Sas95 thanks for your last post (and what a smile that table brought to my face!). I think that you summed it up perfectly, for me, about a reveal and asking, or NOT asking, for help or specific feedback. It's funny that we mention having a 'thick skin' when you post a thread but that thick skin goes both ways. If I say 'thanks but no thanks, I like it just the way that it is and I didn't ask for suggestions of change', well then, the person that offered me unsolicited advice should have thick skin too. I changed my username after having been a GW member for 10 yrs or so and due to changes in my life have posted MUCH less frequently on GW over the yrs since changing my that name. W/in the first few months of changing my username I got hammered by a more recent GW member because I posted links to décor related things and upcoming TV shows. I simply did not have time to post lengthier stuff but wanted to remain a part of GW as much as possible. I posted those links because I knew specifically that lots of other GWer's were very interested in those specific things. It was fairly ugly and clearly a case of open mouth, insert foot as many GWer's came to my defense that I was not some 'Spammer'. When I posted another project that I completed another member actually responded in the strangest way that they'd done and posted something similar weeks prior and nobody responded to their post. It was really uncomfortable for some members of which one finally posted in good spirit to sooth the other over that maybe I was inspired by the other. In fact I was not nor had I ever seen the other but what I appreciated was the GW member who had the sensitivity and common sense to try and appease the slighted member who went off in a huff. Look, I may post infrequently and post my reveals & projects more so than for help but hey, some folks here have helped me or have been interested in my projects for some time. And I post to threads that I can offer specific advice to when I am on. Sometimes there are a many, sometimes none that I can contribute to. And I've dreamt out loud on GW for ages and some of those dreams are finally coming to fruition so, yeah, I'm gonna post about them and it sounds like a fair amount of folks are going to potentially find that self-serving. That's ok. So many have been helpful and supportive during that time urging me to go for it. So 14yrs of being a member here and having had seeing it on both ends: 1: Being a very regular poster and posting often. and 2: Not being a regular and posting here and there in spurts. You do get treated differently. But whatever. I love decorating so, so very much that I won't ever stop posting here to some extent. Just make sure to not be slighted if I directly respond to unsolicited 'what I should change' advice. Now, I really need to find the link to the house on Houzz that started...

I'm sorry, I have not had a chance to get any charcoal. The smell is still there. Not as strong as it was a few weeks ago and after a month it is tolerable, but everyone who comes into my new room asks "what is that smell?" This is INSANE how much worse the smell is after this supposed VOC compliant crap. There is no way in hell this is better for you. for the first 3 weeks I could not even stand being in the room as I would get a headache after breathing this in for 20 minutes. I loved the old smell of the old stuff and it would be gone within a week. This smell is going on over a month and It is still lingering. I think we need to find another brand or get everyone to complain to these varnish companies to bring back the old formulas. Why did they even change it? How in the heck did they ever test this and Say "Yeah this is better!! You would have to have absolutely no sense of smell to think this stuff is good for anyone to breath or use. Do they really think by changing the smell or recipe of varnish we are saving the planet? It is ridiculous!! I'm so sorry I wish I had the answer for you. I just left my windows open a crack for days until it was tolerable. Also you could use a damp rid bag and hope that will absorb some of the smell. It is strong at first but I know at least these hanging bags smell better than the varnish!! You can get these at Lowes or HomeDepot in the cleaning isle.

newhomebuilder, I'm taking a look at the new beach club but felt the need to caution you first about buying Scentsy wax on ebay. You have no idea how old it is and unless it's kept in the freezer, it's "intended" use can be as short as 4-5 months depending on how it was stored. It will still have fragrance but be weaker. Which peach scent have you found and I'll try to figure out when was the last time it was offered (but it could be older than that). It might be something that hasn't been for sale for a year or longer! I'd hate for you to be disappointed with your first Scentsy experience. Tell me what you like and I'll try to make some suggestions...of course everyone's nose is different! The last peach fragrance I remember is Posey Peach

Thanks for the drawing--it has calmed my fears after reading other posts by you about your dream kitchen. I can imagine working in here. Has anyone mentioned the need for wood storage indoors? Although the woodpile is the main wood storage, there needs to be a direct route from woodpile to a plunk spot for the wood indoors. We have a wood stove in living room, in part to burn up wood from our yard. We use an old large copper cauldron for our wood holder--it's huge and I retire it to the garage in summer so that I can recover some space in the room. Also, the area below a stove needs to fit code. Talk to your building inspectors before making a plan. Otherwise you may end up with a deep lip of brick or tile that intrudes in places you didn't anticipate and you may need a railing on one side if it's adjacent to a walk space. Also, the area in vicinity of a wood stove needs to be sweepable, even if it's outside the code-mandated nonburnable floor. Wood debris is unavoidable. You may want to look at images of second homes, lake places, etc. for your practical inspirations. These places have to deal with such issues and they often have a 'country' feel (ignore the kitschy ones). As for the island/table, I urge a movable large cart. You can remove it and put in a table at times if you need to and you can pull it to your work area for a secondary surface or put it out for buffet serving. For most days, you already have a table very near on porch that will be more useful for enjoying that cup of coffee and a book or newspaper and you can decorate that space as gleefully as you like. I've thought a lot about the table in your inspiration picture and all it says to me is 'I'm not ready to go to work.' That's not a message I want in my kitchen. I need an inviting blank work surface that I can mess up with my cooking activity, then clean off and leave ready for next time. I hate it when I have debris in my work space from the last project or stuff plunked there that is off-topic for my current mania. I'm putting a nook/resource center into the corner of my kitchen but I won't share photos yet, except this early one. We'll have a full floor to near-ceiling 6 foot wide bookcase, perhaps small antique drop leaf table and chairs, and some funky lighting. No wood stove, but hope it will have ambiance and kooky inviting feel. But it will NOT intrude in my work, it will NOT prevent dinner being served in dining room, and it will allow some softening pieces to cut the modern feel of the rest of the room. It also gives me a non-stool work space if needed (handicap access concept). This antiques and books and art nook is out of the line of fire of the kitchen activities as yours is, but I don't foresee spending much time in it. Better places elsewhere in house for lounging and recreation. Here is a link that might be useful: roughed in table nook ambiance corner