Sorry to sound a discordant note, but I personally don't like the French doors at all. I think an arch would be perfect. From the kitchen, the doors seem unnecessary, but more importantly, they would interfere with light unless you added the sidelights, which, as several folks have said, will look pretty busy IRL. But it's the view from the FR that really makes me dislike the doors. Sometimes it's easy to overlook the obvious, and here, the obvious is the fact that you'll have wall after wall after wall of French doors. Together they form an overwhelming block of glass and muntins and frames and grid shapes, with no easy way to soften them (these aren't windows and won't have soft, poofy window treatments). I think they could look even odder IRL. Either you'll have a shade or something on the patio door, and nothing on the others, or you'll leave all three doors nude, which will give you one black door at night and two others that have indoor light behind them. They will look similar, but wrong. Plus, in reality, I find that people actually keep interior french doors closed far less often than they think they will. I think the arch avoids some of these problems. It pierces that corner so that the FR won't feel so much like an isolated addition or a 3-season porch that's been tarted up--instead, it would be connected to the house. And having the curved arch lets you break up that infinite repetition of rectilinear grid, grid, grid without having to add anything. Finally, it will connect the FR and the kitchen with the rest of the house architecturally by repeating a motif you already have. Sorry to add confusion--just my $.02!

*I* recently installed the post form laminate in my kitchen showroom. Formica 180FX in the Calcatta Marble with the ogee edge. The 10' section, ordered cut to size and with the sink hole, cost less than $200 retail. In a less spendy finish and edge it would be around $140. You could do the average kitchen for under $300 total. And if a 50 year old woman can handle the install, I'm sure that a "professional" builder who's younger and with more muscles can handle it. And, if he's ordering the laminate from a fabricator, the wood edge is the MOST expensive choice in laminate. If he's DIYing it himself, then it's about the same price as buying post formed from the local distributor. He'd have to special order the longer sheets of laminate as the box stores only carry 8' sections. (A 5x10 sheet runs around $100-180) The partical board only comes in 8' sections ($50) The wood counter edge isn't really that available any more, but you can find it at a lumber yard. Usually around $30 for an 8' section, and that means seams as you can't find a 12' section like you can with the special order laminate. Seams equal water damage. Seams with the wood and the laminate are gross to begin with and only get worse over time. So, if he says that post formed is more expensive and he buys all of the materials for the wood edge, he isn't charging for labor, which means he's making that up somewhere else. Or, he's just not telling you the truth. The dollars don't lie. In the end, you'd be getting a much inferior product for more money as just buying post formed.

"Because you made it up and thought no one would call you on it? " Really? for those of us who have been here for years, we don't keep track of every thread, comment and/or link we have posted. mostly because they are too numerous, but also because we have real world experience to back us up and not just some internet link. if one searches long enough one can find opposing links to every topic, but it takes time that can be better used for productive things, and not just to prove a point. as an independent contractor, I don't advertise at all. all work comes from referrals from previous clients. I work hard to please all of my clients, and average 3 referrals from each one. some numerous referrals over the years. btw folks, this topic is about beat to death, but it won't die. want to talk about something else for a while? anything but powered attic ventilators & recessed lights! both other topics that have been done to death. y'all have a good day, I'm going to go work in my yard after lunch.

Hello Highgarden- If you are going through the trials and tribulations of building a custom home with $50, 000 spent solely on kitchen cabinetry, don't you think it would be wise to consult with an expert in the field of kitchens, that, is a certified kitchen designer? (And one with years of experience.) https://nkba.org/certification/certified-kitchen-bath-designers-ckbd/ This is for multiple reasons. Firstly, the KD specializes in kitchens and their design, and will think of things you haven't and that your builder hasn't either. She (he) won't have any financial relationship with any specific manufacturer so there is no pecuniary interest in which product you choose. You don't really know that about your builder, do you? Now it may be that your builder is really the best one around, and that is why you chose him. And being the very best builder, he only installs the very best cabinetry because he wants his work to hold up and he wants to be proud of what he puts in. But only one manufacturer? That's a bit odd. But right now, you have the emphasis on the wrong syllable. How do you even know you have a really good kitchen design in the first place? I would suggest getting a real CKD and then have her suggest some lines of cabinets for you based on your plan, your tastes and your budget. You said "That kitchen designer/cabinet company is definitely on the high side of our budget..." Once you said "kitchen designer/cabinet company" then we knew it was not a real kitchen designer but a company that is in the business of selling cabinets that drew up some sketches for you. Ixnay on that! They don't know what they don't know, and excuse me, but dollars to donuts neither do you. And finally, I have clipped from several threads quotes from Sophie Wheeler, a very experienced CKD who no longer posts here (it's a long sad story.) She told it true, and I relished her every word and learned so much from her. "There are a lot of good vendors out there. There are not as many good Kitchen Designers out there. Find your Kitchen Designer first, and he will steer you through the vast amounts of stuff you don’t know that you didn’t even know existed and didn’t know was important. What’s important in cabinets: US constructed. Not US assembled from imported parts. Imports are cheap for a reason. Do not lie to yourself that you are getting something for nothing. You are just paying in a different way that you will regret. The number of door choices that a company offers pretty directly correlates to the quality of the line. And the expense of the line. There are stock lines that offer a single white, and 3 stains on birch, and maybe 2 in oak. And 5 doors. There are lines that offer 25,000 possible combinations. Plus pure custom. Not kidding. Most people end up somewhere in between, in a semi custom line, that gives a good variety of options. The levels of expense will overlap. A simple door in cabinet line C may cost less than a complex door in line A. This is where you need your KD’s help. You need to decide what is good enough for you, or, what level you will accept. And then your dream level. Realistic dream. Not as in you want 750K worth of antique reclaimed ship deck teak to be made into cabinets. Me too. Not realistic. The average mid grade kitchen remodel in the US, using all professional labor, is 63K. That’s to rip it to the studs and do everything. Wiring for better lights. New appliances floors. Paint. Sinks, faucets. As well as the big ticket items of cabinets and counters. Invluding labor in the category totals, the general breakdown of “average” is. Cabinets: 26K Counters: 6K Floors: 7K Electrical: 3K Plumbing: 2K Appliances: 11K. Paint &Millwork: 2K Demolition and misc labor: 5K Discretionary Mad money: 1K Of course, remodels are individual, as are priorities. You may want a 20K appliance budget and move to stock cabinets to make that happen. And not everyone lives in an average 325K US home. Some are above, and some are below. Which is why you take that figure, and your house, and your location, to figure out a budget. Traditional budgeting tries to keep you from over spending or underspending. 10-30% of your home’s value is what to budget for the whole redo. 40% or so to cabinets. That guideline gets muddy in a high cost of living and a low cost of living. There are certain baseline costs to a kitchen remodel that have to be spent, no matter what. The lower your home is in the area’s percentile, the higher the actual percentage will be needed to be to spent. A 100K home has to really struggle to keep to a 20K budget, especially if they have the latest HGTV want list and not laminate counters and stock cabinets. Whereas a 900K home should be able to easily fit a like for like redo into 110K, unless they have a 40K appliance package. Or a 50K range. Theres lots more research to do in the kitchen forum And with your KD. _____________________________________________________________________ Skip any stupid plywood “upgrades”. You’re paying more for functional equivalency. No one needs plywood. Quality is OK, but not even close to the quality of the other two. Someone is getting their pockets full on that quote. Cabico is a better product than KM, but the better KD will make for the better project, regardless of cabinet quality. ________________________________________________________________________ 99% of web cabinets with one color one style are cheepxxxxxcrapola. As is anything used on HGTV. ________________________________________________________________________ 4K is average to low for a wood hood. If you don’t want to spend that, then don’t. Remove it from the design. Buy a metal one. You know the coool ones with the stainless bands and rivets. That are 9K. Cheaping out on things at this stage will come back to bite you. That’s the #1 regret of most people post remodel. They went through all of the anguish and didn’t end up with what they really wanted. They settled. ________________________________________________________________________ 3 quotes has never worked well if you are searching for quality. 3 quotes is only focused on price. If you want the cheapest price around, you will certainly find it. And curse the day that you found it too. Once you find a great KD, that’s the most important element to the whole project. More important than brand by far. At that level, there are lots of great choices. Pick the person, and the person will get you the best value. ___________________________________________________________________________ Unless you have an independent designer creating a kitchen plan for you, you can’t shop apples to apples anyway. If you simply must shop, then you need to spend money on the front end for independent design work. Because there can be 20K difference or more in one design in the same exact line when it’s fully detailed vs someone designing to the cheapest way to fill the room with cabinets. I know how that game is played, and you are doing yourself great harm trying to do it that way without an actual standard to be able to compare. _____________________________________________________________________ Dynasty is 4 clicks above Waypoint in quality. No where near the same level at all. Their finish is superb. Ultracrap--no thanks. Not many are going to have experience with Luxor as it's Canadian with limited distribution….. Higher quality and more money for P&F. Dynasty is an upper mid grade line, whereas Waypoint is entry level. Dynasty is so worth the 10K difference for sure. You're not gonna get that quality for 10K less. You're shopping the wrong thing. Shop for a designer first. Any good KD carries enough lines as to give you what you need in the right line for you. There are several lower priced lines out there but it will vary by location and designer. There are a lot of right choices in product. Less so in a profeessional. Worry less about brand and more about who's putting the design together…. Let the KD suggest the cabinet line, then do your research on the line. Any midgrade and up line can give you a good kitchen and will likely be bell clustered withina 5K range if you are truly comparing similar quality levels. When you're comparing apples and oranges is when you get more deviation in pricing. Remember that an average sized kitchen in middle of the road cabinetry without an insane bunch of upgrades will be 15-20K. And when you find someone you like, who sells a line you like,STOP LOOKING. More looking doesn't help. It paralyzes you into indecision and doubting any decisions you do make. If you like the Dynasty, stay there. The price difference is fair for what you're getting.