We met with the builders supplied cabinet maker and he knocked back everything we suggested and said "thats not practical" for no good reason. He was very traditional and wanted to stick with cupboards all round instead of things like pot drawers (how arent pot drawers practical??) He didnt want to go down the modern path with things like pull out bins, handle-less cupboards etc He actual looked at us like we were nuts when we suggested them. He seemed like someone who just wanted to produce the same kitchen over and over instead of making something individual for the client.
We looked around and came across a guy who listened to our ideas and how we wanted our kitchen to look.
If he thought something wasnt going to work he would say something like "that would look good, but I'm not sure it will fit, how about this instead".
Nothing was too much trouble for him.
If we had a vague idea on part of the kitchen (maybe something I saw in a magazine that I would try to describe) he would offer more options, sometimes something better and draw us pictures on the spot.
We never felt rushed.
He was excited about his work and proudly invited us into his workshop to show us what he was building everytime we went there to help us get more ideas on how we wanted our kitchen to be.
He was never pushy with money, he didnt charge through the roof if we made last minute changes and upgrades - he was very honest.
We found out later on that he purposely charges less then his competitors as he ends up with all the clients while everyone else is begging for work.
Are you in Sydney EKT? If so, can you PM me his details?