my first kitchen...

[AHill]

I do a lot of cooking. Most kitchens today in larger homes are just too big and laid out wrong.
Efficiency getting to the chop block, sink, fridge, trash and stove is key for me. A lot of counter space to the left or right of the stove and a BIG chop block area.
 I tried using my sil's huge kitchen- the huge island meant walking all around it to get to the fridge, around the corner to the sink, the stove had little counter space on each side, the food storage across the room-- it was just all wrong and I wore myself out just making lunch.  

Efficiency first, then looks. Unless you don't even cook.

Your SIL's kitchen indeed was poorly laid out.  Big doesn't necessarily mean inefficient.  In my home, I have an island.  The fridge is off one side.  The oven and sink are 1 step away from the long edge.  Only 2 steps to the fridge, which is 1 step away from the oven.  The opposite edge of the island accommodates a breakfast bar.  Even with an island, I consider my kitchen too small.  It doesn't have enough cabinet space for all my appliances, and the pantry is woefully too small.  I long for the walk-in pantry I had in my last home.

[rwe2156]

I would suggest Dominoes not necessary and just add a step. Just butt and screw using Posi drive screws and the special drill bits.  Use 90º clamping blocks.

Get a good quality DS melamine blade for your saw (not cheap but well worth it).  I like the Freud.

[Herebrooks]

Drawers!!!

[cputnam]

Alder is very soft and turns very amber with oil. Pretty stuff. I question the durability of alder in a kitchen situation. JMO & YMWV.

[PaulJohnstone]

I am still working on my kitchen.

I think a good idea is to build 1 or 2 boxes at a time. Take down old cabinets and replace with the new ones.
Do uppers first, then lowers.
This is going to take a lot longer than you think it will.. (No matter how realistic you are
 )
I had a minor layout change, so I put the new cabinets in that area first.
The family will be a lot more patient if you minimize the disruption.
As a hobbyist, unless you are blessed with a ton or storage, I don't think it is realistic to store all the cabinets until you have them all done.

Some people will do the doors and face frames first, then build the carcasses  to fit in order to avoid storing the boxes for an extended period of time.
That is an interesting idea, I am just not skilled enough to do that.  I make a lot of mistakes.

This can turn from a "Fun project" to a "second job" pretty quickly..  Plan to take some mental health breaks ( an occasional few weeks where you do not work on it).
Don't turn into a project manager pushing yourself to devote every free moment to get it done ASAP.

That said, even though I am not done with mine, I am glad I did it. One of the most satisfying projects I did in a long time, I learned a lot, and while it is not perfect, looks pretty good.

---

I am still working on my kitchen.

I think a good idea is to build 1 or 2 boxes at a time. Take down old cabinets and replace with the new ones.
Do uppers first, then lowers.
This is going to take a lot longer than you think it will.. (No matter how realistic you are
 )
I had a minor layout change, so I put the new cabinets in that area first.
The family will be a lot more patient if you minimize the disruption.
As a hobbyist, unless you are blessed with a ton or storage, I don't think it is realistic to store all the cabinets until you have them all done.

Some people will do the doors and face frames first, then build the carcasses  to fit in order to avoid storing the boxes for an extended period of time.
That is an interesting idea, I am just not skilled enough to do that.  I make a lot of mistakes.

This can turn from a "Fun project" to a "second job" pretty quickly..  Plan to take some mental health breaks ( an occasional few weeks where you do not work on it).
Don't turn into a project manager pushing yourself to devote every free moment to get it done ASAP.

That said, even though I am not done with mine, I am glad I did it. One of the most satisfying projects I did in a long time, I learned a lot, and while it is not perfect, looks pretty good.

[HillJeffrey10]

I like the idea of lighting under the cabinets. It'd look cool !