Dumbbells or Barbells?

What about kettlebells?

Both is good. Bars for overall strength moves, Dumbs for adressing mechanics and lateral deficiencies. At least, that's how I like to think of it.

I would start with dumbbells and here is my reason why:

After a surgery I had a few years ago, I had to take about 6 weeks off from working out. When I got started again, it was light workouts at my home with dumbbells. You would be surprised what you can do with just dumbbells, a pull up bar, and an adjustable bench. I had enough weights to get my dumbbell weight up to two at about 72lbs each.

chest:
flat bench press
incline press
incline flies
flat bench flies

shoulders:
press
arnold press
front lifts
lateral lifts
upright rows
reverse flies

back:
rows
chin ups
wide grip pull ups
hammer grip pull ups

Legs:
weighted lunges
dumbbell dead lifts
weighted squats
weighted step ups

Arms:
hammer curls
inclined curls
reverse grip curls
concentration curls
above head tri extensions
tri kick backs
diamond push ups
close grip flat bench press

The amount of back workouts leaves a little to be desired, but its surely a very good start overall.

If you can afford a rack, bench, bumper plates....than a barbell.

If you don't have a ton of room...I would choose kettlebells, weighted vest and a set of rings.

You can do any exercise with either KB or DB, I personally think KBS are better though and I have both in my home gym.

Barbells all day

Dumbbells. More anatomically normal movement pattern is accessible with them. Much easier on my shoulders. Only thing I use a bar for these days are deads.

I use an EZ bar for curls due to limited supination/pronation Issues from an old fracture.

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Dumbbells...Much easier on my shoulders.

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I disagree with this. Maybe (and I mean maybe) if you are only training light with high reps. If you are trying to go heavy with dumbbells, though, it will actually put a lot more strain on the rotatory cuff. This is especially true with any type of fly or rowing movements if proper mechanics are not executed. People rarely blow out their shoulders doing bar presses, rows, or bench work. It's almost always the result of incline chest fly, incline DB press, reverse fly, or DB row with poor form.

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I disagree with this. Maybe (and I mean maybe) if you are only training light with high reps.

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Light is all relative and subjective. I won’t have to worry about the things you listed because of certain impairments based on previous injuries and just the nature of my joints and ligament laxity. And I can vary tempo the parameters enough to get solid chest workouts with DBs (I’m not out to break records). Also. I do my DB flys on the floor because doing them on a bench is quite frankly retarded and that extra little stretch on the pecs isn’t going to give you much of anything.

If I’m looking for high weight, I walk on over to the hammer press to load up weight.

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If you are trying to go heavy with dumbbells, though, it will actually put a lot more strain on the rotatory cuff.

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I have a labrum issue in my left shoulder, and bringing the dumbbell up from my knee to the starting position on a seated press is pretty iffy...so standing OHP with a barbell is much easier to do with a rack. So I kind of agree with this