If you have a little patience for a little bit of a steep learning curve, and you think well in 3D, then I think Google SketchUp is the best thing going - and it's free! Watch the online video tutorials. Once you get the basic concepts you can go to work. It's a generic 3D modeler, but is particularly well suited for architecture. You really are virtually unlimited in what you can model. I've modeled our entire Kitchen/Family Room with vaulted ceilings running in two directions down to the fraction of an inch, and have used to plan our upcoming remodel.

I liked the software on ikea.ca. You don't have to use their cabinets, but it's GREAT to use software that lets you switch between layout and 3D view - that's where you can evaluate sightlines, which IMO are so important. You can also email the planner to yourself and then share the link with others in case they want to alter the layout.

For learning SketchUp there's a pretty decent series of books called "Google SketchUp for Interior Design and Space Planning" or some such. I bought them last winter when I was first learning it. The books ended up being a bit too basic for me, since I learn computer stuff quickly -- it's what I do for a living. By the time the books arrived I'd already learned most of what was in them. But for someone who's just starting out I think they'd be good. The series has 3 books. They're all pretty thin and fairly inexpensive. I bought them on Amazon. I agree that graph paper is a good place to start, though. Or go buy a cheap architects' ruler at Office Depot. I think I got one for $5 or so. Laura still annoyed that Google got rid of SketchUp

Hi Katrina, To your first question regarding moving wall cabs up and down: Select the cabinet to be raised or lowered. Go into 3D view. Get a close up view of the cab. To the right (maybe sometimes to the left, I'm not quite sure) of the cab you'll see an up/down arrow. click up or down to move the cab until it's at the desired height. Planner tips: If your software is lagging, it helps to give it some time after every click before continuing. When you select a cab, wait before continuing until the cursor stops spinning. All that will prevent it from getting overwhelmed. Make sure that all extensions in your browser are disabled. That seems to help. Keep saving often. I mean it: really often. Ikea updated the software about 2 weeks ago. Since then the planner works much better on my Mac Ibook using Firefox. I haven't tried to run the planner with Chrome or Safari since the update. I'm sure some layout experts will eventually chime in with design help. Good luck!