so has anyone installed Pedini and do you have any experience with the durability?  I really like the integra line but want to know how it holds up considering the price.

A couple of ideas I might throw out there:

1. use a cabinet maker.  purchasing cabinets from a cabinet company requires you to pay for their showroom, marketing, shipping over long distances, sales staff...etc.  have you seen bulthaup's catalogue?  It's stunning!  which means it's expensive to produce...and they give them to architects free of charge, which means the consumer pays for them.  i use a handful of different cabinet makers...depending on the client's expectations and budget, i have one that usually fits well.  make sure you use a cabinet maker who can provide shop drawings for approval so there are no surprises.

2. ditch the overhead (upper) cabinets.  build in a walk in pantry for floor to ceiling storage.  install a counter top and outlets in your pantry for small appliances.  install windows over your counters if you're on an exterior wall, or don't put a wall over your cabinets at all if it's interior.  while upper cabinets can provide needed storage, they close your space down visually.  a small pantry and a base cabinet using a storage system like Blum offers can drastically reduce the amount of cabinets you really need.

good luck!

Would you mind sharing who this local dealer might be?  You are absolutely right about the gap in the middle of the market.  There are lots of options out there, but the design options and value propositions generally aren't quite right.  We're renovating a 1957 modern here in Dallas and have decided to put in a bare-bones temporary Ikea Varde freestanding kitchen until we can find a good solution.