,000 in their store! We since learned that IKEA Emeryville is notorious for terrible customer service, and that Bay Area customers are advised to go to IKEA East Palo Alto for better service. Installation. We are not DIYers, so we ended up using an IKEA-recommended installer/general contractor. His bid came in only a tiny bit higher than our usual contractor, so we went with the IKEA guy, since he had much more experience with the cabinet system. He was really easy to work with, fast, and efficient. His experience modifying the cabinets for custom installations was also a bonus. His experience was most evident in assembly; one guy fully assembled all 20 cabinets in just a matter of hours! He said they do quite a bit of work installing cabinets from other manufacturers (they only get 33% of their business from IKEA), and IKEA is their favorite because it has the fewest manufacturing defects. Reflections. On the whole, our IKEA experience was positive. For the price, you get a nice looking, pretty decently constructed cabinet with really nice hardware and features (e.g., Blum hinges and glides). The styles and sizes may be limited, but we were able to find something we liked. We are really happy with the cabinet ergonomics, and most folks so far are surprised when they find out we used IKEA. I can't speak for the longevity, but there is some peace of mind from knowing there's a 25-year warranty behind the product. Our contractor, who does warranty work for IKEA, said he could vouch for IKEA, that they stand by their warranty. He said he once even did a warranty replacement of all the doors and cover panels in a kitchen for a customer who had a problem with a single, older door no longer being manufactured! Despite our bad customer service experience with the folks in Emeryville, we are still happy with the value we got for our money.

Eek! This got way off track from my original question. I've been referencing this forum for years (probably my most Googled term is "gardenweb" followed by a question or concept) and I've had 20+ working versions of this kitchen over the years of planning it, and so what I'm locked in on is based on a LOT of thought. Also our architects, who I trust, worked with us to come up with the overall flow of the house, and I am thrilled with it. I understand work zones, seating overhangs, etc. Not saying I know everything (obviously) but just feeling a little talked down to here. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Got some good avenues to pursue. And I've got a temporary mouse worked out so I'm not constantly selecting and deleting so I can make some progress in Sketchup. Edited to add a condensed version of my original questions. I tried searching the forum for answers but didn't find answers that addressed all of the factors I was considering so I made this post. Thanks to all of you who addressed these! 1. Everyone agrees that having a sink centered on windows and a range hood centered between windows is good. But if I have both on one wall, what is the priority? 2. Given that I have an 8' long butcher block island behind me that I could prep on, is the fact that I only have 30-36 inches of space between sink and cooktop an issue? 3. I'm basing a lot of my design on giving the dishwasher as much space as possible. Do you think this is that important or do those of you with only 36" between dishwasher and wall/island whatever feel that it's adequate (i.e. not too much ankle biting)

From the cafeteria: Apple pie and their cheese cake. The cheese cake is amazing, made with Yoghurt, not a brick of cream cheese. Frozen food section: Rhubarb/raspberry crumble. Personally, I also like their herring in a jar. From furnishings: Definitely look at their curtains; and if you're in the market for new blinds/curtain rods, those, too. Also, duvet covers. I can't have enough. I also like their Helmsdal chairs with a variety of covers to switch out. Bath mats Grundtal shelves Re rugs: I like their Stockholm black/white; also very inexpensive, their small rag rugs And their rug FELT pad. Door mats? Re lambskin: Costco has the large ones for 99.00 (so that's a much better deal).

Well laid sheets of tile will NEVER have the look of "sheets of tile". The installer is the weakest link in the chain. If this is an insurance claim, then you may have to work with the insurance company's "preferred installers". And that normally means "low-end" quality. The preferred GC's have the lowest bids in the industry (many reputable companies will NOT work with insurance companies because they want the cheapest of the cheap). And real tile setters are expensive. Which means most of these companies will simply use "a guy" to lay the tiles. I would say you are looking at "a guy" type of install. In the world of tile this is not considered acceptable. It would be a redo. My guess is this is the best possible install this guy could manage. Getting him to do it again will probably result in the same issues...which is why you want to ensure the GC is using a tiling professional and not some guy with a trowel. I'm going to guess the GC will be quite indignant should you ask about the qualifications of his crew. Did you know that most insurance companies will offer a "pay out"? This would allow you to find your own company to do the work? I would push hard for a redo. In the building industry the original installer is allowed ONE attempt to correct an issue. Once that one attempt is made (and failed) then you can bring in another professional to do the work...at the original installer's expense. I would check your local/state laws on that one...but you are within your rights to move on should the 'fix' work out to be worse than the original install. Just a little FYI. Do you have any photos of the build BEFORE the finishes were installed? If there is an issue with the quality of the finishes, there are often issues with the quality of the water proofing, etc UNDERNEATH the finishes.