Yup, as you can see now, my whole place is VERY exposed. We always considered planting something to block the road out....something fast growing that would give us more of a feel that we have our little "sanctuary" here at home... we have NO privacy. No matter what I'm doing outside, people always stare as they drive by, in fact, you can see the turn around there in the driveway, not only do we MANY times a day have people turning around in our driveway, but we've even had people with the nerve to pull all the way INTO our driveway, use that turn around, then pull out! We even had one gal back up towards teh barn and get stuck...and asked us to pull her out. Many times a day, people use our driveway to turn around in. The privacy issue is a whole other matter, but I'm glad you brought it up, because it's important to me as well. I've always said, I love our property. It's beautiful, with a large pond and woods right in our back yard, but the front of the house faces a county highway, and no privacy whatsoever. The barn is our horse barn. It's nothing fancy...my husband built it in a weekend, (with some help, of course!), and provides shelter for our 2 big horses, 2 miniature horses, and three miniature donkeys. We also have a couple bunnies out there. What isn't in the photo is our chicken coop, which my husband also built. In the pic with the white pickup, the chicken coop sits about where the back of the truck is. The siding matches the house nicely, and I planted a couple of emerald arborvitaes, small ones, one on each side of the door, and have some potted flowers there. Hubby just put in my cute little hanging solar lanterns on it too. I should get an updated picture. I'd like to dress up the coop as well, maybe shutters or a window box or something, since because of zoning issues, that was about the only place they'd let us put it, and sticking out like a sore thumb, it had to look nice! The projects here will never stop!! ANd thanks for the link on the yard photos....most of those were absolutely stunning!!!! Definite ideas there. I had to sigh at the palm trees. I'm in love with them. But, not here in WI! lol Angie

What a wonder site and thank you to each one of you for your contribution. We are avid DIY'ers and done floors from hardwood to ceramic and porcelain, but never slate or any other stone or marble. The picture I posted (hopefully the picture posts properly) is of a portion of a home we did in a porcelain tile that mimicked a natural stone wonderfully and we considered using this same porcelain in our present home, but I've now seen a travertine tile that amplifies exactly what we loved about this particular porcelain so much and I can't seem to shake it. Even the cons that I've read I feel are worth accepting because this travertine is so beautiful. Can anyone tell me........if you seal the floor as instructed and you were to spill something (say some pickled beet juice), but wipe it up reasonably quickly, will it STILL stain??? Also, we have shied away from using hardwood under the dining table area because we are afraid of it being scratched from the chairs regardless of the fact that we have pads under the legs - does anyone out there have experience with travertine under their dining table and did / do the chairs scratch the flooring? I am truly attached to this travertine and really hope that we can make this work, but if it really is NOT practical, then the logical side of me will dictate that we do not use it (sniff, sniff) and perhaps we'll use the same porcelain we used before. One more question though.......I've heard that travertine can be sealed and then a finish can be applied that will give it a nice gloss (similar to a glossy porcelain tile) now is this true and does anyone have experience with this? The "flat" finish on the porcelain tile was probably the only thing that we didn't care for about it as we do like a gloss although I would probably forego that too for these travertine tiles. BTW.......we think the most beautiful thing about the travertine is the highly irregular patterns and colouring as the background is basically a mix of bright white and creamy white, the striations and streaks and lines and "blobs" of rusty orange, gray and even a bit of maroon are unbelievably BEAUTIFUL !!!!

I still don't have pictures but will soon.. Please take a look at the links to my New Kitchen Remodel and let me know your thoughts. I have asked many Questions and appreciate any and all the help I can get! I am new here at GW..although I have been reading everything I could on here for a couple of months....this Forum is truly a Wealth of Knowledge and Help...and I am so thrilled to have found it! https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=9abd80a9f0&view=att&th=1401d11f2ce2c67d&attid=0.2&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_BUYKjMQ500DbWX9DbbzZQ&sadet=1377380013551&sads=WfIeE8FQ77wwA4CBQvfZ2S0mJu4 This is looking into my Small U Kitchen AFTER the Remodel... ....Right now the stove is where the Dishwasher will be on the left side and the sink is where the stove will be. We are also closing up 24" of a 60" window over the sink on the right side (that looks out into an enclosed glassed entry porch) to accommodate the corner wall cabinet. The wall where the stove is now will be taken down from ceiling to floor and a 37" snack bar will be put there...this will help open the kitchen up to the small den. I will have one cabinet over the dishwasher for glasses, cups etc. The Back Wall is 108" and the left wall including the bar is 127".... the right wall with the Ref is the same127". The part of the kitchen not showing is the end wall with three windows and a very small table sitting in front of them. There is a very small pantry closet at one end of the table and on the other side a small short cabinet that I use to store potatoes and onions in the bottom doors and the top doors I keep snacks in. On top I just use decorative items. I have a hanging lamp over the table which will be changed out. My Entire Kitchen is 9 feet wide and 16 1/2 feet long. I will also have frosted glass put into the two upper corner cabinets later. https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=9abd80a9f0&view=att&th=1401d11f2ce2c67d&attid=0.3&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_BUYKjMQ500DbWX9DbbzZQ&sadet=1377383394430&sads=fDBlicxRe-LORSoaNmX3b2ZiPGQ This is the side we are removing the wall to accommodate the snack bar and open the kitchen up..this was our only choice..Would have liked to have opened the entire kitchen but because of very little wall space in the den couldn't do it. There will be a SS under mount sink and will be using oil rubbed bronze faucet to match the hardware on my Antique Cream Cabinets. I have a shelve with Crown Molding that matches the cabinets, going between the cabinets on either sided of the window...BUT I don't know IF I want that look or had rather just leave it plain without anything. I do want a Pendant Hanging down over the sink and was told I could do that with the shelf if I wanted to...Just not sure How that will look? Please Help me here! https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=9abd80a9f0&view=att&th=1401d11f2ce2c67d&attid=0.5&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_BUYKjMQ500DbWX9DbbzZQ&sadet=1377383750649&sads=-xph93XVUcy3LVH6F0S_qLIgHp8 Ref side....I have 30"wide drawers for pots and pans. The other small 12" cabinet will either be drawers or a pull out. I can either put the pullout on left side of the stove (cabinet in picture looks bigger than it really is next to the stove) and drawers next to Ref..Or switch them...Haven't decided yet..Any suggestions? There is a Lazy Susan in the corner of this side and the right corner of the stove. There is also a 3" spice pullout next to the right side of the stove. I tried to use every inch of space I could! https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=9abd80a9f0&view=att&th=1401d11f2ce2c67d&attid=0.6&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_BUYKjMQ500DbWX9DbbzZQ&sadet=1377383812885&sads=JkKsJh1evgdWkn1yzoRRvWNrxBY Birdseye View https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=9abd80a9f0&view=att&th=1401d11f2ce2c67d&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_BUYKjMQ500DbWX9DbbzZQ&sadet=1377383862902&sads=jYOMtOX8ekBRHE2fi_pgQrxr1Zs This is the layout and dimensions other than I decided against the blind cabinet (because the cabinet designer said it would be a very tight fit) and just went with either a pullout or drawers next to the left of the stove. I plan to have my cabinet guy open up the under sink cabinet right side where the corner space is....so I can store things that I only use once or twice a yr. My Cabinets are: Antique White (Creamy) Hardware will be Oil Rubbed Bronze as will my faucet. The Granite I have choice is Venetian Ice which goes more towards the Creams, Chocolates and some black...instead of Gold. This is close to what it looks like.. But not as pretty as the slab I have choose. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.naturalstonecity.com/wp-content/gallery/venetian-ice-granite-counter-tops/venetian-ice-granite-countertop.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.naturalstonecity.com/venetian-ice-granite-countertops-colour/&h=501&w=800&sz=298&tbnid=MLLA51nPK3KD6M:&tbnh=75&tbnw=119&zoom=1&usg=_VFqAAiybM8WWNmjpXksHcPydtAM=&docid=OMJL6boLhr5OnM&sa=X&ei=QbESUvS-OYimqgGNsIHgDw&ved=0CDQQ9QEwAQ&dur=1605#imgdii= I am going back to the Granite Yard next week to take one more look... I fell in love with a slab that was quite a bit more expensive, it is Bianco Romano and was absolutely beautiful but not sure if it is worth the difference.....will decide in a few days. Since I am having to keep my black appliances for now ...will exchange for SS later the Venetian Ice will work well. Please give me your opinion. I now have to choose my floor....as I said in another post Do Not want Tile or any Hard Surface...I have had two back surgeries and cannot bear the hardness underfoot. I am thinking of doing a good grade laminate tile ...But not sure of the color....Should I do a dark Cream or Darker? I have thought about Wood...but can't do the wood on into the den and it would really need to be. I also have wood in the dining room that has a door into the kitchen..it is very old and would be hard to match....so felt doing something different than wood would be the best? I also have to decide on the ceiling, under cabinets, pendant and over table lighting. Colors for the wall and wood work....whether to put my white crown molding back up or leave it off? And once granite is decided on...The Back Splash....and on and on....but those choices will be done later. My Kitchen is suppose to be started sometime the first week in Sept. First the demo and then the remodel. I am so Excited...we have lived in this old house for 30 yrs and it was built in the 50's. We have redone every room..but because I wanted the small Den made into a Lovely Vaulted Great room along with a Open Concept Kitchen and a basement underneath the new addition.. it just never happened. We kept putting it off for one reason or another....mostly budget. Because of our age and health we have decided against the Full Blown Redo and have decided to make the old outdated kitchen with horrible cabinets that drawers are forever sticking, into a kitchen that is Functional and one I can Enjoy and that is also Pretty. Once I post the pictures of Before/During and After....Everyone will understand where I am coming from for sure. I don't know if this small novel will even download and post...So sorry for making it so long...But so looking forward to everyone's thoughts and idea. I am open for any and all the Help I can get! thanks Thanks so much!

Wow! Thanks live_wire_oak -- really appreciate the feedback and ideas. My concern with the stainless (around the cooktop and in the hood) is centered around getting pieces made which are the right size. I'm not sure how to go about finding a local company who can come do the templating. Or, can I simply measure precisely and order online (both ways, after checking references of course)? Other than the effort involved in tracking down someone who can do this correctly (and the wait time for the pieces to be made), I'm fine with the idea of SS around the cooktop (sides, bumpout) and the interior of the hood. Would I just use grout for the 'seams' between the cooktop and the SS and the quartz countertops? (Cooktop will be flush with countertop, not sitting on it). I really like the first tile you show -- if you could possibly provide tile name, that would be great.