Yes! I have some big ones.
• Big drawers are by the far the best option for lower cabinets wherever possible
• Get a Bosch dishwasher. The repair people we've talked to say they're the best, and all other brands have a tendency for the gaskets and fittings to develop leaks, back behind your brand new cabinets where you can't see it happening.
• Undermount sinks are indeed wonderful compared to drop-in sinks, but watch the contractor like a hawk when it's getting installed and when your counters are getting installed. Make sure they use a good level for the sink AND counters.
Good luck! Look forward to reading about it.

As a Project Manager for a commercial construction management firm I lot of advice, but I will only leave you with a few....

What ever your budget it plus it by at least 20% to cover overages, splurges and unoverseen conditions.

I have seen new homes built with the flooring not intalled all the way wall under base cabinets.

Reclaimed wood is you friend,,,,, especially when the wood is free. Rail road ties are pretty good and usually are free.

For stovetop, oven and hood check out a resturant wholesaler (new and slightly used) these appliances are built to withstand the use of a resturant, they well last forever in a home setting.

Expect the unexpected. When we remodeled our kitchen we had to move a wall. When they tore down the old wall they discovered that there was no insulation in the adjoining West wall. I always wondered why it was so hot in the west facing kitchen in the afternoon here in AZ. So, we had to tear out the whole wall and put in new insulation, wallboard, paint, etc. I also was lucky to have a fantastic kitchen designer and contractor. But at the same time we were able to replace that west window with new triple pane windows.
Set up a temporary kitchen--I did dishes in the shower and had a butane hot plate and portable convention oven that made cooking easy.
Best advice---treat everyone with respect for their work and knowledge and offer cookies, beer or coffee whenever you can.

Have a back-up plan to keep your life on track even if your renovation veers off the rails! The freezer we ordered ended up on back order for 6 months and our old freezer didn't fit in the newly renovated kitchen. That ended up meaning 6 months of the big old freezer in the middle of our living room because we had gone in on a side of grass-fed beef with our neighbor and had to have a freezer.

ASK AROUND for quotes, even using IKEA-approved installers the prices varied significantly. And even then, the one we settled on had a number of issues (i.e., I never got a receipt for the work completed).

Make sure you measure where your OTR microwave (if you're having one) will go. Our initial plan of having upper-upper cabinets was nixed because when we installed the first set of cabinets the microwave bottom would have been dangerously close to the stovetop. We could have remedied this with a shorter above-the-mic cabinet, but by this time the installers were already there so they made the executive decision to just move everything up a few inches.

I second the big drawers opinion, that's what we went with ... we did save money by doing a few little things ourselves (like hooking up the sink and dishwasher plumbing, demo-ing our old kitchen ourselves, and assembling the actual cabinets ourselves as well)...

we spent a little extra, too, when it turned out that we needed a few extra things (like an electrician to make a dedicated circuit for our new OTR microwave...)

Lots of good advice so far! We renovated two kitchens DIY with Ikea cabinets.

Plan extensively. One thing I liked about DIY was I could work my 'crew' (husband and a friend) for extra long days. We were able to get the kitchen functional in only 7 days because I had a schedule down to the hour. I also planned meals during those 7 days so that we weren't wondering what to eat or forgetting to eat.

Be ready to change the plans. When we ripped down the old cabinets, we found that the second floor plumbing had slow leaks all over the place. Ugh. We repaired them all and insulated the wall because we discovered the exterior wall had no more installation.

Add extra wall outlets. You can never have too many.

An oversized overstove fan that vents to the outside is the most essential part of our kitchen. Ours isn't the fancy decorative kind but it really sucks the hot air out of the kitchen to keep the house cool in the summer. It's also useful for keeping the air clear when frying of heating something smoky.

Honestly, DIY is your friend (if you can that is), we just finished a 30K renovation for under 8K, appliances included, here is how we did it and this may apply only in NYC but if you can find the equivalent:

1. Buy your cabinets from wholesale dealers or 3 party dealers, buy it together with the granite which allows you to get your granite at about $30/sf ( no that is not a typo). You can usually find them in the Redhook area and sunset park area of Brooklyn. Their cabinets are better than Ikea because they will make any modifications you want ( for a low cost) its real pine ( not MDF like Ikea) and usually the colors of hte inside of the cabinets are stained to match the oustide (unlike most places where the inside is a light pine color). Also, because they are wholse sellers, they are more flexible and can work with you on price and the like.

2. Floor model appliances are your friend. I CANT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. $2,400 electroclux stove for $1K at Bestbuy (floor model). From PC Richard - $2,400 Fridgidare for $990(Floor Model), $1,200 Asko Dishwasher for $300 ( Floor Model). The only thing we bough brand new was the washer/dryer and that was because it was already heavily discounted, it made sense. All of these appliances came with manufacturers warranty and we bought some small additional ones for peace of mind.

EVERYTHING is negotiable. Everything.

The reason why i mention these 2 things is that that's where most of your money will go into in a kitchen renovation.

I am currently renovating my kitchen in my new Brooklyn apartment. The help from our architect is invaluable. I can't imagine doing another renovation without that kind of expert help.

The first kitchen I re-did, I did it without an architect. The contractor made errors and took short cuts, but I couldn't control him on my help. I'm loving having their expert advice.

the counter took the longest for us. we did quartz/silestone so they custom make each one. we had to have our cabinets installed before they would even come for measurements, then you have to wait for them to fabricate the counters.... and then come out and install them.... something to consider when choosing your counters :)

PS i LOVE silestone, it was worth the wait, but i hadn't anticipated the long wait in our kitchen planning :)

When in doubt - look on the internet first before going any further.
When my Husband and I installed our IKEA kitchen there were a few times the instructions were too vague or something just didn't seem quite right. Using Google to see what others with the same problem did was a big help! My impatient husband ruined a few things while I was at the computer but he has learned for next time.

Another big help was having the right tools, like a specific blade to saw fancy wood finishes and a glass tile blade for the back splash. They are a more expensive but it saves from having to buy more material when mistakes happen.

Things I love about our kitchen renovation:

1 Siting the stove opposite a great view

2 Doorless cupboards (not open shelves)

3 The biggest stainless steel sink we could find, with pot-filler

4 Conventional AND steam oven

Regrets:

Going for marble counter (stains, breakages), instead of stainless steel.

We are just finishing a DIY Ikea kitchen renovation. I couldn't agree more with previous comments that you need to plan for plenty of power outlets. I kind of wish now that we had used plug mold under our upper cabinets, instead of having multiple outlets on the backsplash.

Don't forget to plan for all kinds of lighting, too - undercabinet lighting is essential in our kitchen, since it doesn't get a lot of natural light.

Also think about your range hood/microwave. A microwave/range hood just doesn't cut it if you have a gas range. We ended up hiding the microwave in a tall cabinet so that it isn't on display, and its one of my favorite features.

I second @CHRISAT - the right architect/designer will augment your investment. we designers know the tips noted above, and can also help you discover the very best kitchen for you, your budget, your home. and if you can't afford to spend much on fees, talk with your architect/designer in advance about how they can streamline services to keep fees in line with your budget. plus, we often have tips/tricks to save money, thereby earning our keep in real dollars.

We were very lucky to have the timing of our renovation fall not long after the start of a new year (2011). We bought all of our appliances right around Black Friday--not ON Black Friday, but mostly before and after. This allowed us to use the really great deals (sometimes better than Black Friday deals themselves) and pit them against other stores. For example, Lowes has a guarantee to beat any advertised price, but won't do it for Black Friday. Plus we were able to use the Lowes 10 percent off coupon from the moving kit (available at the post office) on top of that. We averaged 60 percent off on our all of our appliances doing this.

While not everyone's timing may allow them to wait until the end of the year to buy appliances, absolutely pit the stores against each other, find all the coupons you can, and pile on the savings.

All of the stores that have delivery will allow you to move the delivery date as you get closer to it. This was particularly helpful given that the renovations (we did a big whole house job) that was supposed to take six weeks took three months.

So, second piece of advice, account that it will take longer than you plan.

I'm right smack in the middle of a really big 12 week kitchen renovation. It's completely overwhelming and I'm exhausted from all of the choices you have to make. I would really consider getting a kitchen designer to help with the layout. The woman I'm using charged me $500 and she has been to my house at least a dozen times and talked me off the ledge more often than that. She also hooked me up with a custom cabinet maker that is making my cabinets for only $1500 more than semi custom that I got quotes for and they are exactly what I wanted. She's also been really helpful with lighting. We spent 3 hours with the electrician marking light switch location and sockets and recessed lighting placement. 3 hours!

Definitely plan to spend more money than you think you will. We will probably end up going over about 15% because there are things that you'll want that you don't think of until later and aren't included (dimmers on the lights, stuff like that).

We set up a kitchen in the basement which would be fine (sort of) if the pipes were not about 2 inches below where my head is. My neck is killing me from tilting it sideways all the time.

I'm blogging my experience as much as I can just so I can remember how ugly my old kitchen is while I watch the new one take shape. I can't wait until it's done!

WOW,all great advice.We are looking for a new home, and will probably be doing some type of kitchen renovation. I know this sounds trite, but make sure the dishwasher opens in enough space NOT to nail you mid shin, oh and see if any are made with rounded edges!
I'm going to watch all of these comments and take all advice!Thanks, as usual, Joni Boni

Plan out plenty of meals! Especially if you will stil be living in your house with a demo-ed kitchen. We are almost finished with ours, and the fridge has been living in the dining room with the stove. There are only so many frozen/microwaveable dinner meals we can stand, and found a second hand propane camp stove for $10 to cook a real meal every few nights. We've eaten out a few times, too. Even that is getting old! My advice has nothing to do with the reno, but a lot to do with logistics.

Number ONE: Make sure you figure out your budget. This is a good breakdown with some graphics courtesy of the National Kitchen and Bath Association: http://sink.com/2012/03/06/dont-spend-it-all-in-one-place/

My expertise is sinks of course, so I'd say seriously think about the sink (no rhyming intended). Be sure to get a deep sink, with low bowl radii, with plenty of sound reducing. If you're going stainless, get a good gauge (18 is good), good composition (316 stainless steel), that is up to UPC code... the list goes on, so we won't bore you to death. Full details here: http://sink.com/2012/01/17/great-is-in-the-details/

I hope that helped with part of your decision! Best of luck to you!

always remember to include the handles of appliances in you measurements.

I finished a diy renovation last year on our kitchen. First bit of advice: live with your existing kitchen long enough to find out what you do and don't like about it. Also live with your plans long enough to see if something else could be better. I did all the cabinets myself (see Ana White's site for great plans for cabinets ana-white.com) and finished working every day at 4:00, so I'd have time to clean up. That made a big difference in my and my husband's sanity! We did laminate counters with a Kohler Vault sink- a big one- and we really like it. It's almost the same as undermount.

My only regret about my kitchen renovation was the tile I picked for the floor. When I picked the tile it was in a showroom based on a cabinet door I brought with me and a small square of the granite I picked. It looked great in the show room and when it was first laid on the floor, but in year 2 I struggle with it looking filthy by the end of the week. My advice is for flooring, spend a little more then you'd like to be sure you get something that not only looks great, but is durable and low maintenance. My parents used a higher end travertine and it literally never looks dirty. My porcelain tile (which was in my minimal budget) is a constant hassle!

locustpointrowhouse.com

I have to comment on this comment:
"For stovetop, oven and hood check out a resturant wholesaler (new and slightly used) these appliances are built to withstand the use of a resturant, they well last forever in a home setting."

A BIG NO-NO. Most 'real" commercial stoves are not rated for home use, nor will house zoning allow a restaurant stove in a home without special permits – they get extremely hot, and might burn your house down. And also, (according to thisoldhouse), restaurant stoves are heavier than average, so you might need to beef up floor joists to hold the weight.

Then there are professional-looking stoves that are meant for home. And I do agree on buying wholesale/secondhand/floor models, huge savings. I've also seen great fridges, stoves etc. on Craigslist.

I've never done a kitchen reno (I rent), but I know a lot in theory!
This old House has a few good books about it, with measurements on how much space to leave between the island & cabinets, all that sort of stuff.

If you will have an island or counters facing each other, make sure there is at least 4' between them; DO NOT try to scrimp on this, you will regret it and have a difficult kitchen forever.

We did our first kitchen renovation last year, using IKEA cabinets. We knocked down two walls, completely reconfigured and chose really high end appliances and stone counters. Total budget: $20,000.

Looking back, here are a couple of the things that went really well:
- use the IKEA installers. I actually worked with them directly rather than through IKEA and they were fabulous. They reviewed my plans and were so good. Also, my husband is pretty handy but they were better and I can't recommend enough.
- hiring out the drywalling and mudding and taping. Really, really good choice.
- professional install of new hardwood floors and refinishing of existing hardwood. The hardwood in the kitchen looks amazing and seamless with the rest of the floor.
- tiling the backsplash to the ceiling. It looks fabulous and gets comments all the time.
- high end gas stove. Love, love, love. We bought it at a "scratch and dent" place and the stove had been installed in a show home so we got it for a fraction of its retail price.
- hood fan, not OTR microwave. Our kitchen is tiny (80sqft) and it was a challenge to find a home other than OTR for the microwave but it was worth it.
- customising IKEA cabinets in awkward spaces. See comment about professional installers - we were able to customize a couple of spots because these guys were so good. We cut down box sizes and eliminated dead space to get a really cool look and functional space.

Here are some regrets/things I'd change:
- we ordered white quartz counters. They were expensive and awful. I've never seen a worse counter - it marked and stained with ANYTHING. A metal bowl or spoon left permanent black marks, my belt buckle rubbing the edge left permanent marks, herbal tea left marks, pasta sauce left marks etc. Also, it chipped. We ended up replacing with granite. Other colours of quartz may be fine and other brands of white quartz may be fine but proceed with caution. A costly mistake.
- I cheaped out on a couple of things because I got nervous and let other people talk me into it. For example, I really wanted shaker styled doors because it's more classic (although we were going for a modern look), but I didn't like the look of IKEA's white shaker door. I let myself be convinced to go with a really cheap white door and it's OK but the shaker would have been better. Also, I cheaped out on the backsplash. The one I wanted was very expensive and Home Depot had something similar for half the price. It wasn't as good and bugs me everyday, although people always comment favourably about it.

Research, research, research -- your choice of appliances. We renovated our NYC apartment 5 years ago with top of the line appliances and there are choices that I will never buy again. I am not sure I can mention brands, so I will not. I suggest: canvas reputable appliance repair services and google the brands you are considering. No manufacturer is perfect, but you will find certain manufacturers (especially one, :( )repeated over and over again with complaints. No matter how good the manufacturer may have been in the past, models change, owners change, manufacturing quality controls change, so make sure the information you use is current.

-work with an independent kitchen designer if you can find one (someone who isn't affiliated with a cabinet shop). WE did, and were amazed with what she came up with, which went far beyond a kitchen plan, but also involved moving walls, installing a window, etc. -- everything we wanted an architect to design, but couldn't find one interested in working on such a small project. Best money we ever spent!! The entire design and all her site visits only came to $1000!!! She became a close friend, and has since worked on our bathrooms and closets.

-- Get a really, really big sink. If you show up at the Vermont Soapstone Co., 8 months pregnant, having driven all the way straight from Ottawa, they may take pity on you and offer you a good discount on a solid one-piece hand-carved soapstone sink. Agree to it immediately. (it is the Sink of Sinks)

-- Consider rubber flooring. It is very comfy, hygienic, well-priced, hard-wearing and fun.

-- Add as much light as possible -- we added a skylight.

-- Add a very shallow (6 inch deep or less) floor to ceiling cupboard opposite the stove for all spices and cooking condiments. Genius!

-- Consider Chicago Faucet Co. for taps.

-- Do not buy a GEMonogram fridge: worst appliance buy of our lives.

-- I'm not impressed with our 36" Wolf all-gas stove. The burners have been professionally adjusted 3 times (services calls @$90 a pop), and the flames are still wild. Three of our 6 burners cannot be put on high, as they click and become too wild. We are experienced at playing with the burner cap and adjusting it ourselves, but frankly, they are finicky and poorly designed. Never again.

-- We have been VERY impressed with our European appliance purchases, particularly Miele (I wish I could afford to replace our lousy fridge with a Miele fridge).

-- Create different levels of light. Under-cabinet, inside cabinets, perhaps rope lighting on top of the cabinets.

-- Spend the money for a quiet exhaust fan. Ours is just too noisy.

A couple of additions:

- hide the microwave under the island. Works great.

- Don't be afraid to use 2 different types of countertop materials. For some reason, this was a really hard sell for my husband. We have Vermont soapstone on the line with the stove, including the soapstone sink, and a colourful terrazzo concrete topping our island.

-- Oh! If you have an island, don't puncture it with a sink or cooktop; leave it as open space. Very, very useful! Also, make sure to have an overhang so that you can eat comfortably at the island. We extended the sides of the island so as to fully support the extended top, which is a nice, neat look.

Good luck!

1) Drawers, drawers, drawers, drawers, drawers!
2) Ikea kitchen cabinets, especially if you're on a budget. If you can hang a Lack shelf, you can install your own upper and lower cabinets.

1) buy your faucet through a plumber, not big box. They might look the same, but they're not.
2) drawers.
3) stick with neutrals -- you can add/ change color later.
4) We had our Ikea cabinets (which we still love) installed professionally, but put all the "boxes" together ourselves saving labor costs.
5) consumer reports for appliance review and go green and buy the most energy saving.
6) freecycle the outgoing stuff as you don't want to have to pay for it to be hauled away.
7) lighting!!!

If you are doing a major renovation (going down to the studs, moving walls) setup a temp kitchen (mine was in my formal dining room) and ask plumber to put in a temp water line and a cheap utility sink. I was given this advice and ignored it ($$); I thought I could use my downstairs bathroom sink - WRONG! If its an old house, you may need to upgrade wiring to handle the fridge & microwave you move in! Make your temp kitchen an exercise in extreme minimalism and box up most of your stuff. Its a perfect time to purge all those never used gadgets. Make and freeze meals in advance. If knocking down walls, it is impossible to imagine the amount of dust that will cover your home, even though they tape the space off; cover all upholstered furniture in sheeting. Clear directions to contractors about which entrances/bathrooms were on/off limits was helpful. Put out ash trays where ever they'll be taking their smoke break. I sold all my old appliances on Craig's List. People were grateful to have them and I was grateful not to put them in the dump. If you are going to recycle your old fridge (my electric company pays $35 each), take the drawers out and repurpose them as storage on garage shelves.

I love my mid-grade Bosch dishwasher as my kitchen is open to family room and we can barely hear it. Putting all my dishes on one side of dish washer with frequently used items on open shelving has made putting away dishes such an easier chore! I regret the trash cans in drawer because I don't like people having to ask and I don't like having to open with hands full. Think about where you will put every single thing and pay attention to inches (and quarter inches!). Agree with other comments about the drawers, but you do lose real estate with them. Get extra shelves for cabinets. Know how you want to live and ignore kitchen designer/contractor advice that doesn't match your life style.

GOOD LUCK!

If you will use Ikea cabs, get thee to the Ikeafans website. The friendly and helpful folks there (not affiliated with Ikea) will help you tweak or even completely redesign your layout and walk you through a multitude of issues. They were indispensable when I did my ikea kitchen. There have been a few other comments about going with drawers. It's really the best. Get big, deep drawers. So much better than stooping down to dig through stuff in a regular cabinet. It will transform your kitchen experience.

You can do a DIY kitchen on a tight time frame. Mine was done with three people, plus a bit of electrical and plumbing subbed out, in two stretches of 5.5 days each. I was only without a sink for about 2 days. If you aren't knocking down walls, and you've planned ahead and prepped, you can turn things around pretty quickly.

Once you figure out appliance sizing, start shopping months ahead of time. I bought my dishwasher Black Friday weekend because of the great sales, then picked up a fridge the following President's day weekend when the cash for clunkers appliance rebates were available. I did have to live with a dishwasher in my hall for 9 months, but it was worth it in the end.

You can do things in batches. Don't feel like you have to mix up all the grout and grout the entire backsplash at once. Only bad things will come from that.

Timing. Consider doing the kitchen during the spring/summer months when you may not need the kitchen as much (unlike me during Thanksgiving and Christmas). And when the weather is better, and if you have a backyard or access to one, consider cooking more outside.

Also, plan where your temporary kitchen will go and how you'll function food wise(occasional cooking, take out, frozen food etc).

Ask friends and family who have gone through extensive renovations about budgets, contingencies, contracts/project phases, permits, timelines, oversights, furnishings & finishes, reputable architects & contractors. Try to do things right the first time. If you can salvage, do so.

And take pictures throughout to remember where you once were. You'll learn how your home should be constructed. Breathe and have fun!

I am wrapping up my 1.5 year renovation with everything DIY except for granite counter installation. Lessons?

Planning things out in Google Sketch-Up was a big help. Building cabinets from scratch (myself)? Bad idea - they turned out pretty well but took a ton of time and cost more than expected. Under-cabinet lighting seems to be a winner. The planned dish drawers turned out to be great for small electrics and Tupperware. Also - soft-close drawer slides (and door hinges) are pretty awesome.

Oh, so many good comments. Here are mine:

Stop thinking about The Look and think hard about The Function. Look is easy. Function will matter so much more to you in the long run. Drawers on lower cabinets ARE AWESOME. Having dedicated space for stuff you use constantly is GREAT (I have dedicated ramekin storage for mis en place!). Easy to clean (keep appliances not used a lot in a cabinet, counter space clear) is HUGE. Cork or wood or other soft floor if you cook a lot will make you so much happier than tile. Etc.

Yes. Neutrals. Trust me. Paint is easy to change, as are tea towels, curtains, dishes, and artwork. Tile? Countertops? Not so much. Be boring with the hard to change stuff.

Budget more. We realized on Day 1 of demo that the previous owners had dropped the ceiling 4 inches. We'd never noticed. That meant that part of the room was too short to fit the cabinets we'd already purchased and still meet permit requirements. Boom. $2000. Gone. It happens in every reno.

Get permits. Kitchens and bathrooms are the only places I'm rabid about permits. You WILL regret not getting them. When you go to sell, or sooner. We did them just because, and a week after our reno was done a neighbor, angry that we hadn't asked him to be the contractor (wonder why?) said he was going to the city to report us, because he KNEW we hadn't used permits. Ha! And phew!

Big sink. No, really. Biggest possible sink. Not necessarily deepest, but big. Biggest mistake we made was "saving space" with a smaller sink.

Finally, yes, it's all worth it. You will LOVE your new kitchen, if you paid attention to the first piece of advice above. Can't wait to see the photos!

Buy floor model appliances when possible. They are still brand new and never used. Just check for dings. We saved a lot of money doing this.

We also saved money by assembling the cabinets and installing the counter tops and glass back splash ourselves. It was easier than we thought it would be.

I just wrote a whole bunch of ideas and lost the post :-( Oh well, here's a much short version. If you can't afford to renovate just now, here's a solution to give you 30% more storage for under $30.

http://blog.sorted.net.au/2012/03/22/how-to-get-30-more-storage-for-under-30/

Adding my voice to the praise for deep drawers in lower cabinets, now I actually get a shock when I see doors on lower cabinets. Drawers mean you can use every inch of the cabinet, and save your back from bending down to reach into them.

I think multi-dimensional plans are the way to go - I did about 26 drafts of my kitchen on the Ikea planner, it ended up saving me a fortune and four years later there is only one tiny thing I would change (I would not have wicker baskets on shelves below the countertop, I'd have a pull-out unit instead. However, since it's an Ikea kitchen I can in fact change that quite easily). The Ikea planner seems to have changed to one I don't like as much, but Sketchup is also a good idea.

Also, I hate draining boards and wanted to maximise my countertop space (I had none at all in my last place) so I have a one-and-a-half sink but no drainer and it's the best decision I ever made. It gives a much cleaner look, I put down a teatowel and/or foldable dish-rack when I need to but small things will drain in the half-sink drainer basket. But the upside is I never leave things draining the way I used to in my last place (when the drainer always had something drying on it), the countertop always looks clean and clear and weirdly not one person has noticed the lack of a draining board. (Full disclosure, I do have a dishwasher).

Indeed, the flooring should go all the way to the walls, not stop at the counters/appliances.

We made cut-outs out of tar paper (any paper will do) when trying to figure out the layout. This way you can walk around in the space and get a feel for how you will use it.

Online resources and outlet stores are your friends. We had the advantage of lots of time and my boyfriend (carpenter) building it which allowed us to hunt down great prices. We bought our lights, cooktop, faucet, hood and cabinet hardware from various online stores. The wall oven came from Sears Outlet at a 60% discount (because it was missing the box), fridge and dishwasher from Home Depot Black Friday sales (not an option, obviously), cabinets from a local business that sells very basic but solid wood cabinets at a very good price, tile from a liquidation center and sink (new) from the Habitat Restore. In total the whole kitchen, including sheetrock, paint, floors, appliances, cost us right around $8,000, but the labor was free.

Definitely plan for the unexpected. We are DIY'ing our kitchen right now and weekend projects suddenly become a week or more when you dive in and find that something unexpected is in need of repair/replacement or you have to redo someone's shoddy work from 20 or 30 years ago.

I think all this advice is great! One thing to consider is if you will sell your home in the future, then make sure you can get as much money out of the renovation as possible. I am going to simplify this a bit, but if you bought your home for $100,000 (I wish) and you spend $40,000 on your kitchen with everything. Then your home should sell for at lest $140,000. If think you can not sell your house for that much then consider spending less on the renovation. Look at zillow.com to see recent home sales in your area to compare.
Your home is an investment and its important to think of your budget in line not only what you can spend but what you can get back for it.
Hope this helps, good luck and keep us updates with photos!

Thanks so much for all the advice! Keep it coming - what a great resource. Also, ROBOTLAW I'd love to know which brand of quartz you used.

2 things:

1 - Purge Purge Purge! i took everything out of my kitchen & put it in boxes in the garage. i brought in the immediate things i knew i'd need (pots, pans, salt, pepper). it was inconvenient at times, but i would go back to the garage & get something only when i needed to use it. at the end of our remodel, i actually had 4 full cabinets that had nothing in them! over half the stuff in my garage never came back in. it either got tossed or went to charity. i only pitched 1 item that i had to repurchase - cup cake pan!

2 - live with a temp kitchen if you can. our before kitchen did not have an island & we new the new one would. we also had planned to take down an entire wall of cabinets on the side of our house that faces the water. we used those cabinets to make a temp island & laid a piece of OSB on it. we lived with that for about 3 months. we even outlined a sink on the OSB & that was a stay-away area. this helped us see that we actually had planned an island that was too big & we put the sink in a spot that really didn't work. it's a mistake that would have been costly if we hadn't had our "practice" kitchen!

So many thoughts!

1. I had my counters raised an inch. I love it. I'm 5'8".
2. I have CaesarStone counters. Misty Carrera. They've held up very well, although some things can stain (pink post its that get wet, curry w/ turmeric), I have been able to get stains out by making a paste of whitening toothpaste and leaving overnight.
3. I would love to use the trick posted on this site recently about installing hidden drawers behind the toekick, underneath the base cabs.
4. I would never splurge on high end, or even mid range cabinets ever again. I don't think the surfaces have held up well. Ikea all the way if I ever do it again.
5. I have a tiny kitchen, so I did install wall cabinets up to the ceiling, but honestly it is a pain to access them. Try to plan your kitchen with as much as possible under the counter and see if that meets needs first, then consider open shelving partway up the wall. I am now using a hutch in the dining room to store a lot of spill over items that I don't frequently use. For that matter there are a lot of traditional kitchen cleaning supplies that I keep in the basement rather than under the sink.
6. Pegboard.
7. Get the right cabinet hinges for wall cabinets. I needed hinges that opened 180 degrees because of the location of the cabinet relative to the turn in the counter (my kitchen designer missed this).
8. I got a sink that wound up being custom with the drain offset to the rear right corner. This allowed me to have an unobstructed, full depth cabinet under half of the sink (no plumbing on that side).
9. Having no garbage disposal maximized space under the other half of the kitchen sink.
10. If you have awkward spaces you are trying fit with a cabinet, make a mock up out of cardboard boxes. I went back and forth with my kitchen designer who convinced me to get the bigger piece and it was visually overwhelming for the space. Just too much even though on paper it looked great. I redesigned a solution myself, mocked it up with cardboard and replaced it. If your gut is telling you it might not work, LISTEN or vet more thoroughly.
11. Wood floors are not a problem in the kitchen because of water, they are a problem because you drop things that tend to be pointy/sharp/heavy.
12. I also am a big fan of all my drawers. One thing I did not realize is the drawer contstruction - usually beyond a certain drawer depth the box is a different dimension than the face. So a 12 inch drawer has sides on the inside that come up 6 inches. Know what you will store and if you need that part of the structure for containment or need something else to help with containment.

Leave room in the budget for plumbing and electrical. Even if you don't plan on moving any outlets or drains, there's no telling what you'll uncover that needs to be fixed by a qualified technician.

1. Consider a hiring a kitchen designer if your space is odd. Our designer was great -- she recommended against the island we wanted (so right!), brainstormed with us about optimal layout/cabinet placement, helped us put the lights/outlets/appliances in the right place, and was really helpful as a sounding board for all sorts of aesthetic/practical decisions we didn't anticipate. AND she worked for the company we got our cabinets from -- so her services were included in the price!

2. Have one cabinet with the biggest/widest drawers available, for pots & pans.

3. Above the wide pots & pans drawer, we have a wide shallow drawer for spices -- SO much better than a corner cabinet carousel.

4. One base corner cabinet has a carousel that goes all the way around - love it.

5. Our dark speckly granite never looks dirty, and never stains. (We're red wine-drinking slobs!) I think it's Brazilian "Butterfly."

6. Try tumbled marble tiles for the backsplash - not all shiny/sparkly/busy the way white subway tile is. Much more muted and chill.

Oh yeah, and one thing I love about our kitchen, we had a wall that couldn't be used for anything due to obstructing something else and only about five inches deep. It basically separates the kitchen from the front door and part of it is a pocket door. We put in 3 1/2 inch deep recessed shelves for spices and bottled things (soy/hot sauces, etc.) I LOVE it. The shelves are adjustable to accommodate different sized bottles and I can find things without having to hunt.

Another vote for deep, wide under counter drawers. Also, do take your own measurements (don't rely on the contractor), and, if using Ikea, double-check every item on the order yourself before payment. If you have a galley kitchen and enjoy entertaining, consider opening it up to your living area (there was an AT post on this recently) - budget permitting, of course. It's the best decision we made.

Re. drawers: we have a small plate behind floor-level drawers so they can be pulled opened with your foot, useful when hands are floury/greasy. Wish we'd also thought to install a foot-operated faucet.

2 more things I forgot to mention:

(1) If you have upper cabinets run them right up to the ceiling. The top shelves will still be difficult to access but at least they will be protected from the dirt/grease etc that accumulates on the top of kitchen cabinets (also I think it looks better).

(2) One of the best things I did was put a pull-out cabinet under my sink and put four Ikea bins with lids in it - one for plastics, one for compostable, one for bottles and one for everything else. There is also a shallow drawer in there where I keep rubber gloves, sponges etc but I have a separate narrow pull-out unit with drawers where I keep all my bottles of cleaning supplies. The bins seem to be discontinued now, but the new version seem to be http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/90154804/ and http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/40154806/. The cabinet is http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/S19867464/.

I don't know how I'd have room for 4 bins in my kitchen without this setup, it really is great.

before you start the teardown, cook cook cook lots of homemade frozen meals. For frozen or prepared meals, Trader Joes was our friend (tastiest by far). We were lucky to have a side burner on our grill, so even though we renovated in winter, we were able to boil pasta and cook rice easily, which bulked out what was in the freezer. I horded Groupon restaurant deals for the occasional treat, but we rarely ate out during our 3 month renovation.

Find a place to set up a temp kitchen. For us, our old fridge, microwave, utility sink, one shelf with a few dishes and utensils, and room for one cutting board were all we needed.

We were set on Ikea cabinets, until we talked to a local cabinet maker, who was able to do exactly what we wanted, in better materials, for not much more, and a whole lot less hassle.

Yes to the drawers on lower cabinets, or pull-out shelves. We have both. We also installed a pull-out pantry, and I LOVE it.

Yes to cabinets that go all the way up to the ceiling. Think hard about whether open shelving will work for you. Ours is not a big kitchen, and we cook A LOT. The thought of grease and dirt buildup on items sitting right next to our stove grossed us out, so we have enclosed uppers. And I like hiding my clutter. We did install open shelves at the far end of the kitchen (away from cooking grease), and love using that as a place for cookbooks and pretty bowls/glasses.

We skipped the garbage disposal and went with an electric automatic composter. My kitchen trash has almost been eliminated, and my garden and plumbing are happier.

Wish I had gone with a single large sink versus the double sink. Though ours is deep, it doesn't quite fit all my pots and pans .

i was set on quartz till I saw the price...granite was actually cheaper for us, and we found a color that looks like marble, but wears so much better.

Yes to good flooring! We paid a bit more for our tile (didn't think wood and water should be in the same place), but get lots of compliments on it. We also installed under-floor heating, which is awesome.

Interview at least 3-5 contractors to see how they bid the job, and if their personality will mesh with yours (you will basically be living with them for awhile). Often it will be a subcontractor who will be onsite everyday, and the top contractor will be your contact for coordination of building supplies/payment/and occasional oversight. Make sure you are comfortable with this arrangement. If possible, go see in person one of their previous renovations, and/or talk to their references.

Buy IKEA cabinet bases and customize them to suit your needs.....the quality is outstanding and the cost means you can splurge on lighting, hardware and millwork.

When you are debating over a material because of cost (example: flooring) always go with the costlier option. You'll spend more but you won't regret your decision each time you set foot in your kitchen.

Never, never, never, never, ever use smooth white ceramic tile for the floor.

I would recommend considering cork for your flooring....it hides everything, glasses bounce, it's warm underfoot, can be used with radiant heating. I would also consider using wood on the ceiling.....I did in my kitchen and it makes the entire space so warm and inviting.