Thanks everyone. It's truly amazing how much difference the countertops make even though the project is not yet finished! I can't believe this is the same kitchen. lol I just wish I could afford to grab a new dishwasher now too. The white one next to my stainless sink kind of ruins it for me. ;) If anyone is interested in the floor tiles they are called Biltmore Gray from Home Depot. Reasonably priced. The grout color is called Haystack. The cabinets are being done with the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations light color kit in Porcelain with the glazing stain over it. If I had it to do over again, I would probably paint the cabinets with the base coat (Porcelain) and then hire someone to do the finishing glaze portion. It's somewhat difficult to get all the doors and drawer fronts to match using a light color, as I'm sure you can see in some of the pictures. If I were going with a dark cabinet color, I would not hesitate to use this kit. Just an FYI for anyone who might be considering alternatives to the high cost of new cabinets and doesn't want a straight painted look.

Oh my...I'm sorry to be sooooo delinquent in thanking you all for your thoughtful responses! I've been T"G"O this week (totally "granite" obsessed) and have visited 16 places (again) for the past 3 days. Beyond exhausted...but demo is about a month away and I need to get all these things picked out. Anyway...that's another story :-) Thank you all for your info...Love your beautiful doors! It's very interesting to see how different doors can be, even when they are similar in style. I just want them to look nice without something being "noticeable". In my travels yesterday, I visited a faucet showroom (next to a tile place...how convenient!) that had some cabinet samples. They had one that shows the depth I was talking about. This looks very similar to the one my cabinet guy showed me. I'm think I'll go with the "inside of the door" with the smaller recess. Outside of door: (see how deep it is?) Outside of Door: href="http://s620.photobucket.com/albums/tt285/Julie94062/Kitchen/Cabinet%20Samples/?action=view¤t=IMG_2112.jpg" target="_blank"> Inside of Door: href="http://s620.photobucket.com/albums/tt285/Julie94062/Kitchen/Cabinet%20Samples/?action=view¤t=IMG_2114.jpg" target="_blank"> Top of Door: href="http://s620.photobucket.com/albums/tt285/Julie94062/Kitchen/Cabinet%20Samples/?action=view¤t=IMG_2117.jpg" target="_blank"> Door at another showroom: href="http://s620.photobucket.com/albums/tt285/Julie94062/Kitchen/Cabinet%20Samples/?action=view¤t=Shakerdoorexample-deeprecess.jpg" target="_blank"> Thanks to all...so much! (PS forgive the pics...I just joined photobucket and need to fine tune a bit, I'm sure)

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.

Thanks, jdesign, for trying to talk me through how this gliding system works. Thankfully, one of the two companies who offer Omega just put up a display of the doors in their store this week! So, I get to go in and see them for myself! Honu, I'm glad you found the thread again. It would be great to see your cabinets, when it is a good time for you. I finally got my initial quotes back from Durasupreme and Omega. I'm still in the process of trying to ensure they followed my list so I can compare apples to apples. I'm relieved with both quotes, which I guess is the consolation prize of a small kitchen. I didn't hold back much on the bells and whistles, so these numbers supposedly include thin end cabinets on both the fridge and the peninsula sides of the U for small pantry space, framing in the fridge, garbage pullout, microwave drawer, super susan, some drawer stacks, etc. The estimates also include costs for basic crown, light rail and toe kick. I asked to have them priced out in white shaker. Both cabinet lines are the frameless lines. They offer 3/4" plywood boxes, dovetail drawers, soft-close, full extension. Durasupreme Alectra came in at $17,528, discounted $800+ for a sale and another $800 if I pay cash - for a total then of $15,819. Shipping included. There was a $1700 up-charge for the bamboo on the lowers and fridge cabinet/pantry included. Omega's Full Access quote came in at $13,478, including shipping. It says on the quote that this is a 50% discount... It would add a little over 2K to change the uppers to the gliding door system. Bamboo and wenge would be a 50% uncharge (ouch). I'm getting a second quote from this line from another company today. The good news is that these numbers make both lines affordable for me. And, really, fairly comparable. The bad news is that I still can't find finishes in ANY line at ANY price point that I really like. I do love the Omega Metro door. That's about it, so far. It's really sad. I know stained cabinets would hold up better and slab is more cleanable and I like the IDEA of stained/wood/bamboo/wenge lowers and white uppers. But, I don't really want slab doors on the tops. I don't want dark and I don't want super grainy/busy and I don't think my house can handle heavy. The house would like light woods, but I am just not a fan of maples, firs, oaks, cherries, pines, etc. I went into this adamantly against yellow, gold, orange or red tones. Now, I am considering bamboo, but DuraSupreme's reads pretty orange/yellow and Omega's are muted but a 50% uncharge! One thing that I haven't considered, but maybe I should, is rift oak. Maybe I could live with that? Bottom line, I think I'm really a painted cabinet girl, trying to shove herself into a wood cabinet box SOMEHOW. And, all of that is probably for another thread...