I would ask this question in the kitchen forum. It is a very active forum and you'll get a lot of good advice. Also, tell them what area of the country you are in.

You really need to be reading the Kitchen Forum here to get an idea of what high end means to you. You can easily spend 100K in cabinetry in a small kitchen for high end cabinets in a 200K remodel, but I suspect that's not what you had in mind, even if you are asking about high end. Most true high end remodels have very little consumer involvement. They usually have a designer plan it all and just sign off on it. Of course, there are those detail oriented people who will plan and plan every detail themselves, but those are pretty few at that budget range. :)

Just your plain jane average kitchen remodels are around 50K to replace the same stuff you tear out if you have to pay labor for others to do it. About 25K of that usually goes to cabinets, and that's not using high end cabinets. It's using a decent middle grade.

You need to get a better overall view of what's involved in a kitchen remodel and develop your budget based on your home and area's value and what you can afford. Traditionally, the guideline has been to spend 10-20% of your home's value on remodeling a kitchen, but that number will be skewed anywhere real estate values are very low or very high or if you are doing structural work that increases the complexity of the remodel.

I'm at the very start of this process and still gathering info of all kinds. Your message was very useful.

I found one of your ideas especially, umm, "interesting". You said "Most true high end remodels have very little consumer involvement. They usually have a designer plan it all and just sign off on it."

I enjoy cooking; as well, I've found that an enormous amount of design of all kinds--certain sports clothing, equipment, etc--is really lousy, since it does not seem to take into account how it will be used, and what consumers want. I'm very leery of "kitchen designers" since I suspect--fear?--that they have little idea of what is good *functionality*. So I plan to most of the design myself, at least in terms of "where do I need sliding shelves or storage and what kind?", "what kind of stove or cooktop do I want," etc., and then have my "high level" design critiqued and analyzed by a pro. (EXAMPLE of lousy kitchen design: induction cooktops. no one who enjoys cooking, wants to make cooking easy and flexible, etc etc, would buy such a thing, IMO. But I can see why some "designer" might push it.)

You're obviously in the initial stages of research, where you don't know what you don't know. And, that's a lot. You are badly misinformed on induction cooking. The reason it is becoming so popular is that you can achieve high heat cooking with instantaneous control, just like gas, but you do not introduce 40% of the heat produced by the appliance into the room for your home's HVAC to deal with. Even the most efficient gas hob will heat up the room almost as much as it heats your pan. There's also the cleaning aspect. Go and view the YouTube video of Dodge59's bacon frying where he puts down paper towels over the cooktop, does his bacon, and then cleanup is wadding it all up and throwing it away.

There are a wide variety of kitchen designers populating the field, just as there are doctors, lawyers, or accountants populating theirs. Good ones know how to help you create the workspace of your dreams that will function like you need it to function, as well as help you bring the space up to code and have the proper clearances around each station. Bad KD's just take your order without ever suggesting anything or telling you that something won't work the way you think it will. They'll just upsell you un-needed "upgrades" like plywood boxes and pull out shelving when using furniture board and drawer base cabinets would be a better choice.

Take a look at the Kitchen Forum here and read it for at least a week to absorb some more knowledge. Use the Search function at the bottom of the page to help you find relevant topics. After you do that, I'm sure that you will still have questions and want assistance with creating the optimum space, but you'll have a better knowledge base from which to form your questions from.

HOLLYSPRINGS:

1. You are absolutely right that I don't know what I don't know, and that's not a good place to be. I'm pretty aware of this problem, in general, and it's why I'm taking my time on this project.

2. Re induction cookg....I just hate it when someone mentions an idea, product, etc and I realize "Hmm, I guess my knowledge of that is lacking, I'd better investigate that."

For sure, conventional electric cooking ("burners") stinks. i know, bec. I've cooked on both. I'm generally suspicious of a lot of new and/or high-tech "stuff", particularly if it's somehow thought of or pitched as "stylish"--so often, "high-style" products are very "low-function."

So based on your comment, I will take harder look at induction stoves. Thanks.

Lurk and read and lurk and read on the kitchen forum. Any question that comes to mind, use the search function at the bottom of the main KF page (not the top), or better, Google gardenweb and your search terms, and read, read, read some more. The Appliances forum can also be useful for that topic.

Optimist,
I'm a serious hobby WWer and have built kitchen cabinets and various furniture. A quality planner AND installer is crucial with cabinets. You want to think about doors hitting each other, having a full range of motion, working with your range/cooktop/oven choices (thermal/heat issues), etc. Once you've got your plan and the ordered cabinets arrive, you'll need someone who can install them with a high degree of quality.

A reputable local cabinetmaker can produce & install pretty much anything you want. I can tell you that a factory is going to be able to produce the parts MUCH more cheaply (@ the same quality level) than someone who is buying the raw plywood or hardwood. In fact, many cabinet makers purchase the various parts (doors, drawers, hardware, etc.) and assemble them in custom carcasses. There are also factories that will build entire cabinets to your exact specifications... some cabinet "makers" buy from these factories and install.

You should deal with one person or company throughout the design, planning, and installation process. Don't buy from 'A' and expect 'B' to install everything properly. IMO, a good local cabinetmaker will be more expensive but -should- give you a much better cabinet system (cabinets fit the space exactly, etc.).

Greg__R, thanks for the very useful info.

A quick question for you: one thing I am considering is a cooktop sold for restaurants. One potential problem is that this thing weighs *175* lbs! I assume that is too heavy for a "standard" cabinet. Can a standard (high-end) cabinet be reinforced or manufactured to accomodate this cooktop?

>a cooktop sold for restaurants

Are you aware that the safety requirements for this sort of commercial cooktop (especially if gas) are likely to be much more stringent than for a cooktop designed for home use?

Optimist,
A cabinet with 3/4" plywood sides (not particle board) would easily handle the weight -if- it's spread out. Keep in mind that folks put 2" thick concrete counter tops on their cabinets! If the commercial unit sits on 4 feet then you'd need some kind of non-standard platform / leg supports for the cooktop (easily made by a cabinetmaker). With commercial units, you're getting into heat issues (how close is the cooktop to wood, etc. Keep in mind that in a commercial setting everything is metal & comes with a fire suppression system so it's a different design target. You'll want to ensure that the cooktop can work in a home setting & can be installed over wood cabinets.

If the weight is supported by the countertop material then you'll want to make sure that it can handle the load (and that the top is supported near the cooktop).

Greg__R and writersblock, thanks once again for the very useful info. I will check with the building inspectors in my town.