Thanks and you're welcome. I'm not familiar with The Chablis. I'll have to look through the plans. We worked with Trey Arnold and modified the largest Armand version. Added a full lower level, deleted the room over garage, bath and bedroom (and stairs going up) but built house sturdy enough where they can be added and lived in down the road if someone wants to. Also made numerous changes to the main level, even made it larger. It's perfect now. ;) We live on a 4.5 acre lake lot and love all the windows, doors and verandas. I told Trey I wanted the windows as big as the house would allow. We bought the lot, purchased the portfolios, looked over them all and selected one. Looked over it for the next year, while children were finishing up high school, then started making changes/additions. Started building 2yrs after purchasing the lot. Build only took 9mths (was estimated to take 11mths). His website is wonderful for inspiration. I guess you saw Arnold's personal home in Veranda a few months ago. Another home he designed is on this month's cover. Charles Faudree is the designer of that home (CF also lives in a home designed by Arnold). My community has numerous builders living here. Some don't move every few years but a lot of them do. I can't imagine - I get too attached. We lived in our last home over 20yrs...granted we did gut and add on several times! lol Good luck with your project. I'd love to see pictures.

I'm open to streamlining some of my dishes, mugs, etc. However, my immediate concern is about the fridge, and how goofy it might look sticking out on the new wall. My current fridge is 32" deep. I paid $800 in 2006. I really want to get a much bigger one with the freezer on the bottom and the french doors on the top. I feel like I got my money's worth out of it, and will find a good home for it. I will have to masking-tape out the counter & fridge. I really want more freezer space (that's why I'm open to getting a new fridge). I even considered a small separate freezer but the smaller ones are not automatic-defrost, and I don't want to empty it twice a year, and deal with the water (not having a drain). As mentioned above, maybe a fridge that doesn't extend too much beyond the counter might be better, but I'm not sure how much more freezer space that will give me. I need to research how much capacity my current one is for reference. I looked through it's manual but don't see it referenced. I also need to use the ikea configurator and fully populate the space, and see how much room I want to allocate to trash in the corner. Thanks again for everyone's interest and great ideas! This forum has really been invaluable ! Mike

measurements of appliances would help. It's difficult to know how they would fit into the space w/o them. is the m/w used a lot? in cooking process or just for snacks? the first thing I'd do is draw up a layout of a galley type kitchen/work area with a 3.5 - 4' doorway to the DR/FR centered on that wall. That gives you about 4' on either side of the work area. I'd put the fridge about where it is (w/o cab to it's left), move the sink a bit (a foot?) to the the right of where it is. that's gives you several ft of work space between fridge and sink. fridge is close to prep/cook area and to DR/FR. On the stove side I'd move the stove a bit to it's left (hard to tell how much w/o knowing size of the stove). put a 'wing' on the corner to the right of the stove w/ a prep sink on the end that turns (so is 'backed' to the DR wall). if mw is needed for cooking process, possibly it could be smaller and put on an 'under an upper cabinet' shelf - be it to the left or right of the stove. My choice would be putting it in the corner area. I'd consider another short cab/counter 'wing' on the right end of the sink run. That gives a bit more counter space at the end of that run and a slight barrier to a table put in front of the window. I wouldn't put a bench up against a peninsula there - that places the heads of people (and their hair) too close to counter range for me. The other end and opposite the table area could be a baking/other work space with pantry area. Possible 2nd oven/wall oven. on the end wall (in front of ext door - that goes where? garage? backyard?) I'd put a halltree/bench w/hooks over it for my sweater, sun hat, dog leash. open space under bench for incoming dirty/muddy shoes/boots. what I call an end 'wing' - I think this is from buehl's kitchen. it's at the end of a run. it's just a short 'turned' section of cab and counter. The corner area of it can open (doors or drawers) into the space behind it, be it the DR or the kitchen table area. this is another sample - from a gw'er whose name i don't remember. to the left of the dw (if I remember correctly) the cab/counter angles off to the back door. it's just a bit of a triangular cab (you can see the knob on it). i wouldn't use a diagonal across the corner area tho - it cuts into the space too much.

Carol.. thanks SO much! I had forgotten all about the idea of an Armoire to store the homeschool stuff in. I actually Had considered that but then I have Totally forgot about that LOL. Plus I was in a panic to get organized for our next school quarter. I may have to revisit that idea. I mean then I could have Function and still have the FC look I want. As far as hubby's workstation. You know it is not even HIS workstation. He has a whole other room with his desk/office in it. This one is an extra computer with printer. I do use it for our schooling but it could be moved. If I put seating on one side of fireplace I could put the school armoire on the other. I was thinking shabby wood, with wood shelves. perhaps with the curtains showing behind the chicken wire. along those lines. One concern I had about having a large tall armoire flanking the fireplace is that it would compete in size with the fireplace but eh.. gotta do what you gotta do. I am thinking if I went that way put it on the Left side? the seating on the right? I NEED an overstuffed chair big enough for Both my son and I to sit in side by side to Read. we read together a lot during the day. If I chose a chair that large, then there wouldn't be room for two. However I could still go with 2 smaller chairs on one of the sides and put the Overstuffed chair in the Living room, Or a loveseat. The ones I have now (sofa , love) are what we read together on now, but they are SO Uncomfortable! I love the idea of doing the legs in white. I LOVE white anyways. I love the colors WHITE, Yellow, and Blue, Ochre, and Yellow (provence colors) and touch of Red LOL. I also love white ruffles, white skirtings, thus the cottage shabby flair. But overall I want French Country, not shabby LOL. My new countertops are white 4X4 tiles on the diagonal so the white will tie in. The chandelier has to stay at least for a long while. I HAD to choose something ONLY from home depot because we were purchasing on my husbands home depot card that his boss opened that account for us. It's not my fault sigh. I don't know if I even have the leftover chain for it anymore. My handman said "It's too late it can't go any lower now" Okay not thinking about that now, I will get mad grr So LITERALLY there was like One choice that had the dark finish (I wanted dark finish to match existing hardware) and that would remotely work. I measured exactly the height from the table when hanging that thing but I agree it could be lower. It *measures* what they say it should be in distance though. At least it has curvy lines LOL. It's possible I could investigate new globes but after everything else and after I have either A. Liquored up my husband OR B. Used my feminine wiles on him (i.e. Oldest Trick in the Book that makes him forget how many chandeliers have been bought) C. Both of the above I have some wonderful fabric I could sew for a tablecloth (I will take your suggestion and only cover Part of the table) Hadn't thought of that. It wouldn't be enough fabric to make pads. But it doesn't have to match. Maybe ticking stripe for the pads. Never mind on second thought. It would be a nightmare lining up the stripes. I LOVE LOVE the idea of a long basket under the hutch. Ooooh I could put linens or whatever! Any idea that gives function and storage I am all for! Even copper pots and pans (usually hung) but it could work! I have no real hanging space so that is one idea. thanks again for taking the time to respond. You have set my creative juices flowing with the basket idea LOL loretta