Kitchen update part 3

WHEW! The cabinets are up and I am waiting on the counter tops . It took five days to assemble and install the cabinets. We had to trim two inches off the bottom of the base cabinets to accommodate the concrete bases that were built up to keep them off the floor. The two cabinets by the stove area were installed directly onto the tile floor so no trimming was necessary. The tiler will resume tiling when all the counter tops are in place.

I've got the kitchen blues

I am fed up to the point that I am ready to order my kitchen cabinets online. I have had several people come out to measure up and send me a quote. I received two quotes out of five and I am now waiting on another two cabinet makers to come by and give me their quotes. It is hit and miss when doing business on this island. It is very important to do a background check on these people because you really don't know who you are getting. Some of them are very good and have a long waiting list. I am not prepared to go that way. Some are very expensive even in these lean times they are not flexible, and some are just pure jokers looking to make a quick dollar.

Whenever I mention about buying my kitchen on line, I get responses like" those kitchens are no good" and that "they are not made from wood". I know that they do not know what they are talking about. I am not saying that there are no online scammers but what am I to do? Build them myself? That idea sounds really good to me at this point in time.

I really like the shaker look for my cabinets and am trying to decide whether to go with light coloured wood or medium coloured wood or whether to paint them. I don't want to make a rash decision cause am afraid of having to live with it for the rest of my life. What am I to do? HELP SOS

Have any of you had any experience buying online kitchen cabinets? I have to prepare myself that they will cost me approximately 2.5 to 3 times more by the time I get it. This will be because the sea freight and our customs duties. I am sooo fed up!