Well, we went back to look again at the stains of the KM, and I didn't care for the Kaffe on the Oak, it looked really red with almost a black color sunk into the graining pattern. You can kind of see it in the pic that I posted, but in person it was really apparent. Not that it was bad, just not a look that I was going for. So we are instead considering the Kaffe stain on Cherry wood, door style is just slightly different too. Trying to hit on the "transitional" theme moreso than contemporary. The current freebies are a free sink base, free hardware, $2500 for quotes over $15000. Then a couple of other things like a tiered wooden cutlery tray, pull out drawers in the pantry to the left of the fridge. There may have been a couple of other things too. Total with install is going to be right around 15K. I really wanted to deal with the local custom guy, as TorontoTim mentioned, they aren't a place that has a huge flashy showroom. It is a family company in business for many years, really liked the cabinet maker we talked to. We walked through their warehouse. But I'll be honest, working on that has been kind of frustrating. We are going "through" somebody so not communicating with the cabinet maker directly except for the one meeting, then all follow ups have been through this other guy. I don't know that he understands what I want, and frankly I am tired of arguing with him. I had given him the full mock-ups provided by a semi-custom line (similar to those I posted above). So he should know what I am looking for, it was right there on paper. But this this weekend I had to explain to him the difference between full and partial overlay and then have him tell me he doesn't think that this is the "standard" with that cabinet company (even though I had emailed him and asked him about it before a week or two ago), and it isn't that big of a deal anyway (who are you to tell me what is and isn't a big deal). Without "real" drawings, how do I know that their aren't a million other things that he doesn't think are that big of a deal. It is the vagueness that is really worrying me. It is kind of unnerving.

We got a Kraus 60/40 sink and I really like it. One thing I will tell you is to inspect your sink when you get it. Our counter/sink install got delayed for a couple of months. When DH went to put the sink in, one of the welds on the bracing between the bowls was not secure, causing a slight problem upon install. We found an easy fix, and got it installed just fine after that. I guess my point is to inspect it right after you get it so if there are any problems it can be rectified before you are sitting there with the countertops ready to be installed and the sink has to be returned.

We need more information from you. We have a "Layout Help" FAQ that will be helpful. I'll summarize the main points here and link to the FAQ for further reading. We also have a set of Kitchen Design Best Practices/Guidelines that will help you understand the comments/questions you will be getting. We need a fully-measured layout of the spaces under consideration (in your case, Kitchen & Dining Room) and a sketch of the entire floor the Kitchen is on. Layout...While you did include the KD's 2D view, what's missing is the information telling us where the doors lead. Sketch...The sketch of the entire floor lets us see how the Kitchen relates to the rest of the home. It doesn't have to be to-scale, but it should accurately show how the rooms all relate to each other and should include all interior & exterior doors (or how to get to them if they're on a separate floor). In addition, it will help us see how traffic flows in, around, and through the Kitchen. Include the front entry and family entry, if different. The family entry is usually a garage or side entry, but it might not be. It's helpful to know which door you use to bring in groceries. Other questions... Tell us about you and your family and how you plan to use your Kitchen. All-adults? Empty Nesters? Children (now or in the future)? What appliances (& their sizes) do you plan to have? Where are you flexible? Can walls/windows/doors/doorways change (move, change size, add, delete)? The above and more are discussed in the Layout Help FAQ. Layout Help FAQ: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5500789/faq-how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-what-information-should-i-include Ice.Water.Stone.Fire, a humorous discussion of Kitchen design: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first Also see... Work Zones, What Are They?: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5500762/faq-kitchen-work-zones-what-are-they Aisles Widths, Seating Overhangs, etc.: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5500771/faq-aisle-widths-walkways-seating-overhangs-work-landing-space-etc Storage Planning: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5500787/faq-how-do-i-plan-for-storage

@K R your kitchen is beautiful, and I really like the look of that sink. Thank you for sharing the photos. I'm glad to hear you're happy with it. @Miranda33 That Elkay is also an attractive sink. Thank you for the info about those models. I won't have a garbage disposal, so I guess I will need the drain. I don't think the Kraus looks clunky--I like the way it looks. I was concerned about the distance between me and the sink basin when I'm standing in front of it. Right now I have an undermount, and the strip of countertop is uncomfortable and means I have to lean over, but I think that's partly because of the extra height the stone counter adds, not only the width.