I just checked, and there's one in Alexandria! Thank you!

That 10% commission fee paid to the referring member doesn't factor into a recommendation at all, right? Especially since the cabinets are the same as the box stores, with different labels.

26-40 is perfectly reasonable for decent low to mid grade quality for the large kitchen described. A total budget is around 10-20% of your home's value, with 30-40% of that for cabinets.

Sophie, I use Pro-Source too and feel comfortable recommending it over any box store as well. By the way, I'm not sure how any of us on here are getting commission on referrals online.

Check out dealers for Kemper (or Diamond - same thing) cabinets. They are a VERY GOOD moderately priced cabinet. I don't recommend buying cabs from big box stores, they don't have the experience and honestly the prices aren't that good. Stay away from Home Depot designed Kitchens - not a good value. Use a professional company with a good reputation, and please don't just buy the cheapest - you really do get what you pay for. Hope this helps!

What about IKEA?

There are decent cabinets to be had at many places, including big box stores. Some of the brands I sell are available there, often at MORE expensive prices than I sell at. That being said, be careful about what you are buying. Some upgrades I would recommend are regarding the drawers... wood-dovetailed drawers with full extension under-mount slides are the minimum, soft-close runners and hinges are nice too. If you don't know what questions to ask it's easy to buy junk without even knowing it. The sales person in the kitchen department at the box store may have been in the paint department last week so they might not know either.

Think of all the things on which you spend two thousand dollars a year. Eating out? Hair cut and color? Shoes? Gasoline? What do you spend on an automobile that you drive for three to five years ? At 38.00 dollars a week ( 30 k ) over your planned length of stay in the house ( 15 years)........classically simple, quality cabinetry in a "high rent" housing area is going to be appropriate and enjoyable every day of your stay. And far less expensive than a total do over well before you're ready to move on. You'll spend more time staring at and using this kitchen than any car you may park in your garage.

A client of mine has been in her home for twenty five years. Her timelessly classic white Woodmode kitchen was refreshed with a cabinet paint job, change of knobs- once, and seven years ago! It looks just as great ; all doors and drawers working as smoothly as the day they were installed.

What ARE the questions I should be asking, and thing things I should be looking for? Thus far from your awesome responses I see:

dove-tailed joints

soft close doors and drawers

full extension undermount slides

any other questions I should be asking? (like below?)

What about the materials? I believe I've read that you should also look for:

solid wood doors (is ok to have MDF or plywood center panels?)

Solid wood drawer sides (but plywood bottom is ok?)

Side and floor of the cabinet "box" can be plywood but should be at least 1/2" thick

Plywood shelves are ok, but need to be at least 3/4" thick

"Floating" center panels so they can expand/contract w/the seasons

Fully extended drawers should be able to hold at least 75 lbs

THOUGHTS??? What am I getting wrong/right here??

As always - thank you!!

The designer is more important than the line. Once you get to mid grade construction, most all cabinets will be a good value. It's the KD that has the most variability. If you are interested in an upper end project with upper end lines, the KD is even more important.

Sophie said it EXACTLY right!

I do a lot of work with a custom builder in NoVA and they rave about Woody: http://dominionkitchens.com/

We ended up using Home Depot, and have been very happy w their product!