So lovely! I hope you're enjoying every minute working in your new space. Looks perfect for entertaining. I have a question about your lighting -- I have eyed that great vintage industrial style in the Restoration Hardware catalogue. Is the pulley function or decorative? Can the shades be replaced? In other words, is it one of those newer types of lamps with an integrated shade that can't be replaced, or is it a traditional shade holder with 3-4 screws so other shades can be used? If the shades can be replaced, what size shade fitter does it take? Looks like 2 1/4". The lights look absolutely perfect in your kitchen, but I don't enjoy working around exposed bulbs and would want to replace the shades with a one from Rejuvenation that more closely matches the rest of our lighting.

Oh dear I think I am falling in love with this look too. At first it was just a search. A quest to help a fellow GW. But now I am rethinking some of my space... And wait there is more. It is not that expensive to DIY. The link I posted below shows you can staple chicken wire yourself. And if you have the talent it can look as pretty as these... Not wire but a curtain that looks almost like it has wire in it. ooooohhhhhh this is pretty too Here is a link that might be useful: ideas with chicken wire cab DIY

Matching is not part of insurance. They don't have to pay to match the undamaged uppers. And if they do, then they're going above an beyond their obligations. Whoever came up with that idea obviously doesn't read anything before signing and thinks life should just work they way they want it to simply because they think it should. It is common for people to think insurance is a big safety blanket to scoop them up and take care of everything whenever they have any kind of problem. When you have damage to your home, its nobody's problem to deal with but your own. You bought the house and said you were ready to handle the responsibility and that means even if there was no help to be had. Insurance is not a savings account, its a subscription service. The whole purpose of insurance is so that under certain circumstances, they will provide financial help so that you can deal with your problem. Most policies say something along the lines of "repair or replace with similar construction and for the same use". They have the option to repair if it can be repaired. It doesn't matter what you think insurance is supposed to pay for, because what they're required to pay for is in black and white in the contract that you signed and agreed to. The boxes and doors being 'one and the same' is irrelevant, there's no 'totaling' of anything, its not car insurance. 'Making you whole' is not in the policy, neither is your contractor's guarantee/warranty, nor anything regarding putting new materials with old materials, and certainly there is no requirement to pay for anything that is not directly damaged. You're not being cheated, its not absurd or preposterous. And furthermore, nobody is demanding that you have to make any repairs the way they're estimating for it to be done. What they are saying, is that the repairs can be done in such a way that meets their obligations under the contract and they can get it done for $X amount of dollars and that's as far as they're obligated to assist you financially with your loss. Its not 'short-cutting' or 'low balling' and its not relevant if everyone in the world thinks is 'not worth the trouble'; its called holding up their end of the contract to the letter. If you don't want it fixed that way, fine, its on you to make arrangements to take it further. Nobody forced you to buy a house with old cabinets. There's no law that says you have to have insurance on your home. This is how insurance works, you don't have to buy it if you don't like it; you're more than welcome to deal with everything on your own 100% out of pocket. I am an homeowner and an adjuster of 10+ years. But make no mistake, I am not a fan of big corporations in general and I'm not defending insurance companies, and I'm certainly not a 'company man'. But it does get under my skin in any area of life when people think they're entitled to something their not. I know exactly what I signed up for when I bought my property and I have no illusions of what our insurance will pay for if something goes wrong. Same as you guys, I am responsible for repairing and maintaining my own home in the manner I prefer it to be done. Just because you don't like the way something works doesn't mean you've been wronged, it just means you didn't know what you were talking about.

My just-turned-7 year old took that picture. Him: Mama, why are you putting tape on your mouth? Me: In case someone asks me how I'm enjoying painting my cabinets. Him: Mama, why are you climbing up into the cabinet? Me: Rmmmph pruuuumph mrrummmph. rm: I most definitely need help on the walls/trim!! Maybe the America's Heartland will still be too dark. I haven't tried a sample yet, just thought I could stay on the same card and be safe. Then I wondered if I should pick a dark color on the same card? I don't have cards for the colors you mentioned, but will get some tomorrow at the paint store. Thanks again for all the kind words. This job has been infinitely more difficult because I'm not getting any kind of...ahem...spousal support. Like, no one offers to take the boys away on the weekends so I can paint. So I stay up til 2am. Then I get grumped at for waking Him. Then I get grumped at for being in bed at 9:30am, thus forcing Him to feed the boys. Grump, grump, grump. Oh--wait. I am getting support: he pays for the paint. :-) francy