Thanks for all the great ideas. So far, I've had the floor sanded and finished with Waterlox tung oil finish in the kitchen and small pantry. I got the cabinets, too. Kraftmaid maple in bisque glaze. They're not installed yet. I'm not sure what to do for countertops. I won't need much. I have 3 pieces of 7/8" slate from a Brunswick pool table that someone discarded. My friend who does tile work said he could cut it for countertops, but I don't know if it would be good material to use. I've read on these forums to use slate from the US because it's harder than other slates. I don't know what kind of slate they use on pool tables. I may try it and if it's too brittle I'll take it off and use something else. I'll post pics later.

I'm glad I stumbled into this forum. I was researching subway tile on Google. I must say I enjoyed getting sidetracked into reading the entire forum about kitchens. To start, I own a beautiful 1913 bungalow in the midwest. I am so grateful that all of the original atributes are intact and in fantastic shape. Douglas fir built-ins and collenades, floors and woodwork. Original wavy glass and plaster and lath. I knew this was where I was going to retire when I first toured it. The first thing I did was tear out the 2 layers of old and very old vinyl in the kitchen and have all the floors sanded and refinished, bringing the kitchen back to original also. I have repainted rooms with nice neutral colors I like from Sherman Williams. The only room I did not paint was the bathroom on main floor, it was very nice and I liked it. It has original honeycomb tile with a marble sash between it and the wood floor in next room and of course a clawfoot tub. I have very nice wool area rugs and runners throughout. The kitchen was to be my last project. I took out old painted over wainescoting and put in new oak 4 feet high as before with 2 coats of poly. Put in new wide crown molding painted white to match ceiling. I'm a white ceiling guy. I also have white appliances. I have always liked a yellowish kitchen and went with Fun Yellow. There were beautiful antique Farley and Loetscher solid wood cabinets that I painted Dover White. Sticking with the original hardware also, did not like the different options I saw, was looking towards glass. I guess the only thing that upset me about the house was somewhere along the line someone painted the woodwork, door frames and windows white in the kitchen. I repainted them Exreme White. I just finished putting in a new high definition laminate countertop and reused the sink and faucets, good Delta stuff. I had decided to go with a bicuit subway tile with some 1 inch tannish and brown glass highlights. Started questioning this after I started reading this thread even after I have everything bought. Will be sticking with the subway tile with a mocha grout. I beleive every room compliments the next and the kitchen will fit perfectly with my old house. Also made some changes to appliance configuration so I could have an eat in kitchen, there is a formal dining room off the kitchen also. Glass doorknobs throughout match the antique glass highlights I am so fond of searching out. The topper is the Heritage Lace valances over the vintage 2 inch wood blinds and lace panels on transoms and full view beveled glass oak doors. I am glad I have made myself happy by keeping it a timeless period piece. Now to start my tiling job...

I have an almost 200-year-old house with the original wide pine boards in most areas. Sag? They roll like the mighty Atlantic. And make almost as much noise as a flock of seagulls (the birds, not the band). But they are structurally sound. So I don't give it a second thought. That word "unfitted" from igloochic is key, and the advice from Jane to look at British magazines and Web sites, where the look and furniture are more common, are very good advice. Fired Earth, Plain English Design, the Kitchen Dresser Company, Thomas & Thomas are among the companies that make free-standing kitchen furniture you can view online. It's not necessarily Victorian in style, but it is definitely meant to be used by people who, like you, move into an essentially empty room labeled "kitchen", so it's worth looking at. I'm not an island person, so I may be biased, but I think a nice oak table would be the thing for your kitchen. Some have a shelf underneath and can store pots. You can pick them up for not too much money, particularly if the dealer wants a huge table out of the store fast! A big armoire can be a pantry or pot storage. Things don't have to be on wheels, but if the floor is soft pine, it's good to distribute the weight of table legs or armoire feet on padded blocks so they don't dent the floor. Looking at a lot of magazines/Web site photos actually helps. And taking a stack of favorites and looking for a single thing like "how do they do X?" helps. Something as odd as "How did they get that stove to vent without going back through the wall? Could I live with that?" Sometimes seeing that someone else has accepted an odd solution gives you the courage to stick with one yourself. Good luck. And do take your time. Your house has waited this long for you!

Hands down one of my favorite kitchens that I've ever seen. Such soul and integrity. Humor, warmth, beauty, substance, intelligence. This is a marvel. You should be winning some kind of design award for this. I did an unfitted kitchen in my house (which we had to sell) about 8 years ago, but I didn't have NEARLY your cojones to go all out. I thought I was being all daring, but I was not even close. Next time I get a chance to do it, I'm going to do it right. I'm going to be fully inspired by your example and I am going to listen to my heart, not my husband or my contractor! Thank you so much for posting this. If you ever get around to posting even more details or updated pictures, I will be on the lookout. For example, I have no idea what some of the acronyms stand for. I feel like I am really missing out, b/c I have no idea what CL is, and everyone else seems to know! Maybe I'll figure it out someday. Thanks again and I hope you are enjoying this each and every day.