I don't have any experience with spraying cabinets, so I'll let others address that. However, I did want to ask if you had priced cabinet doors/drawerfronts at Scherr's? I haven't used them myself, but from what I have read, they have the Ikea measurements on file, and people have found that their prices are either comparable to Ikea's, or in some cases even better (at least, if you're choosing an unfinished, paint-grade wood at Scherr's vs. a finished door at Ikea). Amberley is currently doing an Ikea kitchen with Scherrs doors; I'm sure she could give you some insight. The reason I mention it is that buying a finished door from Ikea means that you will have to deal with sanding off the Ikea finish, which adds time and hassle if you're doing it yourself, and time and money if you're hiring it done. Whereas with Scherr's, you can buy either unfinished or preprimed. (Also, it's possible that they have a doorstyle you like even more then the Adel.) Good luck with whatever you decide!

All cabinets are not created equal. There are many variations of materials used in the construction. Is the question is how long do you want the cabinets to last? What is the style, if you are looking for an inset cabinet door your options reduce greatly for stock cabinetry. If you are thinking of semi custom, do the finishes for the semi custom order match perfectly with stock cabinets in the order? Is there edge banding on Plywood that may come off the shelving or the face of the cabinet if it has a euro box. With stock cabinets will there be gaps that need to be filled with filler strips, detracting from the overall symmetry of your kitchen. All wood construction usually has plywood for the cabinet box and a face frame of hardwood, no particle board. Custom cabinets, with a factory finish completed at the same time for a uniform look, with no edge banding, or unnecessary filler strips, may be worth an additional expense. Those who have had a kitchen remodel done know that it is not something that you want to do often. For a little more money to have a functional, beautiful, well designed kitchen to wake to in the morning is money well spent.

Ohhh, you have asked a loaded question here at GardenWeb! I believe most people would define a Kitchen Designer as someone who designs or helps design the layout of the kitchen and sells cabinetry. Their remuneration is often folded into the sale of the brands of cabinets they sell. They are not architects nor interior decorators, and in addition they don't usually sell appliances, granite/marble, or other kitchen accessories, though they sometimes do and they might have partnerships with businesses that do. If you don't think you need an architect and you are mostly looking for ideas and help with the best layout within your existing space, then it's probably true you might only need a KD, as kitchen designers are referred to on here, rather than one of the other professionals. Others might correct me, but I have found from talking with several KDs that they all make a commission or percentage of the sale of cabinetry and none of the ones I've met with charges a separate fee. As for where they are found--pretty much anyplace kitchen cabinets are sold. In fact even Home Depot has employees it calls Kitchen Designers--I've met with two, one was awful and the other was impressively thoughtful and knowledgeable and had some good ideas. Please let us know more about your project--whether you are thinking of making any structural changes, moving any walls, have a good idea of what you want to do and just need help executing your plan or have no idea where to start. Also, if you're still reading, I will say the fellow posters at GardenWeb are fantastic at coming up with ideas--it's sort of a collective Kitchen Design community here, and I'd bet if you uploaded a picture of your floorplan we could make suggestions that would rival those of the best KD out there!

@Laura Holland Thanks so much for the update. I am very glad you found someone to do a post-catalyzed conversion varnish on your cabinetry. That's the standard for finish longevity. How utterly horrible that the contractors have already messed it up. Yes, repairs are very difficult with the 2-part coatings. They absolutely should have been much more cautious. It's somewhat hard to mar a 2-part finish, so they must have been really careless. It sounds like you may have gotten the satin finish of the INSL-X. I have heard the semi-gloss is significantly more durable. If you do have it re-done, I wouldn't go with any Benjamin Moore products again. Find someone who can do Milesi, Renner, or ICA-Ilva. All three of those would be superior, but they may need to be sprayed as most formulations from those companies dry fast, and the 2-part formulas provide the most hardness and chemical resistance. Many people have reported finish failures with Advance even with a Stix Primer. INSL-X is a step above Advance based on my research. In fact, INSL-X is actually made by the same people who make Stix. Benjamin Moore bought the company.