NewSouth: I think this is a really hard decision. Trust is the biggest factor, I think. It's part of the comfort-picture too. I went with a KD who I didn't really like much and didn't make me terribly comofortable. But she worked for someone who did and who sweetened the deal tremendously with price and his own attractiveness. As I figured, he has been hugely helpful in ensuring things stay on track. But she has been really a problem all along. However she was part of the deal. DH seems to think part of the tacit agreement was that I train her! I bet she would be massively offended to hear this. So the answer of who to choose has to depend on what you want from the KD. If you want hand-holding, then obviously you need someone who will 'remain with you' to hold your hand through the entire process. If you want imagination, then you've already made your choice. If you want no-drama; enabling of your own plan cleanly and professionally, then you've outlined who to choose for that priority too. But if your hesitation reflects that you haven't yet described a KD who fulfills what you're needing, then you do need to go interview another. Are you looking for someone who can identify and fill in gaps in what it is you've already done? Perhaps there isn't enough spark among the two you've mentioned already to do this. That's a personal call. It depends also on how much more time you want to devote to this; you've already said you're impatient to get going. And if you mostly need the KD simply to formalize your plans, then another interview might just wind you up with 3 to choose between equally unclearly. I think at this juncture you have to get smart in asking yourself good questions: what do I need now? Who/what can fill that need? Have I a possibility yet or do I need to generate more choices? Don't get impatient or panicked yet before you need to -- spring is a long way away yet. Try to calm down your agitation enough to get a good, clear signal of what it is you're needing; then you can proceed with answering the question of who to choose. Feel free to jettison the suggestions of course!

There are a few different kinds of kitchen designers. VERY basically, you have the kind who work for cabinet shops and work with/represent the lines of cabinets sold by the shops. Or you have independent kitchen designers, whom you pay, by the hour or the project. Independent designers may have a wide variety of services they offer and how they charge for those services, so you really need to understand what they're expecting to do for you, what you're paying for, and what your options are. This is not at all saying that's bad, it's just to say that, if you're trying to compare, the apples and the oranges and the bananas and the pineapples are all in the same bag, so just know which one you're pulling out. It sounds like you're going to cabinet shops with their own designers. If you have any kind of house plans an idea of what you want, you can ask for a preliminary sketchy design and brain-picking session, and get a quote on the cabinet portion of the design you come up with. Just walk in and say "I'm looking for a quote on some cabinets, I brought my house plans," and they'll do what they do a dozen times a day. You can go to several shops and do this. As many have noted, don't assume you can't afford something. My Woodmode quote came in the same as a slightly lower-quality line. The independents -- again, depending on how they work -- they may have a free initial consult, at which time you can see their portfolio, chat with them, they can maybe look at your kitchen or plans and offer a few thoughts, and they tell you how they work and expect to get paid. Some might do a quick pencil sketch, some might do more. Some get paid by the hour, some by the project, some oversee construction (like the design/build firms) it gets complicated. And as paulines said, compatibility is a consideration, as even just buying cabinets can drag on. How do they handle a tricky request? How do they explain things? Is the person called away every 2 minutes? Do they try to "upsell" everything, or do they really seem focused on finding what's really right for you? How do they treat their staff? Does the business seem well organized? If there was a problem, like a damaged cabinet, do you feel like you could talk to them and they would try to fix it? Price is important, but it isn't everything. Good luck!

I'd do the white perimeter and the dark wood for the island and like Jan says, wait to close before picking a backsplash. BTW Here's a pic of my kitchen with white perimeter cabinets and a dark oak island. Maybe I'm biased but I don't think it looks dated at all. In fact I think it's better than the gray which is basically at the end of its trendiness.

Step 1: Cut the individual colors out of the sheet they are in so you can see the color directly against the stone. White borders are useful when viewing a sample on a color you are going to be painting over, but not useful when comparing a color to an element that is staying. Step 2: Throw out any samples that clearly don't work with the stone Step 3: View the samples at different times of day and under daylight and artificial light. Throw out any samples that clearly don't work at each viewing. Step 4: Put the samples on the floor. Do they work with your floor? Throw out any that don't work. Step 5: Move the samples around the room. View them on vertical surfaces, not just flat on your counter. Throw out some more. Step 5: If you are keeping wall and trim color, test the remaining samples against those and throw out any remaining ones that don't work. If there are any other elements you are concerned about playing well with the cabinets, do the same for them. Step 6: Now with a much smaller pool of candidates, order large swatches (or sample paint so you can paint your own). Repeat steps 2 through 5 with the large samples. Step 7: Pick your favorite. If you can't pick a favorite by this time, they are all fine; throw a dart and don't stress.