Did you start remodeling yet. If you post this question on the discussion section you should get some responses. At the bottom of this gallery page there is a place that says switch to discussion or conversations. Just click on discussion and start a new post. Good luck.

Elizabeth, the floors have to go as they look better in photos. In person they scream cheap. It is cheap laminate. I will also have bare spots where the wall will be removed that I have to fix up. I was planning on putting some tile in the kitchen area but may just do hardwood throughout the whole house. I have also heard that the ikea cabinets hold up rather well but it seems that they use quite a bit of MDF with a foil over it. I personally would prefer a wood face as that sees quite a bit of abuse and potential liquid spills (I am just at the beginning with a 3 year old and 1.5 year old).

You poor thing. This sounds like you have so many issues facing a remodel, that you are simply going to have to have professional help in order to even contemplate a working kitchen. You need a professional evaluation of your slab. You need a really good plumber who can help you plan for a location for a vent. If those beams need to stay there, then you'll need a drywaller to cover up the exposed beam. If the cracks are minor and not expected to get any worse (cause of the cracks has been mitigated), then an excellent flooring contractor can help you decide how to handle a floor. But a floor has to be very, very level before almost all types of flooring are laid. I'm guessing that you are on a significant budget? Why don't you measure out your room carefully, on graph paper or using a program, down to the inch or half-inch. Also show a drawing of how the rooms adjoining the kitchen (e.g. the whole downstairs) are laid out. You are not ready to order cabinets of any kind at this point, you have a lot of planning to do. The folks over on the kitchen forum will be a BIG help to you. Be sure and explain what your budget is. Getting ahead of ourselves here: forget the RTA cabinets, and look at IKEA. IKEA has top of the line Blum hardware, easy to plan/build/use sturdy cabinets. They have a sale twice a year (might have just started) and you get even a better deal. What's nice is their Kitchen Planner which lets you see a 3D image of whatever you design easily in the program, and then it prices it out for you. You really can't go wrong with those cabinets. If the doors aren't perfect for you, you can get great replacement doors specifically for Ikea cabs at Scherr's or SemiHandmade. But again, you need to have layout issues and construction issues solved first.

Warming the space with that charcoal island and cool looking flooring might call for some hot orange or yellow accessories on the shelves. I don't have a housekeeper, so anything that requires additional cleaning isn't my style, but wood would help warm things up. It must coordinate with your flooring though. Best to focus on canisters, small appliances for warmth. Red/orange Yellow Cool, but cool...