You are all so nice! Thank you very much! a2gemini: we are hoping to get the new cabinets and countertop/backsplash within 6-8 months after we put in the new appliances, so it was reassuring to know you didn't have any damage despite remodeling 2 years later. Peonybush: Ditto! ( substitute 9 months for 2 years :-)). Fori: Your post encourages me to ask away :-) - you'll probably regret your recommendation! I didn't even know there was an appliance forum - duh. Thanks for making me think about future paneling for the new dishwasher. I'm in two minds about getting stainless steel appliances ( we have black right now and the surfaces are so hard to keep streak-free - which I heard can also be a problem with SS). Plus I keep wondering how soon some new trend in appliance material will pop up and make stainless steel passe. Pricklypearcactus: Thanks for the heads-up. Luckily we won't be changing sizes or types. Best of luck - I hope you are able to sell your range with minimal loss. Finally a note to Joaniepoanie: I saw the pictures of your new kitchen on another thread - it's beautiful! Thanks for posting them!

IÂm not sure what the "right "answer is to this question but I would paint the cabinets first. The reason is that painting kitchen cabinets properly is a tedious long drawn out process but when thatÂs done the rest is the frosting on the cake or the "prize". ItÂs kind of like when you paint the exterior of your home. After all the hard work and prep if you paint the front first it looks so nice but then itÂs so hard to motivate yourself to do the rest. If you start in the back your end result prize is getting the front done so you can admire all the beauty. Hope that makes sence. Best of luck!

Thanks for all the replies! While the cabinets are currently the more visible and space-occupying part of what I want to change, I can see where doing the counters first makes a lot of sense. Not only will they be more of an investment, but they are not as changeable as the cabinets. I would think it easier to paint the cabs to go with the counter, than the other way around. Also replacing the counter would create more physical trauma than the paint.

The dishwasher is easy to change after the fact. It pulls straight out, and dimensions are (mostly) standardized. European models (Bosch and Miele) are slightly different size, but most kitchen cabinets have enough play to accommodate either one. The stove is a different question though. A cooktop combined with a wall-oven is an unusual configuration in the US. This is much more common in Europe, where dimensions are (almost) standardized. If you buy a replacement in the US, chances are you'll end up buying a free-standing or slide-in range. And that will require making some adjustments to your cabinets. And as others said, fridges are the big elephant in the room (quite literally). Dimensions are really not standardized at all. There are a couple of more popular options. But nothing that everybody fully agrees on.