Hey stacy- It is an inch high. : )

Hi Vicky, I'm sure there are others on this website with more knowledge than I have, but I thought I'd give you my two cents. We are remodeling our kitchen, with custom cabinets that are a mix of stain and painted (off-white). I did a lot of research, and was very impressed with the quality and durability of manufactured cabinet finishes. I think Wood-Mode/Brookhaven painted finishes are considered hard to beat. After visiting completed projects from a local custom cabinetmaker, we hired him to make our cabinets. Our guy sends the completed cabinets to a finisher, who sprays, glazes, etc... and uses conversion varnish. I thought the conversion varnish was used on the painted as well as stained pieces. We saw a kitchen that was 10 years old, and looked like new. In CA, where we live, there are a lot of environmental regulations, so the finish shops have to have special exhaust systems, etc... to use conversion varnish (some of them don't use it, and some the the locally done finishes don't hold up well - tend to chip, etc...). We were convinced that a "factory like finish" is available from the better local finish shops. I think that finishes done in the shop are better than those done onsite. Finishing on-site is much more expensive, because they have to tape off the area around the painting, so it's more labor-intensive. (And they may not be able to use the most durable finishes). I've never heard that only brushed on paint is authentic. I think that is a much less desirable way to paint cabinets - doesn't look as good, or last as long. Will be interested to see what other posters say on this. Good Luck!

Wow, thank you egganddart. My kitchen design came about with a lot of help from our wonderful Crown Point designer. I had set ideas about the general layout since I had lived in the space for 15 years and could picture what I thought would be the best flow for our family---i.e. I wanted the fridge out of the work triangle so that it would be close to the table (and easy access from the living room) and I wanted the dw placed in the walkway through the kitchen next to the prep sink. That cupboard is actually a peninsula with a hutch top on it. I wanted something that looked like a cupboard from the diningroom side but was a functional part of the kitchen on the other side. I wanted it to block the view into the kitchen when seated at the table (I'm a hopelessly messy cook) but would leave as open a feeling as possible. I wanted a pass through incorporated. The cabinet is 4 feet wide. There is 6" of counter in front of the hutch (on the table side.) The counter is 39" deep and sits over 12" and 24" deep base cabinets back to back (with 1 1/2" overhang on each side.) The 12" side faces the kitchen and much of it holds cookbooks. The top hutch portion is 18" deep which I really enjoy having. There is 15" of counter in front of the hutch on the kitchen side. Our ceilings are 100" which ended up being perfect for 36" high base cabinets, 18" space between lowers and uppers, 42" uppers and 4" molding. The hutch was made with these proportions--the countertop doors and drawers span the 18" height that would normally be left between the uppers and lowers. Here are pictures with the pass through open and the kitchen side of the cabinet. We have doors we could mount on the kitchen side (in the pass through area) which would probably look better but I like having the open area. Here is a picture of the space before reno. The hutch is now situated where the fridge was. The cupboard on the back wall (with tea kettles on top) was the inspiration for the kitchen.

ck_squared, DH and I can't wait to see the finished kitchen either! We have been dealing with some serious health and financial issues for both of my parents the last 3 months, so the remodel has been a low priority. Kitchen still needs: hood, backsplash, appliance toe kicks, steam oven installion, French door stained or painted, Solyx film to obscure contents of pantry cabinets, finish light and outlet installation, painting touch ups and barstools. (At least the kitchen is close, the bathroom is still a gutted space.) I would post "nearly done" photos, but the paperwork for my parents' insurance claims and VA benefits is spread all over the island right now.