For design and brainstorming (and to figure out what stuff you like), go to www.houzz.com-there are tons of examples of renovated kitchens and you can get some ideas. Figure out how much money you want to spend, as that will inform your choices. At the low end, I've heard generally good things about Ikea kitchens (cabinets are better made than their furniture typically is), but if you don't want to do a lot of the work yourself the trick is finding someone good to assemble and install for you. Hiring a contractor will probably run you more, and you can check out Consumer Checkbook for recommendations and talk to neighbors and friends as recommended. If you want to go with a bigger company, options you might want to check out are Cabinet Discounters, Kitchen Guild, and Case Remodeling. Just a warning--even doing a simple remodel can get expensive quickly (I was surprised by how much new cabinets cost).

Get contractor recommendations from your friends or from your neighborhood list serv. Consumer's Checkbook and Angie's List are good sources of info but contractors who get high ratings there tend to jack up their prices accordingly.

Check out the gardenweb kitchens forum for design advice, suggestions and inspiration. Find examples of kitchens you like and try to replicate them. Be wary of picking color combinations you've never seen in real life.

I'm always telling people to try Kitchensforless online. I swear I don't work for them but I did save a lot of money using them for my kitchen cabinets.

Ok I'll check that out!!! Thx!!

Washington Consumer Checkbook rates contractors and suppliers. Very reliable. My library has a database subscription that I can access from their computers.

I need cabinets floors and counters. Any advice on where to shop or how to find a good contracted? I've heard horror stories.