Bbtrix, thank you so much for your input. It has been very helpful as I reflect on this project. I want to make the IKEA work because of $ and for simplicity. I considered the Laxarby because it will match the other elements and be paintable in the future if needed, as it is wood. The white selections that IKEA offer now, are all foil wrapped or some other product. I would have preferred a color to the cabinets other than white though. White would not work with my DH. I am thinking, after discussing this, that the dark Laxarby would be fine with the table. The room won't be really contemporary, the desk/table I am reading as more rustic. We live on a farm next to a major river with lots of woods nearby. The desk/table, to me, speaks to the countryside around us. The cabinets will blend and contrast with my kitchen. So maybe I am off the cherry cabinets for his office ;) I will be using a whitish countertop with the cabinets, but will need to consider that now, if I go with this table. I couldn't go walnut!!! Could I? It might be too dark for the room. Speaking of counters, I just saw on craigslist a bunch of walnut slabs that might work for countertop at my depth. OH NO! I wanted simple. But I love projects. I have the means to make a countertop out of a slab I think.

My house has no style. It was built in 2003 by KB Homes when they were throwing up homes for a quick turnaround and not paying any attention to details or craftsmanship. There is no trim around windows. The doors have just plain trim with no detail and all interior doors are just plain, flat hollow core MDF. That's why I think something plain would work best, but the local home improvement stores don't have anything like that. My next step is visiting a trim store that I just heard about.

Hello! I would encourage you to have all your woodwork enameled and not just painted. As a rule of thumb, the glossier the finish the harder wearing and easier to clean the finish will be. Doors get handled a lot and so having them hold up to being cleaned is important. A high gloss finish is going to also show more imperfections, so it is important to prep the woodwork well prior to applying the enamel. As far as whether or not gloss is dated, I would say no, but I am guessing that may depend on who you ask! Having woodwork look great for the longest period of time is always my preference. I recently wrote an article about enameling if you are interested in more information! What is Enameled Woodwork and Why is it Better?

My neighbor near my last house bought all of his interior doors at Menards against his builders wishes. How do I know that? We had the same builder. A few years later most of the doors were coming off the hinges. That was about 2005. Maybe they have improved but I would not take the chance.