I notice nobody has responded. There are certainly many many more people out there with greater experience, but I'll tell you what little I have. I'm new to large gardening, but we had windowboxes for a few years at a former house. My husband made them, as well. They were painted on the outside, can't remember if they were painted on the inside. We didn't use liners. The boxes were too small so liners wouldn't fit and it was always a challenge to keep things watered in the Georgia heat. Now we inherited wooden window boxes (commercially made) in our current house up here and they have the standard liner. I will say that the liners do seem to protect the wood from water damage. Without the liners the wet soil holds the water against the wood and accelerates rotting. How visible the liners are once plants get going depends on the color contrast between planter and liner and how many plants drape over. If your husband has some time, maybe it would be possible for him to add some type of trim around the top that would be the right height to hide the liners. Our current boxes are deep eggplant purple and the forest green liner just fades away and is hardly noticeable. If height isn't problem and the windowboxes are higher than the liners but you can see them up close because you're standing above them, then I have no suggestions there! Maybe try to paint the top rim of the liner the same color as the window box? As for shallowness and dirt, most liners have that water bin underneath to hold water. Between that and the fact that plastic isn't as porous as wood, I wouldn't be surprised if liners actually held moisture better, even thought they leave less room for good potting soil. Last year I put soil retention beads in our windowboxes as two are extremely difficult to water. Hopefully that helped keep them from drying out quickly. They certainly didn't get watered every day! As for ease, it certainly is easier to cart the liner around when it's time to remove dirt and change plants--that's for sure!

Your FAQ idea is great. It could have a whole section on bins talking about the different types, pros and cons of each type, home-made vs. purchased, etc. Another section could deal with the flora and fauna that occasionally appear in the bin. Another section could deal with the best types of bedding And of course, a section dealing with how and what to feed the little darlings. Great idea, Maggie. And it was nice of you to volunteer to manage it! :>)

Our refrigerator only has water in the door...no ice (but, there is an icemaker in the freezer). Our old refrigerator had an ice dispenser in the door and constantly froze up until, in frustration, we turned it off. With cold water in the door, we find we don't use the ice as much b/c the water is always cold. Yes, for other drinks we use ice, but since we drink mostly water the dispenser works for us. Another reason I didn't want an ice dispenser in the door is that it takes up quite a bit of room in the refrigerated portion....where we already lost the most space by switching to a CD refrigerator. Our freezer drawer is one drawer, but it has two pullout baskets inside it...so there are 3 areas of storage. Things rarely get lost in it and, like someone else said, nothing falls out on you! +++++++++++++++++++++ The carcass/box of a counter-depth refrigerator is approximately 24" deep (it varies by a couple of inches depending on the specific model). In all cases, though, the doors & handles stick out beyond that...in some cases up to 6" more (door depth + handles). The carcass/box of a standard depth refrigerator is anywhere from 30" or more deep (depending on size). Like cabinet-depth, the door(s) + handles stick out another 6" or so. The entire refrigerator (carcass + door(s)) of a built-in refrigerator are approximately 24" deep. These refrigerators are also usually very tall since the mechanics are above rather than behind the refrigerator. Cost-wise: Standard depth are the least expensive; next are the counter-depth; with built-ins the most expensive (often by a lot). Note that counter-depth can be made to look built-in by surrounding it with 3/4" finished end panels & a putting in a full-depth cabinet above it. Standard depth refrigerators can be made to look cabinet-depth if you recess it into the wall and room behind it. If you do that, then you can also make it look built-in as described above. [Note that in most cases you cannot recess into an outside/exterior wall.]

Having lived with old kitchens before this modern one, I'm so used to curling my fingers under bin pulls that I use the horizontal handles here the same way! The old plain bin pulls had the screw mounts to the sides & the fancy, heavier ones had a third screw in a design above. Children & those with arthritic hands find them easier. Short drawers had a central pull & long drawers needed two. Doors/cupboards had latches, but the doors weren't overlaid. I've seen bin pulls used sideways on modern doors with magnetic latches & think it often looks nice. Agree they keep the finish clean & with pale or painted cabinets, that's a huge plus. I'd take the brass fittings off once a year to clean & polish, but I have mariners in my heritage so a preference for shiny metals is genetic... What's up with with your cabinet KD? Who would put up with the hassle of renovating without wanting a very specific outcome?? Unless he gets those who give him a magazine picture or two & say "do this"? Used to know women who'd hire an interior designer to do the same thing with their rooms. Designers would give them 3 choices in fabric or flooring & that would determine the designer's next round of choices. And that's before CAD when designers sketched & colored their renderings! When it came to kitchens and baths, the actual work was done before move-in or during extended Summer vacation. Most of us here live in a different world than that! Your sanity is just fine in my view and your kitchen will turn out much more functional & beautiful for your thoughtfulness. I'm with you on the approach of the more you know & plan, the fewer surprises down the line and the happier the outcome.