I commented on this thread a while back when I was trying to decide between the silgranite white or a darker color. I really wanted white because I thought it'd be prettier but I was afraid of the potential staining problems. Well I went for it and got the silgranite super single sink in white from home depot online. Even though the pictures don't show it, I bought the matching grate as well. I think the grate is a good investment as it protects both the sink and your dishes if you happen to drop them. It's been about 7 months now and I'm still so happy with my choice. I haven't had any problems with staining. I am careful with it as I would be with any item that cost me $300+ but I don't feel it's extreme. I always rinse out the sink after I use it and do at least a weekly clean with a liquid soft scrub unless I've done a lot of cooking. I have a bunch of microfiber cloths I got from Amazon that I use to wipe off any water spray on the counters' edge by the sink. I am meticulous about this because I have very hard water. Overall I love this sink. It's functional and beautiful.

Hi, hobokenkitchen Guidelines are just guidelines, and my husband and I never have felt crowded with the aisle and dimensions that we have in our kitchen -- true we each have a body mass index under 25! But things feel efficient in there: we can easily turn from one line of counters or from the range to the island without taking more than a couple of steps, and the 24" square island utility sink is easily accessible from both sides of the narrow island, from the prep counter against the windows and from the range on the interior wall. The refrigerator/freezer doors are not 36" wide, either, so it doesn't swing too much into the space, and even when the dishwasher door is fully open (on the window side, to the left of the island utility sink) it is possible to sidle around it. I think my only concern having lived with this arrangement for over a year is: it will be interesting to see how well the cork floor holds up over the years, because we really do cover the same territory on that floor over and over. So far no sign of extra wear. But I have extra cork tiles saved! Good luck to you, and thanks to CoCo for supplying those links. lynn

OMG, BEDBUGS!!! Well, they had a Hoarders show where they had to clean out the whole house because of infestation of those. The family lived in tents out in the yard, up in Massachusetts, and it was getting to be late September, with first frost coming around mid October. The house had to be cleared out so exterminators could tackle the problem. But Mart, I like BOTH tan chairs. Maybe you can get him to lower the price a little by buying both chairs. And PAINTING the fabric would be easier on the lighter colored chairs. I think you will discover everything dark is not a good idea. Keep the space evenly balanced. Naturally the loveseat is a good option for a smaller space. And by having two chairs alike, you open up more possibilities with arrangements in the future. Get them both. Don't sweat the color of the sofa or the chairs. You can get yourself some painter drop cloth canvas which is heavy duty and cheap, and then with a GLUE GUN and fabric glue sticks, can make some washable slip covers. Or just throw them over the furniture and pin them in place. The reason I have simple loose cushions on my living room furniture is so I can strip off the dirty covers and wash them easily. Two little dogs and parrots take a toll on furniture and tidiness! Such slip covers will look very casual and comfy and BEACHY most of the year. Lose them in the winter when dark colors is good. But I like the way your fireplace goes up up, quite modern. The pair of chairs facing it, even from across the room, is a classic setup. They will help direct traffic AROUND and not through the middle of the room. To combat the "dark hole" look of the wood blinds, I'd think about a swing arm drape on each window. The whole wall is so symmetrical that treating them as a single unit, one left one right, with the drapes tied back low left and right, would further call attention to the symmetry. The dark blinds would make it possible to keep down glare from the windows should you one day choose to mount your TV above the fireplace. Yeah, you can put a flat panel up there and build a sort of furniture box with folding doors to cover it when not in use, I suppose. But the box even if left open could give you a way to hide wires, you will also need a DVD unit there, or a cable box whatever. Unless you have what they are calling a MAN CAVE space. I think that is ridiculous term myself. What happened to COUCH POTATO? Oh well, that just slipped out. Sorry. :) Been watching DIY channel, and it is heavy with testosterone and a lot of hollering, not at all laid back, like being at boot camp.

Decorating, like life, is a journey not a destination. So IMO one should just enjoy the process and not be concerned about finishing. I think if you like that painting you should find a better place to hang it and keep it. One doesn't have to "adore" everything one has, it can be a lesser "love" in a lesser place in your home. It's still decor and IMO is an OK painting. "I would only get a not well known artist's work for my home, still now sure how I feel about this...any thoughts?" There is no way I can afford an original Monet or any other well-known famous artist's work I love. And since I much prefer original art I only buy "not well known" artist's works. I do only buy what I feel I don't want to live without. What I do is haunt small galleries and when I see something I like I leave. If I am very concerned it will sell before I return to the gallery I know I need to buy it and I often rush back and am very relieved it is still there. The ones that have sold I still remember and am sorry I didn't buy them but I know there will always be more in the future that I will love. I personally think one should have a few minor regrets in life! Makes it more interesting. I am always amazed that people think original art is expensive. I've paid between $75. and $1500 for original oil paintings and less for original water colors. Framing is often a big expense but I've bought nice frames at yard sales for only a few dollars and I like the look of unframed oils so don't frame all of them. I also have lots of original oils and watercolors from yard sales and have never paid more than $20. for a framed piece. Some were only $1 or $2 and very nice works. Searching for art one loves is a wonderful hobby so enjoy finding what really makes your heart beat faster! :)