Thanks again everyone; I am so glad you "get" my vision. I am hoping that by upgrading this kitchen, that the next owners of this house will not rip out those old cabinets. They have butterfly hinges and lots of character! I so believe in recycling, and upcycling and would rather use our money for supporting programs we care about. Of course I love the hunt for items to recycle and we both enjoy working on the house. In our big family home, I started out by hiring trades people but quickly realized that I could really get exactly what I wanted by doing it myself. Thus, the start of a new adventure. CF Freeman knows what I am talking about. It is so gratifying learning new skills and putting them to use. I would love to have had a vintage stove in there and in fact bought a deco Chambers stove. In the end, I just could not make it work in the space; they are so large and it had a high back piece which would not fit in. We put all the appliances and anything else useable that was in the space pre-reno out on the curb and they were picked up by families in the area. That makes me happy. My husband's favorite pieces in the kitchen are the popup Mocket outlet and the Rev-a-shelf pull-out spice rack. And he loves the beverage area. They are the things he shows off. Diane

Have you been on the fence about getting a Vitamix because of price ? I just saw that VM is offering their reconditioned units for $30 off through Dec 1. Plus, you can order it as a 3-payment plan (half down plus $15 the first month and the remaining half is divided over months 2 and 3). Add that to the free shipping and other freebies I mentioned a couple posts up and that is Merry Christmas to you ! : ) I think the reconditioned units are a great deal. You get a brand new, unused container, so only the motor has ever come out of the box. And the motor is checked/serviced before it goes back out as a reconditioned unit. I think most (all?) of the reconditioned machines were ones returned under their 30 day return policy, so they have hardly been used (or maybe never used!). $299 Certified Reconditioned Standard (reg 329, new starting at 449) https://secure.vitamix.com/Certified-Reconditioned-Standard.aspx 5200, 5200c, 5200s, Creations I, Creations II, Creations GC, CIA Professional Series, Pro 200, Total Nutrition Center, TurboBlend VS, etc. are all basically the same 2hp machine with different names. $349 Certified Reconditioned Standard w/Programs (reg 379, new starting at 649) https://secure.vitamix.com/Certified-Reconditioned-Standard-Programs.aspx The Pro 500 and the 6300 are those same 2hp machines that also have pre-set buttons (Smoothies, Hot Soups, and Frozen Desserts) and pulse. $439 Certified Reconditioned Next Generation (new starting at 557) https://secure.vitamix.com/Certified-Reconditioned-Next-Generation.aspx Pro 300, Creations Elite, and the 7500 (The "Next Generation" Machines) all have the 2.2hp motor that is supposed to be a little quieter (suspended motor design), they have pulse, and they come with the shorter 64oz container with the wider bottom (17.5" tall for the base plus container as opposed to 20.5"). $519 Certified Reconditioned Next Generation w/Programs (new 689) https://secure.vitamix.com/Certified-Reconditioned-Next-Generation-Programs.aspx Pro 750 is the above "Next Generation" 2.2hp machine that has the presets (Smoothies, Hot Soups, Frozen Desserts, Puree, and Clean) plus Pulse. My VM is not this newest model, it is a 2hp that does not have the presets. I do not recommend the 2-speed models that are currently $279 reconditioned (TurboBlend Two-Speed or CIA Creations). I also do not recommend the 6000 model which ONLY has timed settings with no speed control. All of the other models above have variable speed which is important IMO. It looks like none of the Next Generation models are $30 off, but I do not remember for sure what the price was before the sale started ??? Regarding the ones with the short 64oz container that only comes with the 2.2hp Next Generation machines ... you may want to buy an extra wet container with the smaller bottom (for example, the 32oz or 48oz) because the bigger bottomed short 64oz container doesn't do well with recipes under 2 cups (you don't have that problem with the sandard/tall 64oz container that comes with the 2hp machines). The 32 oz. does great with recipes that go down to as little as 3/4 of a cup and one cup recipes like mayonnaise, pesto, salad dressings, and marinades. Plus it is easier to get these smaller batches out of it as compared to the standard/tall 64oz, because the sides are not so high. I am pretty sure you can buy extra wet or dry containers for a discounted price of $100 if you buy them within a certain amount of time of buying your machine. Note the difference in the dry container and the wet container ... the wet container pulls things down into the blades, the dry container blows them up out of the blades. So if you were blending almonds, the wet container would be best for almond butter, while the dry container would be best for almond flour. A lot of the model numbers have to do with which cookbook the blender originally came with, which containers, and sometimes where it is sold. (for example QVC models or the 5200S and 6300 which are both Costco models) Oh, and here's a tip ... You can download the Vitamix Whole Foods Recipe Cookbook from the QVC website. See the gray 'learn more' section in the middle of the page. http://www.qvc.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?partNumber=K28091 edit: to add in reg prices

If you like your layout and if the cabinets boxes are in good shape, here's what I would do. Remove the uppers Make the back wall window much bigger and put in a window overlooking the deck. I would actually make it into two walls of windows that meet in the corner Remove the doors from the lowers, purchase drawers from a good RTA place, and convert most of the lowers to drawers (you can store more in drawers and they are so much more easily accessible). You can reface the cabinet fronts to match the new drawer fronts. Put in the hardwood floors, new counters and undermount sink Widen the opening between table and kitchen. I'd take it all the way to the cabinet on that wall and then totally eliminate the short wall between the kitchen counter and table next to the window. The wider opening will allow for a bigger island which will replace most, if not all, the storage lost by losing your uppers. After this, if there is money into the budget for it, I would get rid of the china hutch and desk in that open space "south" of the table and have cabinets made that either match or are different but coordinate with your kitchen cabinetry. In this, I would include areas for whatever you store in your current china hutch, some glass doors, some solid depending on how much you want to show off unless you actually prefer using a desktop computer and need the desk area for that, I would eliminate the desk and instead put in filing cabinet drawers, shelves with plug ins for charging phones, tablets, laptops, etc., and cubbies for incoming and outgoing mail, a family communications center with calendar, etc., and put it all inside cabinets so anything can be hidden when entertaining storage for items you don't use often so you don't need to store them in the kitchen like serving platters and larger trays, large serving bowls, extra glassware, whatever plumb it from the W/D for a beverage bar with sink for coffee, tea, making mixed drinks, and put in a small under-counter fridge for ice, juice, creamer, milk, etc. and make sure the area has proper storage for mugs, glasses, and other items you would use for the types of beverages you typically make like tea bags, different types of coffees, mixers, whatever. I do think a rectangular table would work better in that space and banquette style seating along the walls would be cool and make for a comfy place to perch when you're perusing cookbook over morning coffee, reading the mail, and playing on your laptop, but I would leave this for last. If your budget is spent by this point, you could always change this up later when your wallet recovers. FWIW, my laundry room is large and serves as a pantry and is through an open door from the kitchen. My kitchen/laundry-pantry may as well be one room. And I love it. So convenient. Especially since I upgraded to a new W/D which are so quiet I barely know they are running. If your kitchen is far removed from your bedrooms, it could be more convenient to have the laundry area closer to the bedrooms. But if this is a typical ranch, I'm guessing the bedrooms aren't too-too far from your kitchen. Mine aren't but the W/D are so quiet I can run laundry if someone is sleeping in a bedroom and they don't hear it. So, if this works for you, I wouldn't change it. Hope these ideas help a bit.

I am posting a room to see what finished looks like and so you can see if there are any concepts you can transfer to your room....your room looks perfect but maybe you need some surprises..... the room below has an interesting orb type chandelier which is what you want to add, so good there, the rug has texture and contrast, which you want to add, there is some interesting mirror placement that add sparkle; maybe small mirrors on either side of the art work or above the curtain panels.....but add sparkle somewhere in the room for contrast.....thinking antiqued mirror or lamp shade? The mantle is great done in silver and bronze paint, and I like the carved wood for texture and the red flowers to match the curtains and art work for a spot of color....nothing very big, except the unique chandelier, just a nice mix....oh and love the leather ottoman, in a deeper color that reiterates the wall color, a nice room and it might inspire you to add small thoughtful pieces as you go along....oh and love the rug that was suggested; it will be the bomb I hope.....lastly I know you have curtains, but maybe an interesting tape on the leading edge in a patterned design to add some life to the curtains....your room looks safe but added touches will enliven it up and give it some contrast and oomph.....love the TV stand! Genius!