More pictures:

Thank you GW for the vertical pan storage idea! I have it in the 36” base cabinet to the
right of the range. It is working well. Storing the wok like this is a little wonky
though.

We ran into some unexpected things during the remodel (unsurprisingly). One was the sink vent line that was hidden by the furdown/soffit. We decided to just cut the cabinet out around it. We'll see if we do anything to hide the pipe more.

Under cabinet lights:

The lights are great. With our
new overhead lighting we mostly use the under cabinet lighting as a nightlight
rather than task lighting, but I wouldn’t want to be without it. We previously had three switched fluorescent under
cabinet lights. We now have LED tape
lights that came with an attached switch, so we plugged them into an
outlet. Each side of the kitchen is
controlled by a switch mounted under the far west cabinet (picture below). The sink side plugged into the same outlet as
the microwave and the fridge side is plugged into the same outlet as the
fridge. The only things on those
circuits are the LED under cabinet lights and the respective appliances.

On the sink side of the kitchen, the cord wasn’t long enough to reach
the outlet over the microwave, so we used an extension cord. The transformer plug is hidden behind my pull-down spice rack.

Things that didn’t turn out as I expected:

• I was expecting the sink to be the same size as our old top-mount sink, but it has larger radii so our standard dish drainer doesn’t fit. I kind of regret getting the free sink with the countertops instead of purchasing it myself. I love my new countertops though!
• The cabinet drawers are small! I got a 18” wide 4-drawer stack like we had previously, but our inserts don’t fit in any dimension. It seems like there is a lot of space wasted by the cabinet framing. Frameless cabinets would have been better in that regard. I find the drawers only useful for utensils and wraps/baggies.
• The pantry cabinet door wouldn’t open all the way unless we removed the blinds. So we don’t have blinds on our big window now. That just means that we’ll have to eat dinner in the dining room next summer when the sun sets at dinner time unless I can get slimmer shades.

Things that turned out wonderfully:

• The layout. We barely run into each other anymore now that the opening to the dining room is larger, the fridge is at the edge of the room instead of the middle of all the action, and the stove is more centrally located in the space. Honestly though, the larger opening doesn’t change the traffic flow.
• Over the range microwave. I love how convenient it is to do all my cooking at one spot instead of criss-crossing the fridge to pour the sauce I cooked on the stovetop over the vegetables I heated up in the microwave. Plus it is so nice to have a hood vented to the outside.
• Induction Range. We were able to get rid of our toaster oven and slow cooker due to the functions of our new oven. Plus, the induction top is very easy to clean and
  I’m not as worried about my toddler burning herself when she “helps” me cook.
• We went with 24” clear between the counter and the bottoms of the cabinets on the beverage counter. I love that we don’t have to disassemble the blender anymore. The other side of the kitchen has the more standard 18” space and works fine
  for prep.
• We have an outlet in the cabinet next to the fridge where we can charge devices without having them on the counter.
• New lighting. It looks better, I can see things better, and it’s all LED.
• The countertops. I love how they glitter in the sunlight! We decided not to use the included 4" backsplash as intended. We did use the "backsplash" for the beverage counter as a kickplate. We couldn't do that on the other side of the kitchen because it prevented the dishwasher from opening and if we left a gap for the dishwasher it would have looked too silly.
• I’m happy we didn’t eliminate the possibility of eating in the kitchen, because now that we like the space, we eat in the kitchen more than in the dining room.

Beautiful kitchen. So impressed that it is DIY. I like how the dark cabinets contrast with the lovely hardwood floor and the light countertop--nicely balanced!

Very impressed with how much you got for your money and how quickly you accomplished all of this! Love the picture taken at night with the undercabinet lighting. Such a cool feel to it. What's your favorite part? (I think we were both typing at the same time - you basically answered my question above.)

Nicely done! I like that you took the cabinets to the ceiling on the sink side, even though you had to leave the soffit on the fridge side. The new opening to the dining room is wonderful!

WOW! What a great new space you have. I appreciate all your details. It's nice to know an enjoyable kitchen can be done without spending 50K!

^^^Agree 100% with mobuddy89. I wish more people would detail their costs. I know it varies from region to region but it is wonderful to see a nicely remodeled kitchen for such a good price. You did an outstanding job. :)

It looks wonderful! Thank you for generously detailing your project, experience and costs--this info will certainly bless future kitchen renovators.

Thanks! The most confusing part of remodeling for me is figuring out the budget, so I hope detailing the cost will help others get a feel for what amount to spend.

I live in a relatively low cost of living area. $12k is about 7% of my home value.

Beautiful--nice work!

What a generous post! Thank you for sharing so much information from costs to experiences. Your kitchen is fantastic. I love your cabinets and the colors you chose have just the right amount of drama. Congratulations.

Your kitchen is beautiful, but I really appreciate the detailed pictures and cost....it is an amazing kitchen for the cost.

I really like your pan storage...did you retrofit a cabinet that way or did it come that way? I was planning on a 9" pan/tray storage, but it does not fit where I think it belongs and your cabinet looks amazing.

Beautiful kitchen and you are an inspiration for doing all the work yourself! Congratulations, and thank you for sharing all the details including cost - I wish everyone did that - it's so helpful.

J G, I retrofit a cabinet for the pan storage. I was inspired by several past posts on GW of vertical slotted pan storage. I think some of buehl's photos of vertical storage are still available if you search.

For my vertical pan storage cabinet, I cut slots in some shelving at 1.5" spacing. I put one piece of shelving on the bottom of the cabinet slots up and one piece as a shelf with the slots facing down. I made dividers out of hardboard and I slid the dividers in to fit my pans. I had a bit of extra shelf, so I put it between one divider and one cabinet wall as an intermediate shelf. I use my 9" cabinet between the dishwasher and the wall to store my step stool.

Looks wonderful! Great job! I love seeing other DIY projects and getting a feel for the costs as well. I am amazed at how quickly you did it - I am closing in on 3 months without a kitchen sink. sigh.

I thought it was a pain being without a kitchen sink for 2 weeks, I can't imagine months. :(

I started designing in November 2016. We decided to buy new cabinets (instead of refacing/painting the existing) in the interest of time. We ordered our cabinets in the middle of June (6/18/17) and they were delivered on 7/27/17. We stored them in the garage until we were ready for install. I took a week of vacation to focus on the kitchen remodel. One of the best things for my timeline was how quickly the countertops were done. They measured on Monday (8/7) and installed on Friday (8/11).

So impressed, Erin. :)

Terrific job! You are making me miss my old kitchen, too - I chose the same style and color cabinets and pulls, and paired with a light counter. Congrats and enjoy!

Very nice. Thanks for sharing and including your costs.

Wow this was really helpful!!