In the case of refrigerators, bigger is better. Since you're hoping to eliminate the deep freeze in the pantry, you will need to make sure you have PLENTY of freezer space. Many of the larger cu ft fridges have more fridge space but the freezer space is the same as smaller cu ft fridges. I second the Samsung recommendation. We have the Kenmore Elite badged Samsung counter depth. We chose the Kenmore version because with all else being the same, I liked the handles better. The one thing I didn't believe was true when the salesman said it, was that the fruits & veggies would stay fresh longer. Well, we've been in the new house 6 months and by golly, he was right! Pleasantly surprised :-) That would come in handy for storing the raw ingredients for the baby food. It is also quiet--you can't even hear it running except for when the ice drops into the bin. Some have reported problems with their icemakers, but we have had no problems--the icemaker will put itself in the 'Off' mode if the bin is super full. There's a reset button for that that I think alot of people miss. Since you're also looking at Kenmore, remember that Kenmore appliances are made by a myriad of different companies. In the fridge department alone you've got Whirlpool, LG, Kitchen Aid, Samsung & GE making refrigerators with a Kenmore badge. You'll want to check reviews on both the Kenmore badged refrigerator as well as the one with the manufacturer's label on it. Generally you can tell which manufacturer made a particular model by the ice maker and/or the cooling system design as they typically use the same ones in the Kenmore that they do in their regular lineup ;-) Here's a link to the full size Samsung that we bought the counter depth version of. It's one of the largest 36" wide refrigerators on the market at 29.6 cuft. It only has 1 review and the guy gave the fridge 1 star because he was having problems with the apps (yes, you read that right--the apps). Who buys a fridge for the apps, for heaven's sake?!? Anyway, hope this helps & congrats on your new baby! Here is a link that might be useful: Samsung 29.6 cu ft Refrigerator

No if the old foam is in good shape no need too replace it..If not the old foam should be removed and replaced.

Marazzi Uniche is THE go to for those looking to coordinate with old travertine. But often, those old travertine installs are in poor condition, with the fill coming out, are etched from acidic cleaning products, leak from an improper build, and are impossible to actually clean. So realistically assess keeping them at all. https://www.marazziusa.com/products/stone-look/uniche

@Diana Bier Thank you for your input Diana and suggestions and fresh ideas. And @roarah thank you as well for the ideas. I have written to Houzz about why we cannot load photos. I wanted to show you all I did paint my open study off the foyer a very dark Van Duesen blue by BM but because my dining room was so dark before I used BM White Dove in it for a break but I do love dark walls and may paint again in the future. Maybe some dark velvet draperies would be pretty in the DR for drama or is that too much with white dove. My house is very open and the DR and study flank each side of the foyer as you enter the house with case openings. In the meantime I have a technical question for everyone. My dining room is 15'9" x 12'4". I was thinking I needed a 9x12 rug until I tried one and it is about 6" too wide. I will have to move my funiture to place it on top. uggg it is all so heavy but I want to do the right thing. So that leaves me to find a 8 foot to 8'6 x 12 or 13' rug which is not easy to find on the width. SHOULD I bite the bullet and go for a 10x14 for this size room and just move everything again - then the funiture would rest on top. Just wondering what is the right size for scale of room.