tdpillo - Please excuse my harshness, but I think you are judging before asking questions. For the record much of our home is DIY. My husband and I did all the hardwood floors, did the majority of subway tile. We did all the grout and mortar. We also did at least half of the millwork throughout the house. We did our own concrete stairs outside in 3 different places, did the scoring on the concrete slab in greatroom, will also do the staining and sealing when the time comes. We did almost all the paint prep. Will do ALL the painting, did the crown throughout the house, did the columns, did the beadboard. Will do the T & G in the outside breezeway. Will set all the finish plumbing fixtures and do final cleanup and all the landscaping which is extensive. I have 11 children, and yes this is a large, expensive home. We absolutely had a budget. If I wanted the house of my dreams I knew we would have to do the work. We also had an incompetent builder that did nothing so we had no choice. Our current home is also a house we re-did everything. We had a smallish (2200 sq. ft) home that had basic apt. type molding everywhere. Formica counters, lino floors etc. We re-did all woodwork, counters, floors, etc. We now have a lovely home to sell w=hen our other home is finished. People can DIY and get these results. It is not impossible. But with such a negative attitude it would be hard for sure. I see something and I want to do it. I have learned so much just getting my hands dirty and saying I can do this. Our current home looks beautiful for a very small amount of money. It can be done, you just have to want it and do the work. I searched out bargains, deals, and internet finds regularly. I do not think someone is destined to mediocrity because of money. Life is what you make it, not what your stuck with.

Looking through my pictures, this one shows our casing pretty well but I can a more detailed picture if you'd like. My house is an old colonial, the casework is simple and clean lined but has nice visual mass and shadow lines. It's a 2 piece system, the flats have butt joints, but the smaller edge piece is mitered - I don't know how you'd get away from that with this particular design. Corner blocks are one way to avoid miters but to me it often looks like that's the very reason it was done, not because it's a good design choice. Can you tell my why your contractor is objecting to mitered corners? That's pretty basic stuff and a trim carpenter should practically be able to do it with his eyes closed.

WOW! Thank you all for the kind comments! I'm feeling warm all over:) Carecooks, good luck and have fun with your remodel: It's great to be able to make a place your own. I'm kind of envious that you are just starting...WAIT what AM I saying?! The cabinets are from a local cabinet maker, natural cherry. The copper is NO care, but I like the patina. Definitely not a surface for people who don't want drips and splotches to show. Circuspeanut (funny!) the paint is Sherwin Williams, Fireweed and Blonde. I decided to try matte paint this time around because I didn't want the sheen to interfere with what I saw. DH thought it looked a little third world, but, I believe, is used to it now. Boysrus2, I promise more island photos tomorrow evening. There are drawers, a sink with a lot of stuff jammed into it, an oven, and a small wine rack. Oh, and a secret place. I'll try to get some representative photos tomorrow. Thanks for your patience. It's only a slightly better mess tonight (a week's accumulation), but I'll spiff it up and shoot it. oh yeah, and mustbnuts, it's verde fuoco on the island. Thanks again, you guys are making my day!

Why not just paint that upper white part the same blue as the door? That will provide same or similar visual effect as your original door. Keep it simple. If you put a header on it, its going to clutter it up and draw attention to it and make the space look more awkward, not less.... besides being a total stylistic mismatch to the house and the door. I dont know if Id put anything in there at all - just blue to make it all look like a single, unified space. If you are replacing the sconce, get one thats simple, discrete, and doesnt draw attention to itself The door itself (is all the style statement you need to make. Its a simple, boxy brick house with a stylish blue door. Thats all you need - boom, done. Sometimes less is more.