Looking at RR's bottle tree, loving it and thinking that perhaps it's all in the artistic talent and eye of the maker.....and of course placement and lack of resin gnomes and frogs that make is pretty. When he retired, my uncle started "making things" He had seen a wind chime made from various cut off bottles, with a hole drilled and carefully arranged so they all didn't clang together at once. So he took to glomming on to every empty bottle he could find, cutting it and stringing it up and giving it away. His next project was wind chimes made from forks and spoons strung on a bent coat hanger. They clanked in a breeze. Then there was another man who took up rug hooking when he retired. He bought kits and tied knots like mad. Their house was covered with furry rugs, hanging on benches, on the back of the sofa, on floors and piled in a corner. Another person took up needle point and in 5 or 6 years all available space was covered with needle point renditions of someone else's art. We had Pinky, Blue Boy, The Mona Lisa and even Van Gogh's sunflowers. A beautiful home was turned into a display of kitsch....but it kept them off the streets! LOL! I have seen some very lovely "art" made from broken pottery....but I have also seen some stuff that is pretty much broken dishes glued to something. The line between art and craft is fine.....and the line between craft and junk perhaps even finer....and some don't seem to see it. As an example, I made a trip to New York several years ago to see Christo's Gates. I found it moving, exilerating and endlessly fascinating. I posted on another forum what I had done and how wonderful I thought it was.....and was booed and hooted at ridiculed for bothering to view something quite as silly as that. Art doesn't need the approval of others to be "art". Van Gogh died penniless with a stash of things like whirling suns and swirling clouds and flowers beneath his bed. Pollock also died broke. Frieda Kahlo's work never sold until after her death when Madonna started collecting. I have seen several gardens that were full of "repurposed" items, the toilet planter, the shoe planter, the frog under the hosta and the elf sitting on a rock. Some were lovely and charming, while a few others were a collection of junk. What makes the difference? I guess it's the skill of the person putting it all together. Scuse the ramble, I guess it always boils down to "To each his own" or "chacon a son gout", but I never understand why someone feels the need to defend their own taste, or feel insulted if someone else doesn't like what you like. Why would anyone feel threatened because I don't like plastic gnomes in my yard, nor Robert Kincade (however he spells his name) on my walls nor canned soup in my casseroles? It's your house, do what you like. Linda C

Thanks Ken. To keep a long story long: I went to Williams Sonoma even though I "knew" from their web site that they don't carry LC tea kettles. They had a poor selection, basically the Uplift ones which we already didn't like, and a Chantal, where I could foresee the heat problems people are having. (I can't for the life of me figure out why anyone would design a kettle where you have to use a pot holder to hold or open it!!!) Went to Crate and Barrel, tons of Uplift (do people really like this klumsy design?) and a Chantal Professional which was insulated, looked great, but was way too huge for my little old ma. Got frustrated, left the city, then went to Bed Bath and Beyond because they were listed as a LC retailer. I didn't find the LC kettle there, but did find a Chantal that has heat resistant handle, lid and spout. Bingo, bought it. Went next door to a different Wms Sonoma for something else and lo and behold they had a LC tea kettle. Not the Zen, but another. Very nice, I would have bought it had I seen it first, but oh well too late. Honestly my mom likes to keep it simple and might not have loved the "removable part." Chantal was $59. Of course I didn't have one of the BBB coupons that I get twice a day in the mail and they wouldn't let me slide. I'll let you know how it works.

With the red pendants and modern hardware, it looks like your style 'wants' mosaics. I think a mosaic would look great! I think you can do something bold on the b/s -- everything else is neutral, except for the pendants. I don't think it would look too masculine. Maybe use a more muted colour for the b/s to 'feminize' it a bit if you are concerned about it. On the other hand: I love the subways posted by kitchenaddict. However, I think the red pendants would look out-of-place with the subways. I don't know...what do you think? It just seems like mosaics would be a more natural fit in this kitchen.

Wow -- my hat is off to you and dianalo for those great pics! It really makes a difference (to me) to see the whole room; it gives me a better idea how all your pieces relate to one another. So seeing your whole room I have to say I like a simpler design. The Trellis is still my fave for your room: it is v. simple but it has a bite to it so it's not boring. My second favorite is that orange -- thump thump went my heart. I'm a sucker for orange but I think it could really pull everything together in a harmonious way. Your Shaw rug is just too much, I'm afraid. Or it appears to be too much to me, and too much saying "look at me! I'm so exciting!" If you had all milquetoast furniture then yeah, maybe, but lucky you you do NOT -- you've got gorgeous, fun furniture. I'm a more-is-more kind of gal, so for my eye to steer away from more pattern really makes me listen. I also really like the Overstock Circles, but you wrote it's sold out. While that's kind of a bummer I'm still rooting for Trellis or Orange. You have done a beautiful job in there already. You should be proud of yourself! And thanks again to you and Diana for those pictures -- sooo helpful!