On the subject of making your own cabinets:

I highly recommend taking a non-credit cabinet making class
at a local community college. I have done this in the
past and was very successful at making a bathroom vanity
and a book case. The instructor was most helpful and
the power tools that the school had were much better
than the one's I own. Think about it. Why not
tap into the knowledge of a cabinet maker and make
something that's really nice. I would venture to bet
that the results will out weight the costs. IMHO :)

John Sharpe
New owner of '86 Westy