Thanks so much, paintguy! I think my problem may have been that after I cut in with a brush, I painted most of the ceiling with a 1" nap roller on an extension pole. ( I did get the good Purdy one.) I will say it got heavy fast, so I probably applied different pressures. Then I'd go to the ladder and shorter poles. And then, then next day to finish I used a 3/4" roller, and for touch-ups I'd grab a brush. As far as the paint not sticking by the crown, I suspect the old caulk may have been silicone? Glad to hear I don't need scaffolding! And I would call in a pro, but I thought this would be an easy enough job that I could tackle myself, and save the pros for actual construction stuff. I guess a pro would have finished long, long before I ever will, tho! So...maybe different applicators and different pressures are the problem? Sometimes in certain light it almost looks like I used different sheens, but it's all the SW ceiling paint, Wool Skein. I think I'll call this the first coat, and go over it all again with the same roller nap! Again, thanks so much!

I have thought about going to a shelter to adopt a dog. They are so full from people being foreclosed on and abandoning their pets. DH doesn't want to do that right now though. He wants us to focus on what we started and that is raising the guide dog puppies for the guide dog school. There is a woman in our group who is in her 70's and has raised 27 dogs for the school. She told me last week that the right one will come along for us to keep and we'll be sure when it does. Nick's sister was booted out because of hips too and she was only half his size (about 40 lbs.). That size dog would be much better for me because I have a bad back. She was too high strung for us though. I cried all night again last night but doing much better today. DH was going to call them this morning to see if he was still at the school being neutered or if he had already been placed at their hosue. If he wasn't at their house yet he was going to tell them we changed our minds. But we went for a long walk and talked and talked and decided to stick with our decision.So we will wait until Sept or Oct. and get another puppy to raise and love. And we will be hopeful that he will be happy there and be a good therapy dog for her. I hope she will realize what a gift he truly is.

I agree with everyone else. It is beautiful and the plank top adds so much character to it. Lighting does make a huge difference. I always find the lighting in stores to be so misleading--esp. when I was remodeling my kitchen, but at least then we could take a sample door home. I like it so much better than a bombe chest. It looks like a unique piece anyway, not part of a "collection." Be sure to show us the pics in your space.

You need a built in model to place in a cabinet run. They aren't cheap. You could do a separate 15" or 24" cabinet in it's place until you can afford the cooler. Or both box stores sell a 24" wine cooler than you can build in that's Chinese and not the best quality, but it it'll fill the hole and work for a couple of years. By then, maybe the budget will have recovered from bleeding money and you can pick up one of the better quality ones. 24" is more standard than 15" though, and easier to find.