IMO in all renos its best to paint before installing new floor so you don't have to worry about spills and splatter.

Are you sure about not also changing the appliances? Depending on how old they are, they could end up looking much older in contrast to everything else that is brand new.

You talk about 'demo' Are you going to the studs? Are you changing the locations of plumbing/appliances? Adding/changing electric? Are you adding/subtracting and island or peninsula? Windows? If you post your plan, there are many here who can help with that. Good luck and have fun!

FYI: My sink had to be installed in the cab before countertop templating.

Any remodel that extensive that does not address the usual horrible lighting in the kitchen is a flawed plan from the beginning. You need to address lighting and ventilation, along with creating a functional layout.

A real kitchen remodel isn’t about just installing 15 minutes of wear cheepchinesecrapola cabinets and checking off the list for granite. You might as well paint what’s there as to not touch the infrastructure.

Flooring depends on the floor. Real tile and real wood can go down first (they don't have to), but any floor that floats should go in after cabinets. You might ask yourself which will be around longer, the cabinets or the floor. Cabinets will usually outlast a vinyl floor.

Most like to paint the walls last, though getting a good coat of primer on if necessary could be done early. Decisions about other surfaces can change the decision of wall paint.

Do not make a firm decision on backsplash till after the countertops are in. Seeing the big picture can change your mind.

I agree that good lighting is important in a kitchen and that would be best started when walls / ceiling are open or accessible.

Welcome Andrew!

Planning is always first. The more planning you do up front before you touch a thing in your kitchen, the less stress you'll have, the better able you will be to stay on-budget, and the fewer change orders you'll need (figure anything done with a change order is going to cost you at least 1.5 times what it would have cost you to have it planned for during the planning stage.) Planning should also take up the lion's share of your project timeline. It's not uncommon for the planning phase to take a year or longer while the installation phase only takes 6 to 8 weeks.

Some of the things to think about during planning

Note: Many of these can occur simultaneously.

• Decide what you can afford/are willing to spend

• Determine what you need -- what you actually need, not just want.

• Determine what you want (and prioritize your wants so you can eliminate/add as budget allows) -- this is your "dream list".

• Come up with a "technical" design -- not just the layout of the cabinets, but also lighting, electrical, etc. (I call a design "technical" when you're working on getting a functional layout of cabinets, etc., not choosing colors or materials -- those are "aesthetic" design elements.)

• Appliances -- plan for what you will need to replace them in the future. E.g., plan for a refrigerator space at least 37" wide x 72" tall -- those are the dimensions for the most common refrigerators today. It can be larger, e.g., 43" for 42" wide refrigerator, but don't make it any smaller.

• Choose most elements -- flooring, cabinets, counters, fixtures, etc.

• Tentatively choose your backsplash -- but know that it may very well change once you've installed everything. Light, etc., can make a difference in what it will look like...even orientation (backsplash is vertical, counters are horizontal) can make a difference.

• Regarding floors...
  -- If you plan to install your floors after the cabinets are installed be sure that the flooring under the cabinets is the same height as the finished floors will be. You don't want to end up trapping your appliances (or not being able to get them in) b/c the finished floors are higher than the flooring under the cabinets
  -- If you don't install the cabinets over the finished floor, then be sure the finished flooring at least goes partway under locations such as refrigerators, DWs, and ranges. The flooring under these appliances can be seen at least several inches into their alcoves.
  -- Some people try to cut costs by not putting flooring under the cabinets. However, it doesn't always save money -- it depends on installation. Sometimes installation can be higher b/c of more cuts and more care needed when working around cabinets than if the floors were put down first.
  -- As someone else mentioned, floating floors cannot be installed under cabinets, so keep in mind the items above.

• Paint...we primed the walls and finished the ceiling (primer and final coats) b/f the cabinets were installed. The installers were able to write on the walls during installation, which I think helped them. We put on the final coats of paint on the walls after the cabinets and counters were installed.

• If you're new to this, then I strongly recommend finding a good Kitchen Designer to work with -- not a cabinet salesperson acting like a KD, but a true KD. Even DIYers usually need help at least the first time around.

There are other things, but I think I touched on the primary ones. Others will contribute with their ideas as well.