We ordered a valance to connect the cabinets on either side of the window. The contractor and I agree that it's superfluous. It hides the nice light. We have a left over 12" cabinet and a 6" spice cabinet when plans changed. Hoping to use them elsewhere - maybe a workshop. There is a whopping re-stocking fee with KM, not to mention the energy of re-packaging and carting them to HD. We have an extra sink base for a farm sink but it was free with the order. We found we didn't like farm sinks so ordered another sink base that we had to pay for. KM was not interested in taking the other back and replacing it with a regular sink base. We bought a light that was 15" in diameter which was huge for the space. We were able to return that one though because they stocked it at the lighting store. Found an 11" diameter light at Lowes that I love. I have found that things like lights are very large and it is hard to judge by a picture even though they tell you the measurements. Everyone else has a mansion who could actually use them. Our other lights are Hinkley and Kitchler. They are big but look OK. We have an extra $5 light we bought on clearance for the lavette in the interim for when we found one we liked. Then we found one very soon after. It's really a mini chandelier that we took the chain off to 1 link. It's adorable with the glass crystals. The lavette is kind of victorian looking. We have an extra wall sconce that was for the hall way but it is really too big. We'll re-purpose that for the floor to ceiling chimney that already has an outlet for a sconce. We were going to rebrick but it looks good there. By and large we don't have much bought but not used stuff. We do have lots of extra boards and micellaneous stuff that the designer had us purchase but were unnecessary for the remodel. Where his mind was at I cannot tell you. We will wait for the end of install and take it all back to HD and INSIST that we get full price back for all the design errors. We have soft-close drawers and love them.

Christine, well done!! Congratulations! And congratulations to everyone else, for doing one heck of a great job! I picked up quite a few ideas from all of you wonderful OBFERS! And thank you again Sheri, for a very fun and creative swap!!!!! Happy weekend to all! Annie

Missi- you are getting some great advice here. I did IKEA in our last home and it was fine. I wish I lived closer to help knock out building them in a day or so. I love the layout that benjesebride did with all that prep space to the right of your stove. It looks lovely! I would like to cook there. Here is what I did: (note:my husband does not DIY at all and did not lift a finger, but I always like to do things economically so I happily took on the brunt work). He would have been fine if I paid someone). I had 16 or so cabinets I ordered. I took over our 2-car garage for a bit. IKEA delivered the cabinets to me. I did go to the store to place my final order but arranged for delivery to my home. We live about 90 minutes from one. I checked and double checked my order when it arrived to make sure I had everything I bought. Believe it or not, every part, door, hinge, etc were all there. I set a goal to assemble only 2 cabinets per day (I had 2 kids under 2 at the time). Our old kitchen was still in tact, so if I could not meet my daily goal, I was under no pressure as we still had a functioning kitchen. A little more than a week later, they were ready to go for install, just waiting in my garage. I put an ad on Craigslist for my cabinets for free and a handyman guy uninstalled my old cabinets for me (for free!) and took them away. Demo done for free. Paid a couple handyman to install the IkEA cabinets for me (but it was easy). They were even amazed about the process. Whether right or wrong, I installed all the doors and drawers after the boxes were in place by myself, which took me only a couple more days (working around naptimes). I bought the cabinet door jig and even put all my drawer pulls and knobs on myself. You can do a lot of this yourself if you find DH resistant. It just helped me immensely to do a little bit every day BEFORE your kitchen is uninstalled so it is not so much pressure. We only lived there for 2 years but everyone raved about my kitchen at selling (we got 3 offers in 24 hours of listing) and they looked brand new still. The drawer glides were top notch. Keep your receipt! Hope that helps.

@Helen, I find Houzz interesting for that too - a lot of people who remodel functional and still quite new kitchens because they are “dated”. I do think there is a population on Houzz that is more well off and thinks nothing of getting “just what I want” with costs a small or non-factor in that consideration, but I think a lot of people are of more average means who want what is “desirable” and there is some “keeping up with the Joneses” at play there, a race that only leads to losing all around of course. I think part of this is the new world of how our “world” is unlimited by borders or “who we know personally”. With the internet, HGTV, expectations of what is normal changed. When I grew up no one really remodeled functional kitchens and baths. If one did they were the talk of the group for months! Everyone wondered what they were doing and how they could afford it (lol) but no one else was rushing out to do the same. Now it seems almost expected if someone moves into a new house - even a starter home - they will remodel it as the 1990 kitchen is “so dated” according to HGTV and the like. Without maybe knowing the couple on HGTV remodeled a house they bought for $250,000 in 1990 and is now worth $4,000,000 because of a HCOL boom and it makes more sense to stay then move and they aren’t worried about “recouping” cost of a $100,000 remodel kitchen at resale. Of course I also did not grow up with people moving and such as much as they seem to now where they can “chase trends” a bit easier. The “starter” home is a bit strange to me (though I had one too though more by relationship changes and moving across country than choice) as growing up most I know bought one house and lived in it for several decades. Maybe until they went out feet first. They made the house work for them - it adapted and they adapted and they lived on. They did not buy a starter home, than a new home when they got pregnant, then another when their kids got bigger, then another when kids moved out, then another when grandkids started coming home, and so on. Not it seems more common for people to move every 3-10 years (not for me when I have choice, I hate moving and it’s expensive!). Usually they “upgrade” as they go too, even many “downsizes” are just upgrades in disguise. I have a plain jane non-descript new build production home and went white with my kitchen, but I have had several white kitchens and knew I wanted white again before I ever looked at what was “currently in”. It was not for trend, or avoiding being dated, or anything else. I am unlikely to ever change my kitchen as long as I live in the house (unless it literally falls apart) since I picked all things I like even if they may not appeal to others. It’s not fancy, and there are no to the ceiling cabinets but that is what I wanted as I am not “fancy”. For me a kitchen is more a necessity to have “something” as I don’t cook a lot and when I do it is low prep sort of stuff. I don’t need a “working kitchen” or one to display my dishes or store seasonal serving ware. So yeah, my simple look kitchen won’t be getting oohs and aahs, but for me the simplicity is the appeal of it (and longevity of it). I do see what is meant by some houses being pretty versatile though. My parents remodeled a 1991 honey oak kitchen in around 2010 but went IKEA with glossy slabs. It actually still fit the house as there was really no “defining” architectural detail except more of that honey oak (trim etc). There is a challenge in remodeling very old houses with new kitchens though. In a lot of very old houses, at least where I am, the old kitchens were small (not suited for today’s larger appliances or the use today of kitchens as a “hub” and entertaining space). I see in many of the older houses here, those of 100+ years, how challenged homeowners are if they want to update their kitchens. Even if they keep materials similar to say wood trim of rest of home, something has to budge with newer appliances, newer cabinetry making methods, and so on so it will likely always look somewhat of of place. And a “modern white” kitchen would likely look really out of place and definitely not be keeping with the “bones”. @palimpest I think strict modernism is very much a niche that is unlikely to ever be very mainstream, just my thoughts but I think many see it as cold. I know two people who it suits very well in its stricter form, but most I know who like modern prefer a “softer” modern.