I wanted hand-painted cabinets, and ended up buying them from a woodworker -- that definition of "custom". But when I was looking at having brand-name semi-custom or custom cabinets painted, I discovered that if you press hard, you will find that there are several lines that can be ordered unfinished. Off the top of my head, I recall Crystal had one? This is a few years back though. Some give a 5 or 10 percent discount, some don't. I also recall one -- Woodmode/Brookhaven? telling me that I could do this, but it voided the warranty. The individual shop I talked to shop said they had not had any problems with people doing it in the past, and they would cover/replace obvious manufacturing defects, cabinets that were dinged in delivery, things like that -- they would be reasonable, and certainly wanted to protect their reputation. But what the company was really protecting itself against with this policy was what somebody might do to/paint on the cabinets after that -- somebody's crazy faux/texturizing/acid experiment (using solvents the company could never have foreseen and would have advised against) that dissolves the glue holding the doors together, then claims it's the company's fault they fall to pieces a year later and demands a whole new kitchen. I think that's reasonable. So just ask questions about that your getting, what this means, etc. Understanding exactly what you are getting is a large step toward avoiding being disappointed in what you do get. There are so many lines and there are slight variations between them. But by asking, you might find you can get the same door with a custom paint or matched paint by switching lines. Or get close enough on either so you're happy. Or try another shop, or try a carpenter/woodworker. People have waaaaaay more choices than they think they do!

I would mount the telly on an articulating arm underneath the upper cabinet closest to the dining table. Most likely you will need to attach it to a stud. Hopefully you could make the edge of the telly flush with the end of the cabinet/counter. Using an arm will allow you to pivot the telly toward the DR table, the island or the sink. And then you can fold it flat against the wall for a more streamline look when not in use. With this arrangement, you might have to move the radio/speakers. As mentioned by another commenter/s, I would love to see a general breakdown of cost. Lovely kitchen. Enjoy it in good health!

On the wait until later train of thought: in the time between now and when you'll reno this kitchen, hang out here and find out all kinds of interesting stuff. You'll definitely not want to repeat the electrical switches and outlets which stick out like sore (& mismatched!) thumbs on the tile backsplash. You'll find alternatives here. You'll probably want your new cabinets to go all the way to the ceiling - check out others' kitchens to be sure. You can participate in agonizing over which granite, or maybe quartz, or soapstone, or laminate? Is there room for a pantry somewhere? You'll find things that others' do that you love and never would have thought of and things that you'll *know* you'd never want in your kitchen. For your husband to answer the question about why you'd want to replace those cabinets, there was a thread recently about WHEN it was time. I've linked it in case you missed it or want him to read it. Here is a link that might be useful: Time to replace cabinets?

Aw man, thanks for the comments guys! After being in this house with small kids for eight years, the cabinets are showing wear and there is quite a bit of water damage on many of them and some are broken (didn’t show you that photo!). So...that was where my head was at with going ahead and painting the cabinets. They are already priming today so this is a done deal! In my area, painting cabs is still a big thing (we might steer behind the times a little) and a big thing people look for in resale (we could be moving in a couple years). Honestly, it might not be trendy but I still love my granite! It hides stuff so well and never looks dirty. And I never even notice my backsplash and I just don’t care that much about it. It’s hard for me to warrant changing something just for cosmetic reasons (counter and backsplash) versus need (cabs). We got an amazing deal on the painting so I feel good about it. I’m going full steam with Antique White. After looking at it forever and being in complete decision making paralysis, that’s what I’m going with! I’m going with brass/gold knobs to add a little bit of funky and I have lots of Anthropologie-esque and plants to add character. I have a very open floor plan with my living room right there in all it’s colorful glory, so I’m thinking the lighter will look nice. I’ll be happy to post a pic when I’m done. Thanks for listening!!