I think you're absolutely right, monicakm, it must depend on the manufacturer because, as I said before, there is no consensus. So, the faucet I am thinking about is a Toto (also getting a Toto pedestal sink and toilet). Anyone have Toto faucets in polished chrome or brushed nickel who wants to chime in? Thanks! Here is a link that might be useful: Toto faucet

I cna't speak to the BlueStar appliances, but I just have to chime in here and say that I do lkie the look of SS appliances in the right setting (esp. with cherry cabinets, which we have.) We opted to get SS range, microhood and FD fridge. I am just having a hard time dealing with the smudge factor on the SS. When I had my porcelain and textured appliances there was never a glaring smudge - whatever smear you had could be cleaned up with a spritz of Pine-Sol and a damp cloth - maybe 2-3x a week. With the SS I have to use a lightly soapy sponge. rinse it and then use a "special SS" cleaner, spray it on or use a SS wipe and then try and polish it out streak-free with a soft cloth or micro cloth every single time I use it. Sometimes I take a paper towel and use it to open the fridge or microwave just to avoid getting fingerprints on the metal. (And you have to be sure you wipe it in the same direction as the grain.) Sigh. It's just much ado about something that should really be nothing in this day and age.

Practigal, Thanks for the nudge that direction; I am very seriously considering induction, but I keep going back to wishing I could purchase a range, rather than a 36" cooktop and two ovens. The kicker is that one cannot purchase a range larger than 30" with induction, and I do want a little more room than 30". I understand some brands are on the verge of offering one, or offering a partial induction / partial gas on a duel fuel range larger than 30", but the options may not be available when I need it, as we are one to two months from beginning construction on a home. If _I_ were "practigal" (or perhaps just smarter or less influenced by emotion!), I would go with the induction cooktop and separate ovens for certain, as that means the fewest compromises! To be honest: I realize now that my former Lacanche had the easiest to clean top one could have, short of going with a smooth surface, as in induction. And I did not like to pan sear very often, as cleaning the range top was still a 20-30 minute job to both degrease and polish w/ SS cleaner. (I mean if you browned meat, not just sautéed veggies, and there was considerable splatter.) So if I learn from my past experience, I will go with induction no matter what (cooktop/ovens OR range), which would be entirely new for me. At least I am not in love with fire, as some cooks are. I know some people really just don't adjust to induction, but I don't think that would be the case for me.

Your ideas are possibilities, Funkycamper. We talked about doing glass over the beadboard, too, but I do wonder if it would look funny.(?) I also wonder how successfully we could blend "real" beadboard with ceramic beadboard. That's part of why I was considering transitioning to a totally different medium behind the range, so that it wouldn't be real and fake right next to each other. Thanks for your vote of confidence! I revel in all of the possibilities, LOL, it's making a "final" decision that's tough! Thanks for sharing the tile you got, iroll. Since you did the beadboard only behind the range, I'm curious what you did elsewhere. I don't think crackle snaps or pops for DH, unfortunately. I found some gorgeous (or so *I* thought) crackle tile by Enser. DH response was "Oh, yuck! What's wrong with that tile?" So much for that, LOL. Your question of how much the eye "needs" is a good one, Rococogurl. I don't know. I love color, and I like neutrals, too. I'm not sure how much my eye, or the eyes of my family can handle. I also know that I love to change things around, so committing to a color feels a bit constrictive. I get you on the difficult appliance choice. So glad to hear that your final decision is made! You must be relieved. I was talking to a friend whose son works in China. He said, "Mom, life is so much simpler over here!" She visited him and saw that they don't have much kitchen to speak of, they wash their dishes in the bathroom. She questioned his idea of "simplicity", but he then explained how if they need a fridge there are only 2 choices at the store. A big fridge or a little fridge. That's it. There is no agonizing over which thing to choose. I don't care for the medallion/mural in the picture I shared, either. I didn't associate it with a certain era, necessarily (says the girl who just put her 1997 Chevy van to its final rest...) but I think I'd tire of the same picture back there, day in and day out. My daughter and I were talking about how we can't wait to turn the calender to see the new picture each month because we're tired of the old one. So, no stone murals for this household! : ) I don't mean to be a tease! ; ) Let's put it this way, right now I feel like I'll be as surprised how this kitchen looks as you will be, if that's any consolation. I plan to post pictures, no worries! Thanks for sharing the picture of your beadboard tile combo, diymom79. Both my mom and my MIL have the vinyl beadboard in their bathrooms and love it, too. MIL has hers with the wide plank look. It's very pretty. I feel like I'm at a beautiful beach cottage when I'm in there. : ) I picked up some fabric samples today from a local store. They are quilt fabrics, so I don't know if they'd be a good choice for curtains, but they do give me an idea of how the colors work with the cupboards. Fun! I like them both--Oops. One is light colored background with blue flowers, and the other one is a black background with pink and cream flowers with green leaves. Maybe I could make both summer and winter curtains?? I need to go to the city to find decorator fabric, but the weather isn't being very cooperative for that endeavor. So, if I must, I'll stare at the cotton samples for a few days. Here's a picture, so that I'm not teasing, LOL. This post was edited by laughable on Fri, Jan 30, 15 at 23:10