Hi Olga and forumites, I have not been posting much lately, as I have a life of pretty diversified busy-ness! Have to spread myself around too much to spend much time chatting on the forum. Nevertheless, I am spending significant time out in the garden - and have the tan to prove it! Not all gardening tasks are accomplished, though. One thing I need to do sometime is...put my clone of Mariola in the ground! Yep, I was able to get one one after begging Trish at Ashdown last year. I received it in early May, potted it up and it is doing well, starting to send out new shoots. I am trying right now to decide where to place it permanently, with ultimate size in mind. It is a well-branched but rather diminutive little thing that gives no hint about how big it might get. Olga, since this is your baby and you've had it growing the longest, do you think it safe to assume that it will probably be along the lines of a 4-5 foot tall bush when mature? And, would any shade from nearby taller bushes (not trees) be detrimental? Thanks much, Rick

Oh, that's wonderful Summerfield! I wish I could just build that almost as you have drawn it! Unfortunately, I've got some restrictions I have to work within due to the lot I have and city setbacks. I've been reading "The Not So Big House" book (loving it, thanks for the recommendation minneapolisite) and was looking at some new ideas from my original layout. **This is pretty rough** and there's a bunch I really don't like on it just yet, but I wanted to give an update. What I like most about my latest update is more windows in the main living area on the south side of the house and all three living areas having direct windows instead of the dining room being sandwiched into the middle of the house. I also like the shared entry so that the 'nice' entry doesn't end up being for guests only. I hate the way I have the pantry laid out, but I do like the idea of a good sized pantry with room for the chest freezer (currently in the basement in our house today). Also, this opens up the living room for a bit more space. My favorite things about the plan you've drawn, Summerfield, are both of the bathrooms, laundry and master closet. Those are the areas I'm struggling the most with. (as well as the whole bedrooms side of the house...) We may have a small television in the kitchen, and temporarily in the living room, but once the basement is finished we would only have the kitchen tv. So no need to build a dedicated spot for it on the first floor. Site Plan:

I brought a KD paid her $300.00, she assured me a 3D plan. Her fees would have been around $5 -10 thousand. When she presented the plan, it was MY plan!! She took everything I said and made a plan. I was so frustrated as i had communicated to her I wanted her ideas and input. Long story short, I fired her and did my own plan. I was my own KD. I think everyone is capable of doing this. You know what you need, want, and your style. With the money i saved, i purchased high end appliances and custom cabinets. Please think realistically, do you really need a KD. If you bring custom kitchen designers, they draw up the plans and don't charge for them. I spoke with 4 different custom caboinet makers and eventually decided on one. He was my KD. he listen to my needs and planned the cabinets accordingly. Just a thought.

Looks pretty good. Kitchen Designer's Plan: Very good locations of DW and trash pullout. The trash pullout is in the Prep Zone, next to the Cooking Zone, and next to the Cleanup Zone. Far more trash & recyclables are generated in the Prep & Cooking Zones than Cleanup Zone, so having it in the Prep Zone is ideal. The DW is not in the midst of or in the way of the Prep Zone or Cooking Zone...excellent! Do you plan dish storage above the DW and to the right? It's a good location since it's, again, out of the Prep & Cooking Zones, next to the Cleanup Zone & DW, and easily accessed from what appears to be a table space on the right...w/o getting in the way of those prepping or cooking. I could wish for a bit more cooktop landing space on the left and prep room space on the right b/w the cooktop & sink (the natural Prep Zone location), but that wall is rather short. The only way to increase the prep space would be to put the cleanup sink in the peninsula and use the back counter as your Prep Zone. You do appear to have 30" b/w the sink and corner and then another 12" b/w the cooktop & corner. While not ideal, it's probably workable. I only have a couple of concerns...the first concern I have is the lack of landing space near the wall ovens (the MW is in the peninsula, correct?) Since there is very little counterspace to the left of the cooktop (you're limited, I know), I'd like to see the landing space either right next to the ovens or on the peninsula. With that in mind, I would switch the refrigerator & ovens. The "new" location will also put the refrigerator a bit closer to the Prep & Cooking Zones. It would now it easier to use the peninsula for landing space from the ovens. It also moves the ovens out of the doorway b/w the cooktop wall and the pantry wall. Another option would be to, again, switch the refrigerator & ovens and to then make the pantry on the left into an upper + base configuration. The landing zone would now be right next to the ovens. It also gives you "staging" space right next to the ovens for getting ready to put something in an oven. You might then also consider moving the MW from the peninsula to this location. You could create a "Snack Zone"...near the refrigerator, MW, & Ovens, but out of the three primary work zones (Prep, Cooking, Cleanup). [The peninsula location of the MW puts it in the Cleanup Zone b/c it's in the way of the DW when either is open.] I would also like to see a French Door refrigerator so there isn't a big door (1) blocking the path from the door to the right of the refrigerator (garage/mudroom?) and (2) blocking access to either the Prep & Cooking Zones (from the right) or snackers (from the left). Keep in mind that if this is a counter-depth (CD) refrigerator, the doors + handles will/must stick out past the surrounding cabinets/counters/walls. This "extra" depth is usually around 6". This means your refrigerator is really approx 30" deep. If, OTOH, the refrigerator is a built-in or "true" CD, then it will be no more than 25" or so deep. My other concern is the peninsula seating and the space behind it. First, keep in mind that you need 24" of linear space per seat. So a 6' long/wide island will seat 3. With a curve, a little less is required b/c the curve adds inches, but not that many inches. Second, each seat should have a minimum of a 15" overhang in front of it. With the curve, this will mean more like 18" in the center...but that's OK. As a matter of fact, it provides a place for someone who is tall and/or has long legs to sit more comfortably (people of "average" height and/or "average" leg length will be comfortable enough w/15"...but no less if you plan for some to sit there for more than a few minutes.) How much space is there behind the seats? It looks like a table space. Is it? If it is, then do you have enough space for the table + chairs right next to the peninsula w/stools? You should have around 60" b/w the edge of the peninsula counter & the edge of the table. There should be 32" b/w the table and the wall on the other side of the table (the side opposite the peninsula), assuming there is a wall...OR use banquette seating on that opposite side. (Then, you only need aprox 18" to the wall.) Is that outside door really a French Door? If so, are you worried about the glass door hitting the stools when opened? What if someone is sitting at the peninsula when the door is in use? Is the corner upper cabinet a blind corner? Or, is it a true corner w/a 90-degree angle? The true corner cab would give you the best access and least waste of space. I might consider making the valance over the window as "tall" on the sides as the flanking stacked cabinets are. I think it will flow better. Have you considered a counter-height window? I think it would be wonderful in your kitchen, especially with the width of the window. Other pictures: