Lavendar, hope your tooth gets better. I've got one that beginning to make itself feel unwelcome--had forgotten how crummy teeth can make you feel. I suspect that you have seen sufficient images to help you clarify what options are available to you. There is a pursuit of the Ultimate that sometimes blinds us. Your lists show that you know a lot about what you want, including more color than you had originally anticipated. That plants are a part of the design is one of the most innovative parts of your list. It may become even more important if you include plant shelves, light, etc in the permanent physical design. (Aren't you redoing a former porch space? Can you plan good spots for plants within it?) I think that a general yellow-dominant pastel palette is a good thing for you and cream-colored or light gold wood trimming. Add the blues, violets, pinks, greens to broaden things. If this were a piece of music, it would be a melody by sopranos and altos, with occasional lower voices dropping down to make a harmonic chord in a major key. One of the exciting things that happens in this design and installation process is that stuff happens along the way. If you make some major basic decisions, including best floor plan and what the budget is, many other things will fall into place, sometimes because other options fall by the wayside. Once you know what you can in good conscience even consider, the outliers become noise in the background and you can cover your ears if you have spine enough. Room and lighting layout and plumbing and electrical installation are such biggies. Consider these things first before color schemes. Redoing them is almost cost-prohibitive. Paint, fabric, rugs, and small items are add-ins and easily changeable. Light fixtures and non-curtain window coverings are semi-permanent, requiring a force of will and some budget if they are changed. Furniture pieces put you at the mercy of fashion, budget, and availability--they may be easy or hard. Cabs, appliances, floors, and wall tiles are expensive and lock you in or out of other options. Is that layout pretty much done or are you still incubating? Make decisions in wise order--layout first--but keep an eye out for an item or two that can be the "killer piece" or "killer feature" that will define your room in the minds of those who have been there. I urge you to try to forget the descriptive labels--DH says the only ones who love pigeonholes are pigeons. Remember it's only a kitchen. You noted that curved things attract you. This is an important realization and one that can help you make a distinctive personal space unlike any other out there. I recall your question about round topped windows. I suggest regular angular windows in a dramatic round-topped niche with fabric or custom finish along the curve. You clearly know other ways to include curves--go for it! I think it's time for you to venture outside and engage the other side of your brain. Go touch, feel, think in kitchen displays. And go to a florist, a fabric store (the drapery dept), the best tile shop in town, a high-end antique shop, a furniture store, a lighting store, and a cabinet shop. Then go to the builder supply stores and see what they charge for similar stuff. If open house season or Parade of Homes is starting, head out. Keep tabs on your reactions: Where do you find yourself in these places? Are your design declarations (above) still in place? THEN you can go find appliances and cabs. Faucets and sinks are a distraction--ignore them until you hone that layout and mark where the permanent stuff goes and where the variable stuff goes. Whether it's light fixtures or kitchen tables and tablecloths, it's not helpful to mentally buy them until you know how much money and space you've got and until you've made/seen a drawing so you can imagine being in the space. And as they say, chance favors the prepared mind, so knowing the plan tells you whether a serendipitous "find" is your best choice. We're all looking forward to watching you progress down the kitchen road, but you can only solicit so much advice. Experience is the next step.

drbeanie - I know exactly what you mean about not wanting to make mistakes and searching for other input. I had to remodel a kitchen in one of our rental homes before we put it on the market last year. We had to rush to choose things because we were only in town for a very short time. I chose things in a budget and really thought it would look great. I had to see everything from pictures when it was complete, but it was AWFUL. I would have hated to have that kitchen and worried that noone would want to buy it. Luckily, it was someone's taste. I definitely didn't have the same taste as my KD and we parted ways a long time ago. My husband teases me about how much time I spend on GW - but it's been such a great place to get a myriad of opinions from people that aren't going to just be nice and say it looks good to keep from hurting your feelings. This forum has saved my sanity this time around! :) Good luck with your choices!

*blush* Thank you for the compliments on my bathroom! I have changed a few things since that photo was taken, like adding a small glass shelf on the left wall. The bathroom was a not-planned remodel - we had water and mold damage (so gross!) so we were forced to put up all new drywall and flooring. We salvaged the cabinets and counters and didn't change them since we had not budgeted for this. We also have a huge mirror on the left that I want to take down and put up two smaller mirrors. You should have seen it before - I had hunter green marble-looking very slippery floor tile and the same 4x4 white tile on the tub surround and in the shower that I currently have as my kitchen backsplash. Oh - and brass fixtures. Yuck! I will have to take a full photo of the bathroom. Anyway, the floor tile is from The Tile Shop and is called Indian Slate Copper. It is pretty inexpensive at $4.29 sq ft. We love it. It's very easy to take care of and hides dirt well (not that a master bath gets that dirty). It's a bit textured so it's not slippery at all.

I think the blue trim on these would have to be the blue from the warm filagree border, which is a lighter blue than we are doing in the kitchen and the gathering room (to get the kitchen & gathering room color, we took a sample of blue bahia granite to sherwin williams and had them do an exact color match so that one is set-in-stone as far as the color.) When you walk into the foyer of the house, the tile mural will be right there. To your left is an arched opening and you will see both the bookcase side (curved display side) and the window seat right there so they need to go w/ the tile mural. Yes, we are doing the same wood floors throughout, both upstairs and downstairs (only place it isn't is the bathrooms). Random width downstairs, 3 inch boards up. Staircase in the foyer (which you'll also see from the door along w/ the tile mural and the conservatory) are white w/ oak. Trim will be white throughout, including on the window sills. We've got a LOT of blue in this house! (Kitchen, gathering room, sunroom, bedroom, master bath all have blue features). Soft yellows, greens and blues sounds very cheerful and inviting for your home!