Thanks for the nice comments everybody! Goldengirl I did not go with the Laura Ashley Gold but did go with a Behr Custom Color match for Restoration Hardware's Saffron color paint. I love the color with my cherry cabinets, it really warms up the whole room. Here is the paint lid from Home Depot with the color match formula. We used Behr paints throughout, some of their own colors and some color matches. Kathieo - regarding the pendant lights in the kitchen, our original kitchen had a big wood ceiling lightbox with a double flourescent fixture inside. We took that down and decided to install two recessed can lights over the cooktop area of the island but wanted pendants over the seating area. My neighbor who is an electrician did all the lighting changes and additions for me. If you already have recessed cans in the ceiling, I would think an electrician could move those or install pendants to whatever location you wanted if you don't like the current position. Would involve some drywall repairs but it should be possible to put lights anywhere you like. We added additional recessed can lights to some of the darker corners of the room plus linear low voltage undercabinet lighting which is great for adjusting the mood/atmosphere of the room. We also put dimmers on everything which is saving us bulb life and allowing for a range of lighting looks from subtle to dramatic. Here is our original 1989 kitchen. We liked it at the time but were totally ready for this remodel! I'm just glad we were able to keep our old cabinets. That saved us a bundle!

Jhmarie; yes, the kitchen is very functional, and a part of this is almost like therapeutic processing for what to do with this house!Thank you for the heads up about the book. I will have a look for that. Aprilneverends; well thank you. I am really trying to not get caught up in fads, but I think the state of the place made me focus on the yellowness of the oak. And the oakiness of the oak everywhere in that part of the house! I always really enjoyed this blue, to be honest. ha!! It contrasted nicely and I got to cackle in my husband's direction every time someone told me they loved it, too. That's the thing I guess, you never can tell. I am a bit leery of how much the kitchen will change with all of the white and off white in regards to the contrast, and had to kind of giggle at the thought of painting the walls white and the wainscoting blue. Like a role reversal. :D Fidlfreek; I appreciate you bringing me back down from the clouds with some of your suggestions. Some of your sentiments I had thought of and was considering - all white miracle method, subway tile, lighting updates. Now is the time to pull that big beast down I think - we are planning to paint the ceilings throughout the home. Curious of your thought process- the lighting fixture you linked from ikea, is that to coordinate with the current colored cabinets? Or the shape in general? Staining the cabinets darker is of course an option, I just don't want this area to feel any more boxed in, I guess. This vantage point is actually the only way in and out of the kitchen - there is also peninsula seating already to the left, FYI. I actually picked the flooring you circled in the event that I wanted to go lighter or darker with the cabinets, now or later, that there would be flexibility in the flooring color to do so. It's also more of the classic wood look than some of the on trend colors I am seeing out there. The more I think about it, the more I would like to NOT spend a lot of time painting everything white, but I definitely think I need some adjustments in here. I find it interesting that none of you have mentioned the appliances or their color - apart from the microwave, which is usually the least of the appliance worries. ;D I so appreciate your feedback and input.

Actually, I think you might be fine to move forward with your final 2 coats of Loba 2K Supra AT (for 3 coats total). One of the exceptions to this is if you need something to prevent side bonding with your wood. Look up side bonding and then figure out if you think it is going to be a problem for you in your climate. That's the main thing that the WS EasyPrime prevents is side bonding; in addition, it brings out a rich wood color and helps the first coat of Supra AT to go on more evenly. If you like the color that you have now and side bonding is not a huge concern, then you would probably be better off to move forward rather than trying to sand that floor down again as that could create some brand new issues for you. It's probably not the end of the world that you skipped the hardener on the first coat. If anything, it might make the upper two layers a little more prone to impact, but this coating has a lot of flex built into it, and if you can live with the risk, it might be acceptable for your application. If this is an expensive home with a heavy grand piano or big dogs with claws, then reconsider leaving that first coat unhardened. Also, if this is an area where heavy appliances will be moved or set, I would also consider a re-do. Although I've worked a lot with WS EasyPrime and Loba 2K Supra AT, I'm not a professional, and Loba has an excellent customer service department, at least in the USA where I have utilized it, so if you are able to call and talk to a company representative, that would be the best option for professional advice on your situation. You may find it interesting to know that Loba makes a product called 2K InvisibleProtect AT which is designed to be used alone, without primer, in order to keep the wood as natural a color as possible. Some people have had issues trying to apply InvisibleProtect AT without a primer first, but it can be done. The 2K Supra AT is not usually used for this because it does impart more of a darkening effect than the InvisibleProtect AT--therefore primer doesn't take away from the final effect when Supra AT is used, and there are benefits to primer (side bonding prevention mainly), so it is standard procedure to use the WS EasyPrime under Supra AT. Note that Supra AT is overall more durable than InvisibleProtect AT, though both are outstanding finishes.

2-3 and 6-8 is quite a jump. There is not a big price difference in paint or lacquer products (certainly not enough for a $4K difference) Most of the work for painting cabinets comes in the prep stage, which is about 75% of the work. So this 2-3K price (which is very low, btw) How are they prepping? you said they're taking them offsite. but how are they going to prep and prime? I've used Advance on numerous wood projects. As hard as I am on my cabinets, I don't think I'd want it for those. Advance also has a cure time. As for yellowing, it's a hybrid alkaline paint, not oil base. It's acts like an oil base paint, but it isn't one. The oil is what causes white paint to amber over time. I had my cabinets painted last year. I have a lot of cabs. (I used about 55 handles if that gives you an idea) I specifically asked about how they prep. everything was off site. sanding, priming, fine sand again, wipe clean, spray w/paint. sand again (usually a wet sand) wipe clean, 2nd coat, then a clear coat. My painters used the conversion lacquer (not sure of the brand) . since I had solid wood doors, I opted to get my doors refaced w/solid wood rails/stiles but an MDF panel. (less movement resulting in fine cracks of the paint) I had a lot of modifications done (vent hood, removal of the old fluted /rope trim, new drawers made, micro moved to under the oven, euro hinges, soft close doors, removed all the original crown and took it back to paint at the shop, new toe-kick and a few other things) so my price tag came in over 12K. (The refacing of the doors and doors was only 2K more, which is a heck of a good deal. ) trying to get a good closeup so you can see the finish. you're only seeing half of the cabinets in theses pic! After a year, I've had a few tiny touch ups and those were all in the joint of the center MDF panel on the lower part (too much paint which resulted in some chipping) not a big deal. the painter came back and fixed it. no charge. I've hit the edges w/pans, dishes, etc, no chipping anywhere. edges are all intact. I scrub the paint finish w/a scrubby brush and Dawn, and wipe clean. Still looks brand new. That's another thing you need to ask about. Guarantee. find out if they guarantee the finish, for how long, and will they do free touch-ups. What if you have huge peeling? will they redo the whole thing? it needs to be in the contract. If you can't afford a better paint job w/the higher price tag, then save up until you can. A 2-3K paint job isn't a bargain if it only lasts you 2yrs. The companies you're inquiring about? check them out on Yelp. That's how I found my guys. All, and I mean every single one (and they had over 75) were 4-5 stars. mostly 5 stars. do some research and see if they have reviews online.