Thanks for your responses!
rhome410 - There is no trim at the door. And that's an interesting thought about trading cabinet space for just visual (but not useful) space. I guess it's not like we will have to turn sideways to get past the cabinet! It's just that we're used to a little wider "feel".
buehl - Thanks, that does help! I'm sure we will get used to it eventually.
sue36 - I guess 1 1/2" isn't that far out of the ordinary after all. Fortunately there is no trim, so it shouldn't be that hard when we finally paint.
Q