You mention wanting to keep your counter. Has any professional told you that this is possible in your circumstances? I don't know anything about the fabrication of zinc counters, but it may be impossible to replace cabinets and keep the counter. If it is possible, the existing shape of the counter will dictate a lot about your new design And the cabinet layout. Maybe the sizes will work with any cabinet manufacturer, or maybe you will need to be able to customize.

I bring this up because I’m in the middle of my own older-house kitchen reno where the goal was to save various things that already exist while fitting in new cabinets in a new layout. It has been very very challenging and tons of out of the box problem solving. It would not be cost effective for me to be paying for a professional to do that problem solving - I’d just have to have it all ripped out and start from scratch.

I prefer all plywood boxes. MDF/furniture board backs fail at the wall attachment necessitating repairs that exceed the price of the cabinets. The plywood boxes last 20 years+ . if your boxes are plywood, you can reface them.

Can you remove the counter without damaging it?

Really depends on your specific plan. If desire to keep counter then assume same configuration but you should spec out drawers. You’d want to know about construction of the boxes / glides : weight bearing etc. you mention withstanding foot traffic and fIngerprints / but wear and tear on those drawers and how they are specified is the thing to calculate and how to deal w two corners. You seem to not favor wall cabs. Find out about hanging on to the counters or not ...as you may find that to be less than rewarding in the attempt.

Thanks for your replies @User @herbflavor @Dione Williams @sparkshooter @User @Patricia Colwell Consulting

Do you have experience with specific midrange cabinet makers to contribute to the discussion? If so, I'd appreciate the insight on those particular makers, either favorable or unfavorable. Thanks again

Look at the testing that cabinets undergo to acquire a KCMA certification seal. That is the only organized testing of durability that exists. Many custom shops can exceed thst quality. Many don’t even come close. Custom is not a regulated term. There are those who take flat pack import cabinets, modify them, and call it custom. There are those like a friend in MA who work for years on the same 20K square foot home, creating built in furniture that is artwork. And everything in between. Do due diligence in materials, construction practices, and especially finishing processes. https://www.kcma.org/certifications/ansi-kcma-standard

Individual in home wear tests are going to be variable based on family habits. Some people hang on doors to reach inside a base cabinet to grab something. Some have big feet and kick the lower doors and toekick both. Some clean them inappropriately.

Any good mid grade line and up will last for many years if cared for properly. 🙂

My current search for plywood cabinets started online and I found it difficult because I wanted flat fronts, no hardware. Above are my Woodbury flat front cabinets with the all plywood box upgrade through Clawson Architecture, Maplewood, New Jersey. They are factory finished in Simply white by Benjamin Moore, which makes fillers and extra shelves convenient. They took 7 weeks and I love them.