Great suggestions, thanks for sharing! Keep 'em coming, please. sara_m, Kitchen Sync is a great blog! Thanks to Blogger Kelly Morisseau, I learned the ideal height for wall ovens for my kitchen is 30" to the bottom of oven (I'm short). I've seen height recommendations for microwaves and counters but I've not seen this type of information for wall ovens. That alone made the site visit worth it. caryscott, I haven't seen Kitchen Makeovers magazine yet. I'll have to keep my eye out for that one. michellemarie and shanghaimom, I use the resource section in the back of magazines, too. It's so great to see something I like, follow the link to see whether it's feasible and what else the source has to offer. I discovered a possible new stain finish for our GO cabinets that way. I'll have to check out the designer you both mentioned. I have spent many hours cruising through the photos in the Photo Gallery at Kitchens.com. Designer name and links are almost always provided so I've been able to hone my taste even more as I pour over the portfolios of designers around the country. Uh, oh, I fear a case of TKO coming on! Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchens.com

I think that would be wonderful with Craftsman-inspired kitchen style. Another idea might be to use copper tiles as design accents along with other Craftsman-style tiles. Either way, copper accents go very well with that general idea.

Rhome's reply to Studio got zapped by the backup restore. We don't have mudrooms, but I know what one is! It's the family entry, often at the back or service/utility side of the house, where wet and muddy outdoor clothes and shoes can be put off and hung to dry. Actual mud is one reason why it's generally near the laundry. Old days, small houses, it was pegs on a back porch. Current trends, it's a small room with a bench to sit for boot removal, and often cubbies and/or lockers for family members to not only hang up their coats in, but to organize backpacks and other take as you leave items. DH = Dear (or danged) Husband DW = Dear Wife The following are used with a numeral indicating birth order, or occasionally age: DS = Dear Son DD = Dear Daughter DS2 is dear second son. DD18 is Dear Daughter at 18 years old. MIL = mother in law B, F, S IL, Brother, Father, Sister in law

Thanks so much Pillog for the feedback and the philosophy. Saying to DH last night, wouldn't it be nice if the world worked more like the gardenweb? :-) Everybody helping everybody else... I really like Eliz's kitchen, because it seems countryish, and at the same time, sophisticated and somewhat eclectic. The cabinet choice is similar to mine; the soapstone was my first choice but thought the green granite a practical substitute; and it looked like the colors would work well in my house. However, there's alot going on in her kitchen that would be difficult and/or impossible to acheive in mine and you articulated many of these things very well. Though a white kitchen is what I envisioned being "authentic" in my 1936 home, I guess my biggest fear was that the white (even cream) wouldn't flow with the colors in the rest of my house. Thankfully, you've eased my mind about that. However, when you say my stone is medium to medium dark, are you looking at the actual samples I have shown? The two on top are the granite, and the one below soapstone that was oiled, sanded, and left kind of a mixed bag. To me and DH, the soapstone seems pretty close in color to the blackish green granite samples. If my granite is darker that you seem to see it, I assume it goes with creamy white? If so, creamy white it is and on to obsess about other choices! Grazie!