Fantastic! Thank you guys....close to a Monstera then, but their labelling could have been somewhat better! I shall try very hard to keep up the good work (although I suspect the plant's success is more down to the plant itself than to anything I'm doing!! - maybe it just likes my windowsill.....) Thanks again - I'm off to read up on it now :-)

Thank you I am leaning towards white grout. We want a very tight grout line. But I think I prefer a gap between counter and door frame.. I am not sure i would like the tile extending past the countertop

Wood doors/drawer fronts -- most Americans like wood, but it's not necessarily the "best". Research it and see how it applies to your situation. Paint, door/drawer front construction, etc., will impact what's "best". Plywood construction -- similar to wood doors/drawer fronts. Research it and see how it applies to your situation. Soft-close hinges -- nice to have but not a "must have". In fact, it's far cheaper to make cabinet doors soft-close after the fact. In our case, they wanted $50/hinge for soft-close; we did it (DIY) for $3/door and it was a quick 5-minute (or less) easy job per door. Full-extension drawers -- I agree! Full-extension drawers allow you to see and access the entire drawer contents without scraping your knuckles! 😄 Soft-close drawers -- a "nice to have" but not a "must have". However, it's not as easy to make drawers soft-close after the fact as soft-close hinges, so if it's important to you, take that into consideration. Note that IKEA has soft-close drawers as standard. Drawer box construction -- dove-tail joinery is often said to be superior to other forms of joins, but I don't know whether that's true in all cases. I second the IKEA comment -- why not consider them? (Unless there aren't any within an hour or two of where you live.)

Those look like aphids, possibly dead going by their tan coloration. When well fed aphids die, they remain right where they attached themselves to leaves or stems for a while before falling off......a macabre scene. Conventional insecticides labeled to kill aphids are very effective. Organic means are a bit trickier, especially oily sprays like insecticidal soap and Neem oil. Foliage damage with the organics can occur if sprayed when its too hot, and/or when its sunny. Success can be had when large gatherings of aphids occur, primarily at growing tip sites, by just directing a spray of plain, garden hose water at them. More than one time may be needed this way....again the next day(s), until the aphids have bee flushed off. They can return, but not always......certainly not likely the ones you just washed off, which were destroyed, others from elsewhere can reinfest. That's why I like using a conventional spray listed for aphids the best. Moses.