double wall ovens with back counter (this is in front of the island).

pawa-they paint them because staining them is a freakin' BEAR!LOL I wasn't planning on doing hardware. I've never had hardware in my kitchen. If I find later it needs something, I'll do it then. I'll post total before and afters tomorrow:-)

juddgirl: 'We're leaning towards replacing to lessen the work' - we considered that and then priced out the cabinets. Plus I actually liked the vintage feel of our kitchen and in the end decided I'd rather have the fancy range we're getting rather than new cabinetry. It's an equation that really depends on the particulars of ones own situation, I think. bpathome: It's so true that it's life that slows things down. I didn't think I had funding for work in June so took down all the cabinets and finished sanding them when I found out I actually was funded to work! So, my month of June project became a weekend project. Fortunately, I do have an awesome collaborative team. MrsShayne: What a fantastic transformation! You must be thrilled. Thanks for sharing. kaylarus: Re: managing the dust, tack cloths (sticky cloths you can buy at hardware / paint stores) became my new best friend. So did our vacuum and sweeper. I tack clothed a lot, especially the cabinet fronts, right before painting to get the little specks of dust off. Worked for the most part. Will definitely continue to share as we progress!

I agree that you should select slabs ahead of time - you don't want to be in a time crunch, and then pick something you don't really love. You should talk to the stoneyards in your area and find out their policy on holding the slabs. My experience was that the slabyards are much more comfortable holding slabs if you have a fabricator they work with regularly. Many will only sell to fabricators and the fabricator then re-sells the slabs to you along with the fabrication and installation fees. Some places will require a deposit to hold the slabs beyond a couple of weeks, and then will ask you to pay for the slabs in full if you want them held more than about 60 days. Even though it's a pain to deal with, it's worth it because there is so much variation in the slabs. The next bundle of whatever color may look dramatically different from the current bundle. It really pays to work with a stoneyard that has a good reputation - there are many stories of people's slabs getting sold to other customers. Take photos of the slab, write your name on the back in sharpie (maybe after you've purchased the slabs)- all good advice. Good luck!