Here are a few pictures of my "command center." This is the mudroom/office/pantry/garage hallway... it connects the garage with the kitchen/rest of the house. I did an upclose picture of one of the smaller frames - I printed out a "dinner menu" template and put it in the frame... the vis-a-vis markers have a fine point. The dry erase markers were too clunky. (my other framed areas are a to-do list and a general idea for a bi-weekly schedule... clip area for receipts and a yellow pad clipped for shopping list.... the bulletin board area for kid info (schedules etc)... I also have a wall bin underneath for each of the kids...) I've had this area in use for a few years - but about a month ago I thought it was looking too cluttery, so I cleaned it up with the black frames and the green contact paper from Target. The large green area on the right of the bulletin board WAS a whiteboard that would no longer clean. hope this helps.

My countertops are laminate. The color is Basalt Slate. When I recently did my kitchen renovation I looked at granite, soapstone and ceasarstone and went with laminate because of cost, durability and looks. The cabinets are Charlottesville maple in cream from Home Depot. Thanks for the compliments. And thank for not pointing out that I spelled chalkboard and chalk wrong FIVE TIMES! I must have chaulk on my mind these days. Too much renovating, I guess. Dianne

Hi jaluca, welcome! The floors are just a shade over 5" wide, they are all one width. DH and I had decided on random widths and when I went into the reclaimed flooring place I changed my mind at the last moment and went with all 5". I think both would have looked great, but I'm very pleased with the 5". We have a water-based finish on the floor. We opted not to go with a more typical oil-based finished in part for environmental reasons (and to reduce odour) but also because oil finished tend to yellow the hardwood and I loved the blonde/light brown colours in the birch. Hope this helps, let me know if you need any other info.

nancy_east -- thanks for your nice words! How exciting about your kitchen -- this will be fun to watch develop! The widest walkway we have is 36 1/2" (countertop to countertop), with it going down to 34 1/2" where our apron front sink "jumps" out. From our cooktop to the widest point of the bowed island countertop is 35 3/4". The only times (or rather, areas) our aisles feel tight are when the dishwasher door is open and there's only 12" of clearance (between the open door and the island cabinetry). But so far, no barked shins! We're careful and aware. The other area is our refrigerator (which is 30" wide, all refrigerator so it's a wide door): when it's open the only one who can sidle by (and then it's just barely) is our two year-old. But neither of those conditions are permanent (meaning, the dishwasher is mostly closed and the refrigerator door is mostly closed as well). While 36" for an aisle isn't "ideal," for us it's working out fine. Our only alternative would've been to give up the island and that wasn't an option! We need the storage space. Your aisles will work out fine; if it there's an impediment in the 36" aisle (like a dishwasher), then you all will learn the same careful two-step we and many others have as well! Good luck with your kitchen-in-progress! (and whole house, too!)