Am I seeing this correctly? You will have some cabinets with NO doors, not just shelves? I think they will be awkward and harder to keep clean than shelves. And shelves work best just for dishes and glassware if you don't have a lot and they all match and are neutral. Non-perishables work best in closed cabinets as there are usually a LOT of them and keeping them dusted would be a real pain, plus they look messy no matter how neat you are.

When I started arranging dishes/glassware in my one double and two single glass doored cabinets (all in a row), I quickly discovered that all these pictures one sees are styled, not someones actual kitchen. It took multiple times trying this to look good and it still doesn't look the way I would prefer - just can't with my dishes and no, I'm NOT getting new dishes - love the ones I have!

usually, with the 24 in deep cabinet above fridge, one installs a panel down each side so the visible awkwardness of side of top cabinet and side of fridge aren't on view. If you don't want the side panels, then just get the upper cabinet at 12 in deep that lines up with your other wall cabinets as far as depth. I think you should get the side panels as you have a walkway on left side of fridge and it will cover the gap at the back and the not very appealing side of fridge on that side also. What is the goal of the base cabinets with tall legs to right of fridge...you can get a lot more storage with regular base drawers....and again, without side panel on fridge you have a visual field around those legs that shouldn't be.

Salex, great questions. Yes, everyday dishes will go on the open shelves above the dishwasher (left of the sink). I was planning on glasses, cups, mugs, stemware, etc. in the glass front cabinet by the fridge. The glass doors are more expensive, so I wasn't sure if I wanted that all exposed. I don't think my glassware will take up all the shelving, and maybe I would want more hidden storage. I was sort of thinking of that counter area as a beverage station (maybe a coffee maker on the counter, etc.), so I might even store coffee beans, tea bags, cocoa, etc. over there. Trash will go in the pullout under the sink. IKEA makes very efficient use of trash and recycling bins that fit perfectly in their pull out.

Anglophilia, no, all the uppers I put in will have doors. The 36" upper by the fridge will have glass doors (at least, that's my current plan). It will store glasses, cups, mugs, stemware, etc. I've had open shelves (actually, it was open cabinets, technically) for everything and it worked well, but I had a small pantry then. I do a lot of baking and buy bulk ingredients at the health food store,
so I'm used to storing and labeling things in tidy containers and attractive jars.

(This was my last kitchen remodel - http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2691046/sneak-peak-1924-yellow-kitchen-85-finished)

Herbflavor, thanks for pointing that out! I hadn't bothered to put cover panels on everything yet, since the IKEA planner can be so difficult to use. I've been debating if I should do the big side panels or just little cover panels, but you make a really good point. If I'm doing the deeper cabinet, it would look odd to not finish it. And I hadn't thought about seeing the side all the way down because of the high legs. The reason for those cabs, as I mentioned in the post, is because of an air return vent I can't block or cover.

Anglophilia, I did realize the upper wine cabinet doesn't have a door, which might be what made it look like the glass door cabinet didn't either. The line drawing got a bit pixilated, so it's hard to tell.

Bumping so maybe you get more responses

I would move the fridge to the end of that wall closer to the dining room and opening to living room.

Smm, I hadn't thought about that. Any reason in particular you think that would work better? Just to have it closer to the dining table? I'll have to take a picture to illustrate it, but the wall to the living room has a little bit jutting out, kind of like a pony wall with a ledge on it. I drew the plan showing it all as wall, but there is actually 8-10" less wall space up above, so the fridge couldn't go as far down as the current base cabinet in the plan. I wonder, too, if putting the fridge there would make the kitchen feel more closed off. I know I couldn't see into the living room quite as well because the fridge is so deep, and landing space for the fridge would be more in my work space. My thought with the counter beside the fridge was to serve as a drink station and place for guests kind of out of my way.

It seems cramped making a very tight work triangle and too close to laundry room opening if you have the fridge open. Also, it renders the cabinet to the side of it useless for purposes of prep work.

I like it a lot but there is no pantry and no broom closet. I would consider adding both next to the fridge. It would be a better use of that space.

In looking at your old kitchen those shelves were site built. Ikea's endless adjustability means that there are holes in the cabinet insides that are distracting. I think you will be glad you won't be going for the open look.

Thanks practigal; I hadn't thought about building in a high cabinet or something next to the fridge. I'll have to see what that does to the budget, but it's definitely something to look at! I could get rid of the wine cabinet and shrink the 36" cabinets to something smaller. 36" is overkill for glassware, which was all I really planned to stored in the glass upper. I was never considering open "cabinets" for this kitchen, just open shelves. We worked with the original frames in the last kitchen because the quality was so good. I intended to put new doors on those cabs, but ended up loving it so much, we left it open. Now it just helps me know I will love and be able to keep up with open shelves on the one wall, even though the style will be a little different.

You can actually use large fairly deep cabinets and frame in the fridge and get kind of a custom look going on that stretch of wall. I don't know about you but finding a home for that broom, mop and vacuum cleaner is an ongoing saga in an older house with limited closet space...all of which you could resolve easily! Have you seen Ikea's pullout pantry? They are really nice. When calculating the cost, keep in mind you'll be reducing the amount of countertop you'll need.

Good thought about reducing the countertop cost. I do have two different hall closets in which I planned to keep the vacuum (and I'll have hardwood floors throughout, so not a lot of need for it). But the broom, dust pan, etc., is a good consideration. I've heard some people don't like the pullout pantry as much as the one with roll out drawers. In the case of a pantry, that big attached door seems to get in some people's way.