Ditto to every word Sophie said!

I think HGTV's home reno shows have convinced us that our homes have to WOW everyone to the point 'the WOW factor' is now something people look for. A gory train wreck has a huge WOW factor as well, but do we really want to see mangled bodies? I think not.

Thanks for the response Sophie Wheeler and Hayley Daniels, but perhaps I wasn't clear on the meaning of "being wowed." For me, "being wowed" is not only about the style, but mainly about functionality. Budget is not an issue.

I have an issue with my kitchen today. If the layout was perfect, then it would just be a simple matter of updating materials. But the layout doesn't work. We have a large kitchen, yet we don't have enough pantry space. We don't have space to store items which I use regularly (food processor, blender, juicers, etc.) and in spite of the size of the kitchen, we are always getting in each other's way. For example, there is a bottle neck when opening the fridge door as the island is so close. And there is a lot of dead space so there is definitely room to improve the flow and the storage issues. These are the things I needed addressed and I wasn't wowed by any of the options presented to me. Then comes style. Perhaps you don't think you need to be wowed by style, that's your option, if you want to put $75K+ toward a design and have it look so-so, I don't get it, but again, your money, your choice. I expect it to not only work well, but to look great

I'd like to make some more comments. While I'm very appreciative or anyone who takes the time to respond, please be mindful of the questions I've asked. The above two responses were not particularly helpful as they didn't address either of my questions. Secondly, back to the comment about HGTV: While I can't say with 100% certainty that this is so, but I'd bet the prior to the advent of HGTV, there was no one out there doing a remodel who said "Give me function and stay within my budget, but I don't really care what it looks like." Some of the HGTV shows have been a wonderful way to showcase possibilities. I find the above two comments a bit disconcerting - not quite sure of the point of either response.

Without a layout of the existing space, it's difficult to judge whether or not removing the breakfast area would work well for your home or not. A lot depends on how often the formal dining room is used in your home, and as a whole in your community. If the kitchen is already large and doesn't work well, adding more space doesn't generally create more function. Moving around the basic zones becomes more important, but that starts to impact budget, even a healthy budget.

As far as finding a KD, look at the Find a Pro section of Houzz above for your location. Also look at the NKBA website. Most KDs are affiliated with cabinet showrooms though, as designs can be cabinet line specific due to the different alterations that different lines provide that others do not.

And I don't think anyone was suggesting that aesthetics are not important in a kitchen. Of course they are! But, Houzz has a tendency to glorify form over function and many of the popular kitchens aren't necessarily great workspaces even though they may be beautiful.

A good KD will find out what your kitchen habits are, whether that's grind your own grain and make your own bread, or reheat takeout 5 nights a week. Then, if resale is in the picture, they'll make suggestions that compromise between the personal and the universal. They'll ask to find out how important symmetry is to you, and what type of feeling you want the design to convey, and what visual features are important to you . But, addressing most of that in the design process comes after you figure out what type of fridge you are buying and where that fridge should be located in the preliminary steps. At least it does in my design process. But, I'm handicapped by being someone who loves to cook, and does so almost every night. :)

I agree with ProSource. Your profile does not indicate in what city you live, but using the Find a Pro on Houzz is a good starting place. I would always contact several individuals and visit their spaces to ensure they have the type of talent you seek. Ask to look through their portfolios before you get too deep into discussions with them. Also there may be home shows, etc in your area where you can visit recent work of local designers. One of the things to ask when you see spaces you like is whether that organization actually did all of the design or was it a collaboration of kitchen designer, interior decorator, architect and/or contractor working together. Having looked at a lot of spaces here on Houzz, the ones that I see that are truly well put together both functionally and aesthetically are generally the result of a group effort.

A couple of other points. Creating a customized design is an iterative, collaborative process and requires active participation from all parties involved. This can include creating ideabooks on Houzz of things that wow you or creating a paper folder with photos from magazines. Specific feedback on preliminary design ideas is essential so that the designer(s) has a clear understanding of what one likes and dislikes about an option and the same mistakes are then not repeated in subsequent designs. Budget also has a great deal to do with the wow factor of a room and many times consumers believe they have a huge budget, when in fact it is modest for the work they wish to accomplish. So it helps to make sure the budget and project scope are congruent. I make these points only because we have seen projects stall or fall apart because of one or the other of these - neither may apply to you but always something to keep in mind.

If space allows, while not a requirement, I believe that it is always nice to have a casual eating area for everyday use. We do know families that don't ever eat at home, but it is a nice option to have and I do think it makes a difference for resale. While we could eat at the island, in 26 years at our home we have never done so - it just isn't relaxing and is not conducive to conversation. The island is a great place for gathering with friends. What I don't think works is to stick a table in a space that is too small or in an awkward location - but it doesn't sound like you will have that issue with the correct design of the remainder of the room.

Good luck on your project.

Thank you very Deborah Butler, your feedback is exactly what I was looking for in that you answered the two question I have (and brought up valid points for consideration as well.) I have created an ideabook and have showed it to the two places I have worked with thus far. I've also utilized the "find a pro" feature and have checked portfolios and contacted those I liked. I have a big concern about making the island so large that we can no longer have a casual eating area but the designer keeps assuring me that won't be a problem for resale. I have decided to ask a realtor for some input as well. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

FYI - I am in MI.