Once you've decided you want to go for broke and replace your current cabinets, you'll be amazed at the beautiful options you have available to you. Your first choice is going to center around wood. Do you want maple, oak or cherry? How about birch or linden? Or perhaps you want a clean, modern look for your cabinets, in which case you might want to look into laminates or glass-fronted cupboards. Typically the General Contractor does not provide the labor to build the house. The laborers come from the subcontractors or the trades. This may include carpenters for roughens, excavators, flooring, painting, concrete sub, plumber, electrician, roofer, and the finish carpenter. The general contractor hires the subcontractors and holds their contracts. The island is a convenient location for specialty countertops such as butcher block for chopping veggies or marble for rolling out those delectable desserts. Another idea is a rolling island which can roll outside to your patio or deck when entertaining guest. When one end of the island is anchored to a wall or line of cabinets, this is called a peninsula plan. Keep focus on your original desire and do not be sidetracked by other peoples' suggestions for your home. Remember the original reason you are doing the addition, how you will use the space and what the top five priorities are. Always get estimates and list of cost on everything you are planning on doing so there will not be any surprises. So much more than cooking goes on in most home kitchens, why not make the most of yours and turn it into a room you love to be in? A kitchen remodel need not be an overwhelming project. Start by getting yourself excited and catching the vision of what you want yours to look like. Read home remodeling magazines and visit home sites on the internet for ideas. Granite tile countertops have such a natural beauty that compliments almost any style cabinetry. Granite tiles are very versatile and offer a wide range of ideas and options for installations. If you are not wanting to install granite tiles all over your kitchen consider doing just your island top for a focal point and conversation piece.