I absolutely love the look of shelves in a kitchen - they help to create a really light and simple feel to the space, and create a stage for all your favourite things. However, they do provide less storage. So if you dont have the luxury of plenty of storage, I would suggest going for wall cabinets instead, or having a mixture of the two. There is something to be said for keeping the walls open too - it can be tempting to fill every possible space, but don't be afraid of leaving space for your cabinets to breath. This might mean having a clear out, but it will make your room feel much more open. Charlie

Painting is a very affordable option, we have painted many kitchens and it really does transform the room. Pure and Original Classico is very robust and gives a chalky finish which can be waxed if desired.No need to prime saving time. The colour choices are fabulous, pop over to www.pure-original.com for the full choice of colours. If you would like a colour chart please just let me know Sue

LED strips for low level cupboard/island plinths have their merits in showcasing themselves, however aren't necessary if the space already houses good lighting from overhead lights or natural lighting. However, using under cabinet lighting underneath wall units works particularly well when the main lighting isn't required and the occupants wish to have a dimmer atmosphere. They can also serve the purpose of providing necessary light for worktops when being used for cooking etc. www.pwjarchitects.com

You're really looking at either a hi end kitchen company who supply a more traditional style kitchen ie inframe, or as @Daisy England says, go to an independent, but as you're planning on having this sitting on your worktop, depending on the design of the rest of the kitchen ie if you have towers, the counter level bi fold doors would be to a special size (as most tall doors are designed for tower use). The easiest way to do this would be to have an extra wide larder (800 or 900), fit an internal drawer unit at the bottom, then a piece of worktop, have power points inside and 2 or 3 shelves above. Depending on where the doors come from it may 2x 1965 doors or 2x 1245 doors at the top and 2x 715 doors at the bottom, all standard stuff. Bearing in mind the appliances your trying to hide would be too big to fit inside a 'standard' 300 deep dresser type unit, the counter top option might not be the most suitable. But for a budget of 20K, i could design and supply a larger than average kitchen that has some bespoke made to measure doors and specially designed rigid cabinets and all to a high spec.