I think it would be worth your time to visit a few appliance dealers (not big box stores) and talk to the manager or owner about the different brands and what kind of service issues you should be concerned about with the different brands. I have read the same thing about a possible problem getting parts for foreign made appliances, but after talking to a local dealer who sells a myriad of brands, I'm not convinced that is an issue. It sure could be down the road, but he sells LG and doesn't have a problem getting parts. We read the Yale blog on appliances, Consumer Reports and checked reviews on HD and Best Buy. We also wanted to see the appliances in person. Some of the refrigerators interiors seemed to be very poor quality with drawers that didn't glide smoothly and cheaply made shelves. The lay-out is important also. We started out in one direction and ended up elsewhere. I think the most important thing is having someone who will stand behind what they sell and someone who can service the appliance.

The issue is the overall width here. It’s too wide to work well with that type of hardware. I highly recommend either the Hafele coplanar sliding door hardware, where you open half at a time, or their lift and stay hardware, and split the opening horizontally. I don’t recommend bifold doors at all . They are always in the way. Pocket doors are good, but they mostly stay open in most people’s kitchens. Which is opposite of Lucky’s experience with them! https://www.hafele.com/us/en/product/coplanar-sliding-door-hardware-slider-m-50-set/0000001100026dc600070023/ https://www.hafele.com/us/en/product/lid-stay-flap-stay-haefele-duo-standard-complete-set/000000010001c65c00010023/ https://www.hafele.com/us/en/product/lift-up-fitting-haefele-strato/0000005f000294fa00060023/

Go to Ikea and get a few of their Billy bookcases. They’re well built, very inexpensive, and come in several colors. Then your many items will look organized. That’s what we did when money was an issue. They were still in great condition when we moved 30 years later. You can store your kiddie stuff on the lower shelves, and adult (cooking supplies) higher up.

I think you are over thinking this. Most appliances - especially ones that are middle of the road are replaced in older homes without issues because the dimensions are standard. Dishwashers are 24". The dilemma with refrigerators is generally with older homes where the refrigerator space is too short or too narrow to accomodate more modern refrigerators. You would have to determine whether you want a 36" or 42" inch wide or something slightly different. When I was looking the standard height of a refrigerator was 69" - I did get a KA model that was 72" but that was an anomoly. You would have to think about general styles and clearances so that there would be adequate space to open doors but a competent designer would be able to advise on that. Are you going with a stove or a wall oven? Gas or induction? What width. Wall ovens are generally 30" wide and so if you are getting wall ovens you would configure the kitchen with a 30" tall cabinet intended to house wall ovens. Do you want space for a microwave drawer. Also given supply chain issues I am not sure there are going to be great bargains available in the future especially if you care at all about quality and functionality.