Pick whichever counter is the one that really makes you happy. The only thing getting me through the etching of my super white is the fact that I love it so much. I'd hold off on making any backsplash choices right now. Wait until you have counters, cabinets, floor, etc in place. Then, make the decision when you are in the new kitchen. No need to rush this decision. Too many regret making it hastily. Good luck!!! Congrats on the new house! Bee

Look at the kitchens of a few of your neighbors houses. Take notes as to what types appliances they have in their kitchens. Take this information to the Kitchen Forum along with a floorplan of your home, including pantries, doorways and windows. Let them give you some general ideas of what may be accomplished. You may also want to consult with an independent kitchen planning consultant for help. We can give you lots of specific ideas about appliances, brands and features of appliances and the best use of appliances. But, we will need to first assess the space and basic requirements. While many on the forum have experienced children that go through strange food stages, we generally love to cook. We also tend to be kitchen and appliance obsessed. This means the convenience foods you are currently serving to your family are classified as emergency foods. They are not the primary types of foods we feed to our families. Even a substandard kitchen can produce good, healthy food. It can be done on a budget and it can be done quickly. A challenging kitchen just doesn't do it as nicely or efficiently as it could be done. Do not take this a criticism, but it seems foolish to make the effort and spend a lot of money on equipment that won't be used or appreciated. If you continue to feed your children a diet of frozen chicken nuggets and pizza, they will never learn to experience the full range of nature's bounty. Learning to eat well and appreciate food is a life-long process and the foundation is laid early in life. May I suggest you subscribe to one of the weekly meal delivery services and commit to cooking two or three meals a week from scratch. I use one and I have found it to be both educational, convenient and budget friendly. It would expose your family to foods that they otherwise might not experience. If you put it in front of them enough, they will eat eventually. Also, this might help you to determine what kind kitchen is needed. I use Green Chef, they are entirely organic. They have family meal options, too. There are any number of these services available to suit every need.

A kitchen of that age will need electrical updating. More outlets, more lighting. Etc. You can already see it needs lots more lighting. It doesn’t have very much. This is a case of you don’t know what you don’t know on that front, but something a Kitchen Designer spots immediately. “Contractor cost” for materials isn’t the deal that you think it is, unless he is an actual product dealer himself with a showroom, and not a contractor purchasing from wholesalers. Wholesalers still have to eat. I know what’s what for pricing on both situations. With materials being 60-70% of a 60K redo, you’d be looking at 35-40K just for materials by themselves at retail. A contractor’s discount on cabinets might be 10% on cabinets, 5% on stone, 15% on flooring, 20% on plumbing fixtures and lighting. The big ticket items have very little wiggle room. The smaller ones, more so. So, wholesale, for materials only, being generous and not that realistic, say 15% overall discount. So 30K-35K for “at cost” materials. Yeah, you’re now at half of a standard mid grade remodel, but you’re also technically DIYing it ALL, including materials logistics, timetables, design, permits and inspections, etc, by having “in house labor”. Professional design advice will cost you 2--5K, and is worth every penny and more. It should find a place in your budget. But you don’t want to take advantage of a relative providing you with all of that work. It costs them double in that they are not charging you, plus that time could be spent doing paying work. So plan to take time to be their site helper and gofer. Contribute work where you can. Paint the walls. Wield the sledgehammer and dump the buckets of demo’d tile into the dumpster ($700 rental) And plan on paying your dad something, so that he doesn’t have that bit of twinge of resentment that puts a burr in the relationship. Dad’s want you to be able to stand on your own feet, and you should have already done a lot of this kind of work growing up in the business. Show him you paid attention and absorbed his work ethic. 5K would be about right for a contribution for a dad. More for brother or cousin who isn’t as financially secure. But it’s your time and labor contribution that will keep this on track. Spend lots of time planning the technical details up front while you save more money. Like the lighting and electrical and cabinet placement. It’s what makes a project run smoothly. Draw up a measured diagram and put in a separate post to get the best layout you can before you plan any of the decorative details. You DO NOT want a pantry in your breakfast area. That’s too nice a spot to ruin. Your plan IS doable with your in house help. Just not at the budget that you envision. Double that budget. And double your own participation in the process. Plus budget for professional kitchen design advice. It’s a whole specialty subset of design because there is so much to know.

People on this forum love the drawer microwaves. I can see the advantages, yet I am not a fan. Yes, there is a concern of replacement down the road. The only microwave type that does not have that concern is the inexpensive $120 countertop MW that goes on a shelf, or in your pantry, or on your counter. But the major reason I don't like drawer MWs is that I am an impatient person, especially in the morning. I do not like the soft close and soft open of the drawer MW. I prefer to stick my food in the MW, and slam the door, and when it's done, push a button and the door instantly swings open. Obviously, many people do not feel this way, as drawer MW are very popular, and as I said, I understand their advantages. I am just giving my viewpoint.