Here are some other things to look at. The upper shutters are louvered, which I think is a nice texture there with the brick below and adds some interest. 'Heartthrob' red sounds very bright. I'd do soft colors with the materials you've chosen for the house. Below is a soft dark gray and then on to a dark chocolate brown. We have a few houses around here with the light shutters on light siding and they are gorgeous! One of my favorite looks. The siding doesn't look at all gray to me, looks more like a beige, so I don't know if the photo is accurate. Having trouble getting a color I just love to work on the door. HTH!

Hi everyone, A few months back I decided to go with IKEA cabinets (which came out to about $6K. I shopped around with some local cabinet makers but they were all more than twice as much. Then I met with Yorktowne Cabinet dealers and they offered their Silver like for roughly $8-9K. The trick is that IKEA will cost about $4K in installation while Yorktowne is only $1500. Then, someone told me about Costco AllWood cabinets. They are about $8K (already assembled) plus the labor to install them. I've read about other cabinet makers on this site and that seems to widen the choices as opposed to help me figure out what to do. My main concern is to get a budget kitchen that is good quality. If the quality is going to hold up, I don't really care about the brand label or the wood type. I also want good quality hardware that won't break on me in the first 5 years. I am also not too thrilled that Costco does not offer frameless - but is that a big deal? Any advice on how to proceed? THANK YOU!

Thanks for the morning feedback. It's nice to know I'm not alone and get some ideas going about how to get past the idea stage. The conversation and wine over at love-to-dream's is great, by the way, if anyone wants to join us. It's rather nice to have company along the way - especially if no one in your real life is at all interested in, well, obsessive kitchen discussion! @wi-sailorgirl - I do spend a fair amount of time at Houzz and have some idea books. I also have extensive GW files of inspirational kitchens, features and possible layouts. I guess I'm not finding it pointing me in a direction yet, but I'll step back and take a longer look and see if that helps illuminate! @ eleena - Glad to know I'm not alone! It sounds like you have not found your investment with a designer to be particularly helpful? I appreciate the advice to go slow. On the other hand, I actually think one of the things that might force me to move faster would be having a GC instead of this DYI nonsense. I guess I even go back and forth on that! On one hand, the money saved through DYI is pretty substantial and my partner has all the skills, though we'd hire out some parts. On the other hand, partner is busy, I am a dreamer and a GC would force us into mobilization and deadlines and structure which MIGHT be worth it. @herbflavor - I appreciate the layout advice and have posted various options over the past year - more will no doubt be coming once that wall comes down and I can template out what I am working with, as I know my vision about how much space it is going to open up is just not real in this small house. An L + island would allow me to put a pantry on the end of the cabinets opposite a fullsize fridge on the other side instead of going with a tall, skinny fridge with a pullout next to it. However, the island doesn't seem to play as nice with the new backsplash window or sit in the best spot given the 2 traffic patterns required - and many people have commented that a U seems better for me given it blocks off the kitchen floor from the front door. Definitely holding off on that until the wall actually comes down and I do think that will help me commit at least to layout. (Please, please, let it help lol) @ caryscott - You make a good point that budget does eliminate a lot of options. I also think you are right that making one decision forecloses on many other things I might love. The place where I see that the most in my situation is counter/tile choices. I find a great tile, then try to imagine what that means for counters and it almost invariably just doesn't work with the other top choices. Maybe I should ask for help with creating some idea boards... @lovetodream - the wine and reassurance that I am not alone is more help than you can know. Promise! And it is so much easier to give you advice, strangely, than myself. (What's up with THAT?) I think if you (me) could just start with SOMETHING, the rest would maybe start to fall into place. Or, start a few idea boards with a few favorite choices and have a few options to mull over instead of a million? At the least, we'd end up narrowing the field and having SOME choices made, likely. Or, on the other hand, we can open up another bottle and talk about it some more... @2LittleFishies - I agree, the good news is the bad news here. It's nice to have time to really research, ponder, take breaks, etc. However, I'm really not sure, objectively speaking, how much I've gained from the time and additional research. Minus some big moments, like seeing BrooklynGalley's Liebherr tall and skinny fridge and realizing I -could- have a pantry with a U if I went that way. What ends up happening is I look at various kitchens and say "Ooooohhhh, ahhhhh! I love that! I could totally just replicate those pendants, cabinets and tile and be perfectly happy!" Then tomorrow I see another kitchen and do the same thing... I dream of being one of those efficient, clear-headed decision-makers. lol @Kali615 - Do you mind if I ask what one thing you started with that your DH loved? I really do think that's probably the thing - to get a general direction started with that first decision. I've also decided the box stores are probably not my friend in any of this... though I am going to go into the new Lowes and HD that were just built and see if they have anything that appeals before I totally give that up. Your island sounds like it is going to be great. How did you come across that bowling alley wood? Craig's List? @kashmi - I appreciate the functionality questions. Once that wall comes down, I'm going to mock up a kitchen and play around with how I want to work in the "new space". GW is so great for considering those questions. The truth is, there are 2 of us and neither of us are huge cooks. However, I'm really hoping that changes SOMEWHAT with a new kitchen and this isn't all for superficial reasons. lol @ ArchitectMamma - This idea board is definitely something I have been contemplating. I haven't learned how to use the on-line options people around GW have been using and I struggle to find all the pieces and parts of what I want. It's really getting to be about time to take it to that step, I think. @ Marcolo - Good advice. I wonder how much I could get done in my life period if I was off the net. lol Both you and ArchitectMamma are recommending some of the same resources and it's a good suggestion. I do try to peek through magazines but generally end up not buying because nothing is really grabbing me. However, I absolutely agree that the same stuff recirculates on-line. That's one of the reasons I got bored at Houzz. I just am not finding a lot of trade showrooms in Anchorage. I need to look harder and actually get out there. I admit to a little terror that I am going to find "the perfect stone" in some obscure granite yard way before I am in a position to use it and be haunted by it forever... What I need, ultimately, is a whip and a ruler to keep myself (get myself) on task. lol And as a final note of irony, I found a thread yesterday through GW on Shiloh cabinets. There was a link to a kitchen I really liked. A little cottage - a little modern. And, I thought to myself, "Self, you could just do this. You like it. It would go with the house great. They are well made. They are well reviewed. It's a good look." Then I went to the website. They don't have dealers east of the Mississippi, basically. I'm in Alaska. And so it goes...

Personally, I prefer the peninsula versions b/c the peninsula directs traffic away from the range and Cooking Zone as well as the Prep Zone (counterspace b/w the range and sink). The peninsula versions also have the seats near the window as well and oriented so visitors can gaze outside if they like. In the island version, visitors have their backs to the window. Also withe the peninsula versions, you can cook and visit and, if you don't need water, you can also prep on the peninsula and visit. The peninsula will also be useful for large baking projects (if you have any) b/c of its proximity to the range (and pantry for ingredients). Visitors can also use the refrigerator & sink w/o getting into the Cooking Zone and w/o too great an impact to the Prep Zone. In the first two versions (w/corner sinks), you could use the 21" cabinet b/w the sink and DW as tray and/or cutting board storage. The cabinet is needed there to provide enough room for someone to stand at the sink and load the DW. Notice that I put the MW near the refrigerator as well...this is to allow snackers to use it but still keep it inside the kitchen. Right now, it's mounted on a shelf below the upper cabinet. If you'd rather, you could put a MW drawer in the peninsula...at the end of the peninsula opening toward the sink. This would keep it on the periphery so snackers will not get in the way of those working in the kitchen. I envision the counter next to the refrigerator to be a Snack Center...if you'd like to use it that way.