It will be very difficult to pull off with everything in the room in medium values. You need lighter and darker values to be able to pull it off successfully. Your red could be one of the darker tones if you used a dark barn red that has some black in it. And one of your grays or tans could be the light tone. If everything is the same medium value, it will all look blah no matter what color you use.

Oh that would be fun. I made a tutorial for bread making and posted the "still" pics on my photobucket. It was step by step. I'll definitely have to look into this. Thank you c

Hi everybody, thanks for your comments. My kids are 4, 8 and 11. A somewhat larger kitchen and mudroom are really what's driving this project. The office was an afterthought by my DH. What he originally wanted, office-wise, was a big room (10' x 10' or larger) w/ countertop around 3 sides of the walls, so that we can have a couple of computers in there, and some free countertop space for non-computer HW/projects. Right now, the kids benefit from being near me during dinner prep while doing their HW, and they need supervision on the computer (either direct or over-the-shoulder/walk-by). At some point, they'll stop needing my mathematical expertise (ahem) and will probably seek out quieter places to study...their room or the other office desk, or one of the computer place (kit or FR). DH agrees now that the huge office/HW room he was envisioning isn't necessary. Right now, w/out mudroom, the kit table gets covered w/ backpacks, etc. The floorspace next to it get filled up w/ shoes, DH's laptop, and musical instruments, and the chairs get jackets hung up because we have one small, overfilled closet and some hooks that are too high for 2 of the kids to reach (there's noplace for shorter hooks; our entranceways are tiny). So the kids do HW at the existing DR table (where the barstools/slider are above). I bring my cutting board in to the DR and chop stuff in there. I don't mind that so much, because I can keep an eye on whoever's in the back yard that way, but it's a little messy. I love my breakfast-end peninsula. It's where I live! I can prep, pack lunches, and see out the big front window. When we clean off the table for guests, I can chat w/ them while prepping. In the design, I decided to open up the counter on the back yard side to create a peninsula w/ stool seating because I wanted to have that side open to the slider and big LR windows, and to be able to see/hear into LR a little better. The stools are more for socializing than eating, per se. I'm not big on socializing while at the stove; I don't stand there a whole lot, and when I do, I'm cooking. I'd rather chat while prepping. We are so used to everybody crossing through the kitchen that I don't envision anyone getting snacks as causing a problem -- right now they're having light saber fights and giving each other horsey rides through that space, and it's narrower than in the drawing. If they snack at the table, fine, if they snack at the penin, fine. I did add a prep sink on the range wall. I will play w/ moving it btwn range and fridge. Having landing space next to the range will be heaven! We have just 1 foot now and only on one side. The existing breakfast area is two feet shorter than what's shown in the design. We have some free-standing cabinets in that area now, and it's not too crowded (when we move all the stuff that should be in the mudroom). As far as family living space: we have a FR downstairs w/ the TV and computer. Living room upstairs is not formal, just a casual, comfortable room for conversation/reading/play w/ a stereo and no TV. No TV in the kitchen, either. I see that I do need another door to the DR in this design. Better put one in! Uh oh, one of the kids is out of bed...gotta run, thanks for the thought so far, love to hear more!

I'm always a dissenter here, but probably because I"m older than dirt! I couldn't care less about the arrangement of the sink/stove/refrig - I do what fits best in the space available and that often does not work except in a new build. What I DO like is lots and lots of counterspace, plenty of upper cabinets as well as lower (I have a TON of dishes), lots of light, a sink under a window, and a stove on an outside wall so it can be properly vented (if not on outside, there must be a pretty straight shoot out or even the best hood will not work well). I've never had a kitchen big enough for an island but my daughter has one. If I did, I would not want ANYTHING on top of that island - no prep sink, no cooktop. I'm not a fan of prep sinks but perhaps the young eat way more fresh veggies than I do. Kitchens are highly individual spaces. What works for one person may well drive another out of their mind. Think about what dishes/equipment you have, how you use your kitchen, and what matters to you. If you do, it should turn out right. No KD on earth can truly live in YOUR head!