Outsmarting the tree rats (squirrels) around my house is a full time job. This past spring I hit on a new idea. When I plant a container I invert an empty wire hanging basket over the container and the plant gets sun and can be watered but the squirrels can't dig in it. Another idea: I bring in a lot of plants to "over winter" under lights in my garage. I have so many that it is hard to reach my hand under the lights (4 shop lights) to the middle for watering. So I bought a pump sprayer with a long wand and it works great! In late winter I add a little liquid Dawn detergent, few drops, to each gallon of water and not only does the soil get wet easier but the worms that are waiting to hatch into distructive pets just don't hatch. Don't know what it costs me to run those four shop lights all winter but I don't care. It is a small price to pay to be able to "garden" every weekend in the garage. Many people have mentioned that they mark their outdoor plants with a "permanent Sharpie". In my experience there isn't a "permanent Sharpie", they all fade and quickly too. A grease pencil/china marker or expensive "no fade" garden center marker are the only markers I have found that won't disappoint you by fading. Eight years ago I decided to learn about gardening so I tapped into my local library. I checked out nearly every book they had on gardening and learned so much. The Gardenweb forums are also a wealth of information and entertainment. There is always something new to learn and I appreciate all of you who take the time to write in your ideas. One last idea from me...I keep a small notebook on my computer table and jot down any idea I find that's new and I will want to try. Little pieces of paper get lost but I always know where my notebook is and also use it when I order "on line" so I will remember the name of the company and the order date. Tina or Trowelgal

I do agree that the tall cabinet is probably mroe of the look you are after. It seems more Scadanavian or contemporary while a hutch more often tends towards traditional or country. You could design a hutch to be more contemporary, but that's not what any of us were seeing when we looked at the drawings. I don't like split tall fridges here. The one on the snack end looks unbalanced to me and closes up the space. If you really want it, try it where the DW is -- although I think that will close up your doorway. Maybe it's wide enough to handle it? I'm not crazy about the way the other one looks next to the fireplace wall either. Think about opening the fridge right next to the wall when there's a fire burning. I think having the fridge by the bumpout gives you reasons and ways to hide the bumpout. It also seems to have a good central location. It's easy to split drinks and certain snacks from the rest of your fridge items, but where would you put something like salad dressing? If it's at the snack end, it would be a haul to the kitchen and back to dress a salad for a group. If it's at the far end of the kitchen, then it's a haul for the salad for one at the table. I think the rectangular table is good -- oval would be okay too, but I think round would look small and unbalanced. The long table fills a long space in a longer room. The look you want is more about clean lines and works well with a series of rectangles. Also, you don't have any other circles or curves to play a round table off of. Just my thoughts... You think you're almost there and it just keeps on doesn't it? You'll know when you have it right -- so just use what we say to think about and test your ideas. It's still your kitchen. ;-)

PammyFay said, "Also, I'm working on a computer 8 hours a day at work, a few hours when I come home to check forums and things, so I think that for my eyes (I have to see an ophthalmologist 2x a year because there's high pressure), a traditional book is best." My husband has glaucoma, which is high pressure in the eyes. The "problem" with glaucoma is that you do not feel that extra pressure, which is why it's so important to have your eyes tested every year. And, yes, he sees an opthalmologist who specializes in glaucoma three times a year. My husband loves to read, as do I. I read a lot of novels and other fiction, he rarely reads a novel or any fiction. We both love our Kindles and my husband states emphatically that reading a "real" book is not easier on his eyes than reading his Kindle.

Your home is gorgeous! I spent a year renovating a 1939 petite colonial (1700 sf). In my case, I had to add a kitchen as the old one was tiny had badly renovated in the 1990s. A few workflow tips in your newer post with the kitchen. I'd put the prep sink at the range end of your island, instead of at the dining room entrance end. Think about it -- you chop, then have to carry the food to the range. Please rethink that desk in your kitchen. I've had "work/message centers" as built-ins in previous homes, but here in my new old house, I'm using a piece of furniture -- a drop-front secretary where I can close up the mess when guests arrive, but sit there and work (printer in the bottom). You can put the secretary in any room. Where your desk is located, it's not a drop station for bringing in the mail, schoolbooks, etc. For aesthetics, please try to make the kitchen fit the spirit of the house. White cabinets would likely fit it better than stained wood. Consider having at least a few glass-front upper cabinets. If you turned that desk space into storage, you wouldn't need to line the walls with upper cabinets. It's amazing what you can fit into a "hutch" look that would fit the aesthetics of your home. I had hutches flanking my farmsink in my previous home. One for pantry items, the other for dishes. My current 1939 home new renovation -- hutches -- the one of the left of my paneled fridge is for dishes and the one one the right side is filled with food items stored in canisters and containers. My kitchen is only 12x12 as the dimensions are in keeping with the original room sizes. The dining room is 12x12 and the living room is 12 x 21.