Thank you Karin that's exactly what I was looking for. Your cabinets are beautiful! I wish I could talk DH into the stacked bond for the backsplash - it looks so sharp. Great job! I think that maybe we will go unfinished. What kind of floors do you have? Are they the same tone as the cabinets?

More kitchens below (from German web sites).

IKEA Adel medium brown birch for lots of pictures.

And info on staining birch
http://www.americanwoodworker.com/blogs/tips/archive/2012/07/12/the-way-wood-works-birch.aspx

Here is a link that might be useful: birch kitchens

Nosoccermom - those links are SO helpful! Thank you! Maybe I'll ask the cabinet builders to seal them before they stain.

Those cabinets are beautiful!

Have you decided to have the cabinets stained or to leave them unstained?

Thanks! In fact, "sharp" is exactly one of the adjectives we were going for.

Our floors are still the original vinyl blah. I just got stalled out in decision-land and haven't moved forward with it. Maybe I'll copy whatever you come up with. :)

"Maybe I'll ask the cabinet builders to seal them before they stain."

If he is a competent finisher, why don't you let him produce a large sample (cabinet door sized) stained to your color for approval that way you can see how blotchy it is or isn't? Even if you are going to do a clear finish it is still a good idea to get a large sample for approval, you can check the finish and also the quality of his edgebanding

What cut and species of Birch are you going with? Big difference between baltic birch, white birch, flame birch etc....

Nosoccormom - I'm going to meet with them today to talk about the stain and final drawings. I've decided if they don't condition then, I'm either going to insist on doing it myself before they stain, or go unstained.

Karin - haha I know what you mean I'm feeling the same way! We're doing 5" clear grade hickory through the whole house - that's part of the reason I'm so worried about the stain. We're leaving the floors natural colored and I don't want one huge blonde kitchen.

ajc71 - they have a showroom upstairs and one of the "vignettes" is the birch but with the shaker rails. Its very pretty and I don't think too blotchy, but I've only seen it a couple times and honestly I wasn't really paying attention to that part. Hopefully they'll put my mind at ease today. I've already put down my deposit! Damnit if I have to condition those cabinets myself I will! They're a little Ma and Pa shop about 30 mins from the jobsite - I'd say they're semi custom - they have certain "ways" they like to build things and I can't really specify otherwise, but I can have all the custom dimensions and stick built cabinets which I really like. Their construction seems much more solid and they're actually comparable in price to the "semi-custom" big box quotes I've been getting. I'm feeling a little stressed bc the woman I was working with is now in the hospital w cancer and the rest of the "family" is working double time right now to make up for it. They probably think I'm a lunatic but I'm going to babysit this entire process.

Thank you all for your input - wish me luck!!

Oh, and we're going with white birch - no heartwood. I'm hoping that'll help a bit with the color variation. Not sure about the cut - is there a way I can ask that question to them without sounding like an idiot? I specified bookmatched, if that helps. Bah!

So you are asking for all sapwood (white part of the tree)?

Based on your description of the company I would assume that they are using a plain sliced veneer, if that is the case then bookmatching the veneers will be fine....if they are planning on using a quartersawn all sap birch, then bookmatching is not so fine

Ask for a large sample....I always request cab door size approx 18 X 30, pay careful attention to the banding, if it is veneer banding it is pretty easily damaged, if it is a thick veneer multi ply banding it is much better

Yes all sapwood, white part of the tree. I'm assuming its just yellow birch - I didn't specify anything fancy.

In the description it says "solid and veneer" which I assume means the frames will be solid but the doors might be veneered plywood. I'll try to get a sample from her today but it might not be stained. I'll ask her specifically about the banding - I didn't even realize that was a thing. Is it also possible they don't band the edges at all? I've seen some old plywood doors like that and it actually seems very appropriate for our MCM house.

Again thank you SO much for helping me find the right questions to ask - I don't know where I'd be without this forum. Probably lost, broke, and in an uggo kitchen haha!

OMG you guys saved my ass!! The lady I was working with before didn't understand at all what I wanted and we def weren't speaking the same language. She had us down for solid wood doors which were made out of smaller chunks of wood - it would have looked like a circus!

I finally got a hold of the owner and was able to get a much clearer picture of what we're getting. I switched our doors to veneered plywood (huzzah! they're cheaper!) I confirmed they use multi-ply banding and the owner is going to go pick out the sheets herself and the grain will be as continuous as they can get them (this is what they're calling bookmatched - I'm not sure it means what they think it means...). Either way this is the look we were going for. She took me into the shop and I talked to the old guy who builds them - needless to say I feel much better now.

Also, they agreed to condition the wood before they stain it which I think will minimize the blotchyness in the birch. They didn't know that was an option - she called Sherwin Williams on speakerphone while I was standing there to confirm I wasn't crazy! So I guess they learned something new today.

I decided to do a mid-range honey color that I think will go nicely with the floors and soapstone.

Thanks again for the help!!

All good, but I would suggest that you do NOT use a veneer core plywood for the cores of the doors

I would actually insist on a MDF core, the plywood is not the way to go for this application....prone to warp and also there will be some telegraphing of the veneer core through to the veneer face.

Really?? I specifically asked them if warping would be an issue and they said "no" and "less so even than the solid doors."

I will call them to ask about the MDF core instead - we'll see what they say. Thanks!!

For sure warping would be less then if they used solid wood slabs, but still will not be acceptable

Accept nothing but MDF....expensive mistake to use VC Plywood for the doors, yes I made the mistake many years ago!

Does it make a difference if its 3/4" ply vs something thinner? How thick were the ones you had warp? I've seen plywood slab doors in many older kitchens and they seem fine - in fact I think the original cabinets we just tore out were plywood slabs.

Did you have the telegraphing issue too? Is that just where the layer below shows through the veneer?

Jeez this is intimidating!

I am not sure if it makes a difference in the thickness, I would think that thinner would make it worse though

Major telegraphing....have not used any veneer core for cabinet faces since, fine for box construction and that is it for me

Not intimidating, just need to get educated....good place to do that, learn from other peoples mistakes!

Swen, Are you doing slab doors?

I was going to do slabs but now I'm not sure! DH is terrified of MDF!!