green design: Thank you for taking the time to put those color swatches together it helps so much to have a visual reference. I never thought of going with browns but it does look very pretty together. I love the brown sink. Love it. I lean more toward the brown shade than the greens I think. Where are those round tiles from and how did you kick all this out so quickly? Wow. herbflavor: I am drawn towards light countertops...or really dark countertops. See how I work? My favorites are natural soapstone (but the price for that in Idaho is through the roof and with 4 kids I think the chipping would kill me) and the white shades of caesar/silestone. ellendi: I'm going to try and figure out including photos today but I have my doubts...I can't even figure out how to find my own posts. Thank you for the suggestion to look at the finished kitchen blog..I'll go there next and it will be new to me. livewire: Love the paint swatch you included, so warm. We are replacing the island because the current one is too small and I have been jealously watching my friend pull out her giant, perfectly organized, full extension, soft close ikea drawers for far too long...only to reurn to my dark cavernous holes that require getting on my knees to access. In a perfect world I would make a copy cat kitchen of so many I see here. I would paint all my cabinets a light creamy color, put a marble look a like silestone (or the real stuff) on the perimeter and my walnut in the middle and every cabinet would be fitted with a pull out. And I would have a cleaning lady. As long as I'm dreaming. I'm afraid that I would face chipping on the paint with our busy kitchen. It just seems risky. Everyone: I made a mistake, the cabs are alder, not maple. Similar though but with age the finish has yellowed a bit to make them kind of a light honey color.

Thanks for that GH. Sorry I don't know why I wrote Water Dragon as I have Bearded Dragon on the pic as you told me that before silly me. Yes you could be right I probably have a few more as last year there was a pregnant one stuck between the palings of the boundry fence so hubby had to take it off to free the poor thing, and a few months down the track I found I think it was six little ones about 20cms long in different parts of the garden in the one day. So maybe a couple of those call this backyard home, I hope so.................Cheers..MM.

I'd never considered it, but I know my kids would take on our pets-they're all pet lovers/owners themselves and when my son had to give up his cat & dog, they went to family. I think it's very wise of you with those long lived birds to consider this option. My dear friend had a small bird (I don't know birds, it wasn't a canary and it was smaller than a cockatoo) and she came down with terminal cancer. Fortunately a coworker and his wife were bird rescuers and they took in Rio. My friend did leave a small stipend for her bird's care, but the couple insisted it would not be a burden for them. I have another friend who has a tortoise, she (the tortoise) is currently 19 years old, and will likely outlive my friend. She's got a network of folks willing to take on her unusual pet, but I might ask her if she's got some kind of provision for the tortoise as she's a single woman with no family but a brother.

Fair? It's hard to say without knowing more about brand, door style, wood...etc. I have cabinet lines that range from $350 to $1000 average per cabinet. With my mid-grade lines, yes...average price per cabinet is between $450 to $550. Upper middle brands will be $550 to $650. Custom top of the line cabinetry $800 to $1000. Luke is right....you gotta have a passion for kitchens to be in this business. Trust us, no one is getting rich. Profit margins are not high in this business and customer expectations vs reality is a constant struggle for kitchen/bath dealers and manufacturers. Cabinets are not like the furniture industry which is mass produced. Also they are not built as well as kitchen cabinets....and the general public compare the prices of furniture vs cabinetry all the time. You can't compare the two! Bedroom dresser drawers won't withstand the constant use in a kitchen over time. Kitchen cabinets are built much more sturdy...and each unit is built to order. Not mass produced. Even 'stock' cabinets today are built to order. I love what I do...I really do! But I would not recommend anyone start a business in the kitchen industry unless they have a LOT of patience, a cool temper and are very organized. I would certainly advise anyone to become a kitchen designer....it's fun and satisfying for those with mathematical and creative minds...however work for someone else to start before opening up a business. It's a tough business to be in. I still come in to work everyday with a smile...after 34 years...I still love it!