Invariably, the question at the top of everyone's list is: what kind of an investment will I need to make? This is like asking how much a car costs. It all depends on what you want in your new kitchen. Each of the products going into this project has a wide price range. Knobs alone can cost from $3 to $100 each. Multiply that by forty knobs and you begin to understand. Further, in any kitchen space a designer can do many different designs to move the price up or down the scale. Example: A new client asked for a plan in which the cabinet price would be $6,000. They saw the plan. They hated it. After a redesign, they got a plan that they loved, but the price had climbed to $12,000, even using the same cabinet line.
While this question cannot be fully answered here, we can give you some tips to help get you started.
Price is a critical piece of the puzzle so here are some very rough guidelines for a standard size kitchen.
You can get a nice facelift (check facelift timeframe) with some or all of the following: a new countertop, fresh paint, some new appliances to replace those on their last leg, a new tile backsplash, and some improved lighting. How much of this list you can do will depend entirely on which items you decide to use. A countertop alone can run anywhere from just under $1,000 for a laminate to $6,000 and up for a solid surface or granite top.
You can do a replacement of what now exists (check replacement timeframe): new cabinets, new appliances, new countertops, new flooring. You can shift things, not move them. You can achieve a nice look but you won't be able to do extensive moulding or enlarge the window. You may be able to have one item on the wish, but not all the treats — count on "good enough."
You can redesign the kitchen so that it functions correctly for your needs (check redesign timeframe), maybe put in the new larger window, and not compromise too much on materials. You probably still won't get the full wish list but the important items will be included.
You will have top-of-the-line somewhere but not necessarily everywhere (check redesign timeframe). The cabinets will have a fine furniture quality, the countertops will most probably be granite and/or solid surface, the appliances will be very fine pieces of equipment, there will be extensive lighting, the flooring will be high quality, special touches will add a unique flavor. Don't get too carried away because at this end a specialty range can easily cost $9,000. Depending on just how far you are willing to go, you may or may not get all of the goodies on your wish list.