" Can't it just be anywhere that supports this growth?" Indeed it can! And it is everywhere on your stream bottom and sides, in your bog garden and on the walls and bottom of your pond. If your water is clear and all the parameters are in tune, why change anything? You have a natural filtering system going there with the stream and bog garden. That is top drawer in my opinion. With any garden pond water filtering material, there is bound to be some "channeling", where some of the water passes through "untreated". But it will eventually pass through the filtering material at some point. It is not as if you are filtering the water for human consumption and have to micro manage the filtering. I don't believe that placing pot scrubbers around will do all that much better a job, than you seem to have at the moment, but it certainly will not hurt anything. Remember you will have to clean them once in a while.. "Horton"

Thank you guys for your feedback. I am scratching my head, staring at these drawings, re-measuring things on a daily basis. Just can not come up with the right layout. Few comments: 1. If I move the entry to incorporate the chase in the peninsula then on a daily basis I would be coming in straight into the family room. Also, the side entry is not full heigh because at one point there was a second staircase going upstairs from the bathroom area on the first floor. So by closing in the entry I can not get a good L shape corner there. 2. I am considering moving the chase. I am also estimating the cost to be $2-3k so it is not a problem. The bigger problem is if the chase is also a support column to two load bearing walls that intersect at that point. In the current layout, which you can not see form these drawings, there is a hallway from the side entry (wall is paralle to the wall of the door on the bathroom. 3. Assuming the chase can not be moved then moving the fridge to the alcove makes sence. I like that idea. Few questions. If it is where GreenDesign put it then how would the doors open? The side wall is 40 inches deep. Would I have to pull the fridge up forward in order to be able to open it (it is french door style). Maybe keep it in the alcove, but next to the fireplace (that is where it is today) since that recess is 21 inches. So if I keep design 1 layout of the island, then I would switch the DW to to be on the right side of the sink and then the sitting of the chairs would be paralle to the alcove and to the family room. More than 4 people can sit in that area. May have to redesign this layout and post if it is had to follow. In this layout the range will be closer to the pantry. Yey!

On a slightly different tack regarding regular refrigerators and cabinetry, we have a 30-inch one that we were forced to buy in an emergency last year. It's just fine for our needs, so we're not replacing it in new kitchen. I am assuming we will replace it once at least before I have to leave the kitchen, so we've decided not to build a surround for it. What options do you use for suitable pieces at the refrig., esp. above the unit? open shelving, perhaps? Could this be used for a refrig that has heat accumulating at top?

This may be nore open then you like, but instead of a walk way eliminating kitchen area, how about removing the corner wall between the DR and great room. Also the fridge opening to the end of the peninsula is a chokepoint. I moved the fridge to where the oven stack was and put the oven stack opposite the fridge. These 2 tall items would balance each other at that end of the kitchen. Even if you didn't do double ovens you could have a hutch cabinet in that corner and still get balance. Just some quick ideas. I'm sure others here can help more.