Hey everyone. I've decided to take on the task of remodeling my kitchen AND my bathroom, basically at the same time. (Yes, I'm insane!)

I'm in the process of researching at this point, to figure out the easiest, and the cheapest way to do this. Does anyone have any suggestions on kitchen cabinets? I will be attempting to install them myself, so I need something easy (but obviously that still looks good). Brands? Types/styles? I'm really hitting the ground running here.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Can you do it yourself, depends on your skills, tools, etc. Styles are a personal choice, so that is up to you. A kitchen should last a lifetime, so avoid cheapy particle board cabinets from big box. Look for plywood boxes, and dovetail drawers.

All cabinets are installed the same way, regardless of quality. Wall cabinets are screwed into the wall studs. Base cabinets also into the wall studs, and sometimes the floor for stand alone cabinet. Everything gets shimmed to make it plumb and level. Floors are not level so find the high point of the floor and strike a level line from that. Walls are also not plumb or straight, use shims as needed. Trim will hide the shims. If installing stone or solid surface counter tops, the base must ABSOLUTELY level.

I usually do wall cabinets first starting with a corner cabinet. Same with base, start at a corner. You must plan your layout carefully before you buy the cabinets, and pay attention to windows, where pipes are or will be, wiring, etc. Wiring in older houses usually needs an update. Code requires 2 20A circuits for counter top outlets, microwave should be on its' own circuit. An outlet should be no more that 2' from any point on the CT(4' apart).

Bathrooms are a different story. Depends on budget and how far you want to go.

Hope this helps.

If you want to do it right but save money, realize that your base cabinets will be best served by having real plywood construction. You don't want MDF/particle board on the floor in the event that you have a water leak from the fridge, etc.

Pay attention to your drawers (how well they slide, etc) and the material you select. You'll find you can save a little by using Maple over Cherry, for example - and likely get similar colors.

I'm not a fan of Thermofoil, but if you want to go white that is much cheaper than a custom painted white wood.

Other than that try to get a 10% coupon if you decide to go with a big box store. They also price match the other stores (most people don't realize this). That means that if you have a coupon for one and you like the cabinets in the other, you'll likely pull the same discount.

Don't forget the niceties like your baseboard trim (mandatory) and crown molding (optional.)

Definitely start in a corner and use a laser level. For the base cabinets, find your lowest point first. Be sure your electrical is everywhere you need it before installing the cabinets. This is a great time to re-run anything you didn't have when you started (garbage disposal, dedicated line for the microwave, under-cabinet lighting, etc).

There is an interesting trend out there I find particularly interesting. Something I'd really consider if I were to remodel my kitchen and thought of sharing in this thread.
I've seen some lovely "industrial look" kitchens, that use very few or no closed cabinets. The kitchen utensils and groceries are stored in shelves and units (usually made of stainless steel), in plain site. Pots and pans hang from hooks, etc.
They are modern versions of vintage restaurant kitchens.
I think they are great to showcase and keep everything accessible, and also encourage you to avoid clutter in the kitchen and get rid of those gadgets and utensils we tend to buy and never really use. This look only works if you are relativelly organized and invest in some good looking containers for things like flour, pasta, dry beans, spices etc... (Think display, rather than store.)

Wow!!

it would be really great to have an "industrial looking" kitchen.... i am certainly looking forward for it....

If you are talking about a major kitchen remodel, i.e. demo'd to the studs, there is a lot more involved than can be addressed here. Even more so if you plan to DIY it.
Here are some of the trades/skills that might be required

Carpentry
Drywall
Finish carpentry
Tile
Electric
Plumbing
Painting

I suggest that you pick up a book on kitchen renovation as the first step in your project.

A couple of good ones are Taunton's Build Like A Pro Series
Remodeling a Kitchen, and Taunton's For Pros by Pros
Renovating a Kitchen. Both are availabler on line and you may be able to find them in your library.

I'm in the same boat. I'd like to find a balance between keeping it inexpensive, yet looks halfway decent and has some longevity. What's your guys opinions on Ikea cabinets?..i guess that would be considered big box? I've heard both pros and cons so far(one of the cons being that the manual is less than perfect). I'm not very experienced in the DIY home remodeling space, but I think I could hack a kitchen.

I was thinking of maybe grabbing a book like the one cwbuff mentioned. Would this set me up pretty well?