thanks for all the input -- very helpful in thinking about this decision. I just wrote a long post that got eaten before I submitted, so I'll be brief. ctycdm, that is a gorgeous kitchen! magsnj, your pantry and space is so charming - the blue cabs are adorable. We don't have a pantry space in his home (1957 house), so we're having to be creative with our cabinet layout. I think we're going to do a modified version of open shelves. I really do love the look, and I think functionality wise they work for us (I too get sick of opening and closing cabinet doors), but we're lacking cabinet space in this kitchen. It's just not that big. So, we're contemplating a smaller cabinet with a shelf underneath for storing everyday items like plates, cups and wine glasses. It would look sort of similar to the henrybuilt ones that iheartgiantschaunzers posted or maybe even something like this (our cabs won't look anything like this, but this is just the general idea): [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/mid-century-modern-suite-hampstead-transitional-home-office-vancouver-phvw-vp~4309142) [Midcentury Home Office[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/midcentury-modern-home-office-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_732~s_2115) by Vancouver Interior Designers & Decorators i3 design group Another design we're considering is (kitchen is not my style, but just an example): [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/tarrytown-house-asian-kitchen-austin-phvw-vp~101835) [Asian Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/asian-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2102) by Austin Architects & Designers Webber + Studio, Architects Still working out the design kinks but this thread has been very helpful, so thanks!

I won't be buying the Ballard pieces, but will have the cabinet maker build customs. I've done a bit of research into banquette seating and apparently the trick is to make sure the bench portion protrudes beyond any side cabinets and that it is longer than the table. So my plan was for the bench to be 72" long and have a table that is a maximum of 66" long when extended. The side cabinets will be 15" or 18" deep on the bottom and 12" or 15" deep on top and the banquette bench will be 24" deep. without furniture Like usual my making a post here has probably made me answer my own question lol. I think I like the idea of a banquette as it pushes the table just a bit closer to the wall thereby freeing up the space in front of the door a bit. Also it gives me a place to store the table leaf.

Oldtimers will say - 8-12 inches distance from the crown of the plant to the T12 tube for standards, 6 for minis. But we have new more efficient fluorescents now and moving towards LEDs. So while I agree with Jeff - some plants will need more space, some - less - you still need to provide enough and not too much light at the crown level. I am a believer in the proper tools. I cannot eyeball the light level. So - upload an APP 'Lightmeter" or similar app on your cell phone - or if you do not have an android or iPhone - ask a friend or relative do it for you. I find 250-400fc on a crown level to be a good range. Dark leaf violets will like higher number - under the tubes - and light color violets will be happy on the edges. Since you purchased the LEDs from Amazon - and they are different from mine, Jeff's and everybody else - you need to take one measurement before you mount them. Hang the fixture 20 inches above the horizontal surface - and find the sweet spot - 400 fc under the center - lets say it will be 10 inches. You will add the height of the plant and the reservoir, space that the light fixture will take - and it is your distance between the shelves. The light level diminishes away from the center - so if you put your plants higher in a back of the shelf for better presentation - it will work too. And you can always mobe your plants around to accommodate higher and lower light requirements, If you are not comfortable to do the measurements right now - you can start with 20 inches between the shelves and move them farther apart if the leaves start bleaching and hugging the pots. The low light is not damaging - so start from more - and gradually reduce the height until you see that it is too much. More light - the plants will bloom more but the bloomstalks and petioles will be short. When you are close to a sweet spot - you can play with the time.

Hi everyone. There is no seating at the island. The issue really is that the doors make the placement of the light fixture seem more off center than it really is. Hard to show that in my photos bc I can’t get the whole room in one picture. If there were no doors there, I don’t think people would notice. I put the table centered under current placement of light fixture and put chairs around it. On the left it’s about 40-41 inches away from the island and it seems a little tight. I guess I also have to center the table in front of the doors, and then see how close it is to the island. If it’s too close I may have to change to high hats or a high fixture as someone suggested. I have 3 teenagers so my kitchen is always busy. I edited my post here. **its not so much the space for the chairs, its the ability to walk behind the chairs on the island side of the table***