I think the idea of a SE MA swap is great, too and I appreciate how far our SE friends have been traveling. I hope, however, that we continue to have two swaps- Sp and F- and that one will be "up here" around Boston, AND that our Cape area friends will come this way, despite the drive! Can you see I'm feeling a bit anxious about the group (as fluid as it is) hanging in together? Rationally, my anxiety makes little sense because the reason people come or don't are so varied but even so, sometimes thinking about change is difficult. But I'll be there, no matter what, if I can get there!

Ach, I bet I know what I did -- I was thinking dd but I typed hh because I saw liz h. I tend to do that, I'll substitute a word that is completely not related to what I'm saying if my brain wanders over in another direction before I've finished my sentence. mortifying... Anyway, the thread I was referring to, somewhat solipsistically, was the thread about my recent thrift art finds, which evolved into talking about how social class determines the value of art/design...I find it funny that other modernist movements, say some of early Danish modern or various glass or ceramic companies esp. here in the US, which were designed to be accessible to everyday people rather than only to the rich, are now included in collections and have to go through "approved" channels, as it were. I see the point of Antiques Roadshow -- everyday people can have their items appraised with no regard to social class. Provenance still matters, but not in an obnoxious way. Speaking of which, bethpen, where did you acquire your furniture? Was it in the rental house when you bought it? Or did you get it somewhere and just put it in there as rental house furniture? You're lucky no renter knew about it :)

Wow that stone is striking! I got a few countertop fabricator referrals when I visited high end cabinet makers. Also I found a fabricator who installs new construction homes by searching Caesar Stone for elite status fabricators. These fabricators had hard quartzite like taj mahal and cristallo in their own warehouse inventory so I felt confident using them. Good luck!

@Tim Cleary I have to admit, that part of the reasons why I'm reluctant to fill it, is that myself (or future buyer) can have the option to convert it into a underground studio like you said in the future, with part of the "deck" (or ceiling of the studio) being glass.... I have seen something similar in commercial property (like entryway to a subway), but not sure if such thing is realistic in residential...