Hi Andi, I have 3 Ikeas within 2 hrs. of me and I've been to all 3. There are slight differences in their displays, I guess due to different demographics. I would suggest going on a weekday, if at all possible. Eat something beforehand, have some caffeine and a Tylenol. I can't stress that enough! The kitchen designers and sales staff were very helpful. You'll get a lot more boxes and bags than you would expect. One of my boxes looked damaged and one was re-taped, They replaced them on the spot. Later I noticed a couple of items were marked REA. I think they were returned- but seemed to be unopened and just fine. The instructions are all pictograms- only one word "CLICK". If you're good at jigsaw puzzles, you'll be fine. Once you get one together- you're an expert. One or two pieces weren't drilled exactly, and we had to come up with a couple of different screws to get things right, but all in all it was do-able. We were sold some extra pieces, about $50 for panels. No idea what they are for. The drainpipe pieces for the sink were plastic, so we replaced them with metal ones from a plumbing supply store. The next morning after installation, a small piece of an inside door panel appeared to be lifting. I know we didn't damage it, but I'm not sure they'll take it back since we attached the hardware. There's a slight ding on the counter that we may have caused by dropping a glass. So, we tried to intentionally damage a leftover scrap of counter with a hammer and it held up just fine. There's a tiny cut on drawer edge that's not noticeable. I just don't know if they'll hold up as well as the ones we replaced (25 yrs.) They do come with a 25 year guarantee though. But, I do LOVE the 30" drawer cabinet. The drawers work like a dream. They hold my pots and pans, so I no longer have to reach over a hot stove for them. And it's so easy to see everything. I wish I had gotten another one, but I'm going to keep small appliances in the other bottom cabinet and I thought the open space might be more flexible. The laminate counters we got have white on one side and reverse to dove grey on the other. They have a metal edge which is very nice. They have another which is black on one side, reversing to whitewashed wood grain. I went with the white so that it would be brighter. I figured I can always accessorize with other colors. I got hardware from Expo. Aqua beach-glass rectangles framed in stainless. I got matching square knobs for the upper cabinets. If I can figure out how, I'll send pix. Any further developments on the floor choices? The pass-through?

Do not be too quick to dismiss your previous plumber for suggesting a AAV (Air Admittance Valve, "studor vent") for your kitchen island. Although the Uniform Plumbing code(UPC) & International Residential Code(IRC)have radically differing views on how a kitchen island vent is to be constructed, nonetheless, both the IRC & UPC do allow an AAV for kitchen island venting. Under the IRC all structures are required to have one "Main Vent",which must run undiminished in size from the structure "Main Drain" through the roof. After that we are permitted to install an unlimited number of AAV's. Under the UPC they do not require a "Main Vent" but all fixture vents are required to be sized by the total DFU (Drainage fixture unit) load of all fixtures served by that vent. Under the UPC a structure is only permitted a maximum of one AAV, with the expressed written consent of the local inspecting authority, and in most cases a kitchen island is the only location where they will grant the exception. Now what is the difference between the kitchen drain and your bathroom drain you ask? When we have a sink on an island it is generally the only fixture attached to that line. As the water drains from the sink it pushes the air ahead of the water in the pipe. Under some circumstances this can result in a slight vacuum in the pipe behind the moving water. This partial vacuum would then result in the standing water in the trap being sucked into the pipe by siphon action and once the water has passed on down the trap is left dry, allowing sewer gas to enter the structure. In this case we install an AAV, which would permit air to enter the pipe behind the liquid flow, thus negating the suction effect. There is a slim chance that you might resolve your problem by installing an AAV on the lavatory drain line, an when you consider the cost of installing an AAV as opposed to opening walls it might be well worth your time to try it, however I suspect you have a different problem in your bathroom. You state that you hear a gurgling sound in the tub or lavatory when another drain is used. It is possible that the water in the gurgling trap is being sucked out, and in that case an AAV might resolve the problem, but I suspect you problem is not a result of negative pressure (the partial vacuum) but rather it result from positive pressure. As the water from one fixture flows through the pipe it pushes the air ahead, causing a slight positive air pressure. Normally that positive pressure would be pushed up and out a roof vent however if your system does not have the required roof vent as one fixture is draining it will push that air up through one of the adjacent fixture drains and out through the trap. Keep in mind that the air in the line contains sewer gas so as that air & sewer gas mix is pushed out you get the odor. The odor may seem greater at some times than others. That does not mean the sewer gas is not leaking because not all the component of sewer gas are odorous. In fact, one of the main gases that comprise sewer gas is totally odorless.

I am in total agreement with the idea of not adding another design element or another focal point so it's got to be plain and simple. We tried plain glass sheets but it was too stark. Maybe we should look at frosted/honed glass panels I think subway tiles are too traditional in style for the kitchen unless we use vertical ones and I'm not positive about that either. So i used PS and did some mockups and still not loving any of it :( Vertical Subway but definitely not this color and not my best PS effort LOL "> Mosaic "> Horizontal subway "> Another horizontal subway "> Square tiles Finally if anyone has better photoshop skills please feel free to show me your ideas :)

benjesbride, thank you for the suggestions – I appreciate all ideas. I should have included an earlier render of the layout in the TV room (including the largest double recliner we’ve found but not purchased). I’ve added it below. To give DH his dedicated coffee making area, buehl put a coffee bar in the tv room, suggesting we make it a combo snack bar (love this). Yes, this room is for TV viewing only, but also works as a small man-cave (other than the coffee bar) – we have another tv in the Great Room. We’re going with a double recliner because: We don’t entertain - it’s just the 2 of us; Not there now, but as we age, circulation issues may arise, so legs/feet in elevated position; Wish to make this room about comfort for DH, thus, a (double) recliner. In the current location below: the recliner won’t obstruct the passthrough view as it sits lower in both positions. It’s the perfect location – I can easily see DH and talk to him at the passthrough (or close it off for noise buffer)! This is DH’s dedicated room, and he loves the ‘vintage industrial’ look, so we are building the tv/coffee-snack bar as a large cabinet. I built furniture, refinished antiques, and was a decent woodworker 2 decades ago, so have experience, and DH can build pretty much anything mechanical/metal. We intend (for now, plans change!) to go with a distressed copper countertop to make the coffee bar masculine/bar-like for DH, add shelving to display his man-tiques (masculine antiques/collection), enclose the mini fridge, snack, and bean storage areas, and I’ll refine some of the industrial look to go with our whole-house décor. As you wisely mentioned, that’ll be a narrow room and I’ve been very concerned about this. We’d marked it off with painter’s tape, but that’s not adequate. Last weekend we brought a large (temporary) sofa from storage to the room, got his huge tv hooked up, and have loved the set-up! The distance is perfect: no scanning the tv (moving eyes side to side for complete viewing), and in the reclined position, the higher position of the tv will also be perfect. We’ll build vintage wall lights at each side of the recliner. cpartist suggested a mantlemount, and we are keeping this option in mind to raise and lower the tv. Later, when all is done, we’ll decide if we have room to add simple seating if DH wishes to have a hangout area with more than 1 friend at a time… as well as more wall display areas. Tho’ I love the idea of a window to view the herb garden, windows aren’t conducive to tv viewing (on weekends during daytime sports). If you see any flaws in what I’ve described, please point them out to me! Thanks!