Thanks for the warning, hoovb. I already have Gemini...when it blooms, it's good. Got it from J & P years ago, so I know it's on the rootstock they graft onto (Dr. Huey?) Maybe it would bloom more if it were on multiflora. I'm also thinking of trying Secret-from Roses Unlimited. Wish I could get it on multiflora though. But I've always looked at Mon Cheri and thought it was gorgeous! :0) Phyl

wow, some great looking roses and fantastic photos of them,too.I love that Spice and the mini's,too. Jean

If you think $450 is expensive, you should see the Urban Archeology pendant over in the kitchen forums for $4.5K! artlover13060: Thanks. The shades were made for me but were quite simple...just a lined and interlined panel with rings sewn on the sides, velcroed to a board thats screwed to the window trim. I'd have done them myself but I always worry about cutting the fabric straight. The fabric is Lee Jofa but I bought it through a discount fabric supplier in the UK and saved a bundle. Even with the shipping it was less than wholesale here. The trim is Scalamandre which was ridiculously expensive but I managed to get it wholesale and since I only needed a few yards, it was worth it. estreya: I never thought of that....YIKES! You're right, I don't want to be seen under 300 watts either. I don't know if the lamp is overpriced or not. The seller meticulously restores old lighting but I think he does charge a premium. He has some very beautiful things, though. Lighting for this kitchen is going to be a bit of a dilemna for me, I know, so I'm sure you'll be hearing from me some more. Thanks again. BTW, I found another UK fabric discounter that ships to the states. I just got a quote of 55 pounds ($80) for a fabric that retails here for $240. If you'd like the info you can email me. Haven't used them yet but will in the next week or so.

I like Option 3 the best. I also prefer the refrigerator location in Option 3. It looks to be the most functional layout of the lot. The problem with the refrigerator on the opposite end of the kitchen from the range (on the sink wall) is that it's now inaccessible to the Prep & Cooking Zones without either running around the island or doing a lot of zone-crossing...refrigerator-thru Cleanup Zone-to-Prep Zone and back; refrigerator-thru Cleanup Zone-to-Cooking Zone and back. It's especially an issue b/c you have such a narrow aisle b/w the island and sink wall (it looks like 36"). Imagine doing all that running back & forth with a DW open and/or someone else working at the sink. In that location, the refrigerator is also pretty far from the MW and most foods that are MW'd come from the refrigerator or freezer. OTOH, with the refrigerator on the wall near the garage, it's right next to the Cooking Zone and easily accessed from the Prep Zone (the counter b/w the sink and range). (If you plan to use the island as a Prep Zone, I recommend a sink and, possibly, a wider aisle b/w the island and sink.) It's also right next to the MW. Personally, I like having all the appliances nearby that I need when prepping & cooking...without having to navigate around obstacles...things or people! The other advantage of having the refrigerator (and pantry) near the garage is that when you bring groceries in, you enter the kitchen right where they need to go to be put away. Island...you will have only a 9.5" seating overhang. 1.5" overhang + 24" cabinets + 1" decorative door on the back of the island = 26.5" 36" - 26.5" = 9.5" seating overhang You also have a rather narrow aisle behind the island (only 40" to the back wall). Even though you're skimping on the seating overhang, people will still take up the same amount of room in that aisle as if you had at least a 15" overhang...the stools will be pushed out b/c you can't fold up your legs to fit under the overhang, all you can do is have the stool farther out into the aisle and then lean forward...or maybe "straddle" the island (legs spread to "shorten" the distance b/w your hip and knees). With the minimum overhang, it's still recommended an aisle behind seating be at least 44". If that aisle b/w the island and back wall is going to be as busy as you say it is, you may regret it over time. My SIL has a 36" aisle b/w her refrigerator and island with a 12" seating overhang on a similarly located aisle (door to garage w/DR on the left and FR straight ahead)...and she became so frustrated w/the lack of space b/w them plus all that traffic that she removed the stools from the kitchen. It's not that the refrigerator is there, it's that if someone is sitting at her island, no one can pass by without forcing those sitting to get up and move out of the way....and they're a very thin family! I don't know what to tell you about the seating...except not have it...and I know you really want it. I guess this will have to be one of the compromises you make in your kitchen; we all have to make some compromises when our "wants" aren't compatible with what we have to work with....... Dimensions....in option 3, the arrow goes b/w the wall and the cabinets...not to the other wall. However, when I count boxes, that 11'4" measurement appears to be DR/FR wall-to-sink wall. If that's the case, I think you have a little less space than you realize. (The refrigerator wall cabs appear to stick out no further than the DR/FR wall, is that correct?) 11'4" = 136" 25.5" sink wall + 36" aisle + 36" island + 40" aisle = 137.5" So, one of the aisles will be 1.5" narrower than you show...which one? The work aisle really needs the full 36", minimum, and the busy aisle also needs as much space as possible... [Of course, if you have 0" counter overhang, then the overhang doesn't count and you're back to the 36" and 40" aisles.] Another compromise somewhere? Good luck!