Adel and Lidingo are different colors; Adel is more of an off-white. There are threads on Ikeafans about matching paint to the various white doors, and someone has even posted the exact formula they used to match Adel. BM Simply White is said to be a good match for Applad (which I think is the same shade of white as Lidingo). I can't remember if there was a stock color that worked with Adel or if the custom mix was the best bet.

Diamond is a much more flexible product line and therefor should be more expensive. Aristokraft has built its name as the affordable american cabinet but like everything having a accepted brand name just means you can charge more for them. I have several american made brands in my store that lower in price then Aristokraft and much more flexible in choice of cabinets. I have access to Aristokraft but do not promote them as they are generally not the best deal. Most of the thermofoil finishes tend to peal off over time. I personally would get a painted finish before a thermofoil. The quality of the finish between the cabinets lines is not easy to judge.

I am so grateful for all of the many helpful comments, thank you! Toni and Home Reborn, I agree with the suggestion to bring the paint chip to HD to match. Choe, thanks for suggesting Lori, so grateful she did chime in. @funcolors you really defined the issue for me when you stated that the base paints are different. Light bulb moment for sure! Thank you for creating that chart for me. It's really helpful. I'm going to print your chart and go to SW for a paint chip, then take it to Home Depot. At SW you can request the tint formula (particular to a certain type of base paint), the "color recipe" and they happily print it out. I've asked for this at Home Depot however, I have not been able to get it there. A different business model with less emphasis on that kind of service. However, I will add that the poorest customer service I've gotten at a paint counter is, hands down, Benjamin Moore stores. I love the BM counters tucked in neighborhood Ace Hardwares but not at the BM stores. Perhaps they are too busy... I have a lot of confidence in my contractor so I'm not worried about differences in quality. It's all about trade-offs when you renovate, or at least, when I renovate. I am prepared to be realistic and flexible in order to focus on the completion of my project. And absolutely Patricia, I'm looking for close enough and that will be good enough. Thanks again for your truly heopful insights! Lori's Amazing Website

Cherry was actually a compromise too. The intent wasn’t luxury, we just had trouble finding a medium stained wood that wasn’t honey tone. This was something we could both agree on… but it didn’t look stripey in the store. I only saw Diamond allude to this, not KraftMaid, and had hoped it was different. Apparently not so. Budget-wise… well for cabinets and countertop (coincidentally?) 28 is our high end, with other funds for paint and flooring. The budget started with an insurance payment. There was a drain problem in the kitchen that caused damage to the cabinets and got under the tile a bit. The cabinets are 40 yr old builder grade and not able to be matched. The flooring is tile and only damaged in a small area but continuous throughout most of the house- again, cheap stuff but something we liked. We felt we would rather have slightly better quality permanent kitchen items and a look we enjoy there than use funds to tear up a large amount of tile we were okay with and replace it with cheap stuff we liked less, while still going cheap with the kitchen too. Reallocation of funds definitely. Not the most overall fluid of designs but a better base for the long term items and room to grow for the rest of things. A lot of people pay extra to upgrade everything all at once but a big loan just isn’t right for us. We’re not going anywhere so we have a little more time and effort than money in the moment. Add that all up and that’s how we ended up with semi custom at Lowes with paint on the side. (Appliances were new before the water damage.) Although I have been thinking about demo, containment, cleanup, and other bits, it is true when you say that you don’t know what you don’t know and there still could be factors I’m missing. Do you not think that there’s a scenario where a homeowner could save or at least reallocate a bit by being a little more hands on? $750 is small compared to the overall budget, for example, but will pay for a decent sink. I like where you’re going latifolia. Reallocating funds is exactly what we intend and we’re trying to think long term options. In terms of forum etiquette for posting the layout, do I do that here or in a new thread? Also, please don’t laugh too hard… what does “DH” stand for? Every time I see it I read it as a term of endearment, “Dear Husband”, which mostly fits in the conversations, but seems unlikely that I am correct.