Well, it's too bad she's not ready to move on things yet. Even without fori's amazing range. BTW, did you know those sell for 6 to 8K at the specialty shops on this coast, fori? You could have a second career. In just one day I was able to dig up these--wouldn't they make a darling kitchen? You'd have to have a larger companion or two made to the side piece, but how Florida these colors are. Range (considering electric as well as gas, since gas availability varies in those neighborhoods--not worth it if she has to foot the bill to run service, and unfortunately a lot of the area is the kind of neighborhood where people would steal propane). I just lost my heart to the color scheme here, although we could have something else redone in the same buttercream+sea green, I suppose: Hoosier with side (original paint). Small, but with a repro side or two, could work: Reproduction cast iron sink. There are lots of old ones, but there was a problem with getting iron reporcelained recently, so this would be the fallback if we can't find a real one in good condition or a steel one that can be redone. Would love an old one in buttercream yellow, though. Not bad for less than a day's worth of looking around, and the total cost of everything including modern fridge and re-enameling a vintage table to match would be under 5K, even with repairs and shipping.

We are pursueing an unusual route. We have what was a somewhat grandish 1882 home that is a mixture of Second Empire and Eastlake. Typical for the time, the back rooms (including the kitchen) were not finished to anywhere near the standard of the front (public) rooms. All the trim, moldings, floorings, hardware etc are/were several grades lower. Trying to recreate such a kitchen would seem fun for a museum, but not practical for the 21st century. And trying to create a muddle left us uninspired. Then we asked ourselves this question: What if, in 1882, they valued and utilized their kitchens as we do today? What if the kitchen was meant to be public and just as grand as the rest of the house? What would it have looked like? That question now forms our basis for design. We found the drawing below for a great ceiling and were able to order a replica, which we finally got installed about a month ago (lots of work!). We will do the floor in the Victorian style tiles from the Tile-Source. This week my wife is applying Venetian Plaster to the walls from Vasariplaster in BM August Morning, so that covers the large surfaces. The cabinets I am building and designing myself (thank God for Sketchup!), and they will be highly ornamental in the original Aesthetic Movement style, with no toe kicks and inset doors, ect. Crown Point has been an inspiration, but we are taking the design a lot further than they do in really trying to recreate period furniture/cabinet design. The idea is that upon viewing a person might reasonably think the cabinets are original to the house, with the exception that such cabinets were not built in kitchens at the time. It's all a bit risky, but it is exciting and we have our fingers crossed! Here is a link that might be useful: Tile Source

I think of beadboard as more cottage than country, although all the other elements and accessories would help define the style. We used cheap MDF beadboard sheets in the playroom, and in a bedroom, still in progress. Also used it in the kitchen--not behind the sink, but close to where I drain dishes on the runnels. I don't think I'd use it where water might puddle. After using the beadboard sheets in the playroom, I thought it would add some charm to use them on the ceiling of the front porch. My late husband vetoed the idea because "it wouldn't hold up to the weather". I gave up, but the following winter I needed something to quickly make a sign for delivery drivers, to warn them that our front steps were icy. I wrote a message on the unpainted side of a beadboard scrap, and laid it on the end of our sidewalk. After the snow and ice melted, I leaned the sign against the house, at the edge of the porch, in case it was needed again. It stayed there all winter, exposed to sun, rain, and snow. I was surprised to find that it didn't deteriorate--maybe being outside, the moisture evaporated quickly. Still don't have a new porch ceiling, but I'd use it with confidence.

The houses were mostly in NE and SE PDX, the Tudor was in NW. SWMBO's reactions: She wants a floor of small white hex tile with gray or black grout. Counters of black-edged tile with white field tile. Concealed refrigerator and dishwasher. My reactions: I like her floor idea, although I suspect we may find restorable wood under the slate that is there now, and Marmoleum is now in the running. Open to at least investigating tile counters, though still inclined to steel and wood. I've become more conscious of the overall look of my house (the most recent post in the ''let's see the rest of the house'' thread) but don't have any ambitions of being on a future year's Kitchen Revival Tour. More and more intrigued by an eclectic, unfitted look. I'm not terribly drawn to the vintage one-piece cast-iron sink/drainboard, although if a dishwasher could fit underneath, I'd be more interested. Definitely liking the wall-mount faucets. I'm feeling more tolerant of ''patina'' and less interested in glossy, seamless, and matchy-matchy looks. I don't share her interest in concealing appliances. I do like the vintage ranges more and more. Two of the houses had rolltop desks, one of my personal faves. Reinforced my personal disinclination toward pastel colors. I liked getting a peek into the style and non-kitchen interests of the owners. I talked with one guy for half an hour about old tube amps and vinyl.