You should definitely re-post in the Kitchens forum, but like you, I'm trying to find an inexpensive cabinet solution. I'm very interested in IKEA because they come with the most bells and whistles for the cost. The downside is obviously the assembly issue, and limited choices of sizes, design and finish. However, to address the style choice issue, I'm considering ordering the doors and drawer fronts separately and from Scherr's, a cabinet company that has their own line of ready to assemble cabinets. They reportedly are familiar with the hinge locations required for IKEA cabinets and can provide a much bigger array of style and finish choices, while still keeping the overall cost lower than semi-custom.

Anyway, I'm still struggling with the whole thing, but that's what I've learned so far.

We did Ikea and are thrilled with the results. If you end up choosing them, I highly suggest checking out www.ikeafans.com

Here is a link that might be useful: Flickr Set