desert, I plan to get out to some showrooms this week to see what's there and I'm really hoping that will help move me forward a lot more. When we built this house, we hooked up a trailer and drove to Dalton GA and came back with all the flooring needed to do the entire house. It was easier to make choices when we were looking at the entire roll and not just small samples. We got terrific deals and then just paid the labor to have everything installed by a friend of DH. For the majority of other items we spent hours at Lowes. lanval, I plan to give the island a new top along with whatever we choose for the countertops and I know that will help spruce it up more. Originally we were told there was no room for an island at all, but our cabinet guy designed the funky shape to fit one in. I wish we had space to redesign it to allow more of a rectangle shape with an overhang to fit a couple of stools, but there is just not enough space around the u-design of my current layout. Anne, DH is assigned the reno to his brother. He doesn't have time to get involved in the work itself. That's probably a good thing since we end up disagreeing on details most of the time. I've learned we just see things from different perspectives because I'm considering details he thinks are not important. And since the kitchen is not really his domain, I don't want to get into a power struggle over the choices I make. I tried to discuss the timing with him yesterday and he sees no problem moving ahead with the April schedule. I pointed out the events coming up that will coincide with the time the kitchen is torn apart, and his basic outlook/comment is "it's no big deal"...he's just a 'get'r done' kinda guy. I tried to remind him this is not one of his empty houses that is unoccupied and the fact there is more involved than just slapping on a countertop and being done. Maybe I'm just thinking too hard, but I can see the entire kitchen torn apart and me being stressed enough over that while trying to juggle our spring busy season and my DD's precious time left living at home knowing the activities associated with that. Plus the responsibilities of finishing up our eoy business details is difficult enough alone, and now I'm sposed to be doing research/legwork to plan a kitchen reno. I'm sorry if I'm rambling, but when I say 'overwhelmed' I'm not exaggerating. If I could just put everything else in my life on hold right now, it might be no problem, but everything else is not going to just stop. I'm glad you see what I'm feeling about the timing of my DD last days at home. Just last year when she wanted to have her after-prom party here, I had some mini meltdowns feeling overwhelmed with my regular daily workload and then adding more to it. This year isn't looking much better... Anyway, to clarify some of the questions you asked: I broke the measurements into 2 sections since the bar seems to separate it into 2 areas. The nook area is 13'x9'8". The kitchen area is 9'5"x13'2" but that is only the actual floor space. The cabinets are 25" deep so you could add that to the width of 9.5 for a size of the actual room. The garage is on the other end of the house. There is door to the backyard patio in the nook area. The original plan called for columns and a more open floorplan. DH chose to change it to large c.o. I posted pics from different angles to try to show this. I measured everything you asked to help clarify; fridge is 35"Dx35"W - cab depth is 25" - MW cab is 29"D - raised bar is 12"D. I checked the face frame of cabs and it appears the only ones sharing is the section to the right of the sink where the raised bar is. The rest are chopped up due to the DW, stove, and corner that leads to the MW cab. I'm trying to visualize the changes you suggested...I guess I need to sketch it out to understand it completely. Since his brother is doing the reno, it actually gives me more comfort b/c I know is fully capable of any little details I bring up. At this point...right now...I'm in panic mode after talking with DH last night and he totally doesn't get my lack of enthusiasm about the schedule. He makes it sound so easy. The ct can be done in one day, the floor can be done in one day... what's the problem??? Arrggh!! happy, Glad to hear of your wp sucess, painted and stripped. I hung every bit of the paper in this house and have 3 baths of wp also facing stripping.

romeisburning - wow, I haven't checked in on my kitchen post in a few years and all of a sudden, a flurry of activity! I am still in love with my kitchen after 4 years (wow, time flies), and I wish you the best! I too had to hunt down my Rosemary as I chose it only to have it discontinued. Your story is much more epic than mine but I think the Rosemary is amazing - my husband rolls his eyes as to this day, I still tell him how much I love it - and I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do (and if Caesarstone is monitoring, they should consider bringing this product back). As for the chopping on the stone, I am not sure as I have wood chopping boards but GO FOR IT - what a great idea for the extra stone. And the color on my walls is Benjamin Moore Citronee - I have it all over my home and love the creamy color. I see I missed some other posts over time - thank you all for the comments - and a2gemini for the "Happy Anniversary" - I remember following your inspiring kitchen. Going on year 4, I have not upgraded anything in my kitchen only added to it some plants by the window and lots of art created by my daughter. The pictures above make me laugh as the kitchen has so much more personality these days. I will post some updated pictures when I can find the time to get some good ones! Enjoy your kitchens!

That's exactly what my line of thinking is, caryscott. I have to laugh (weep?) when I read here about low-end kitchen makeovers well nigh into five figures. Design on a dime? Sheesh. I'm designing on a peso. Thanks for the good news about the backsplash, though! Might mean I can pop for a different finish. I have a 60-year-old kitchen with a layout that offers no hope of real renovation unless the entire house gets gutted and enlarged at the same time. Not happening. Two exterior brick-and-block walls with lots of windows to the front elevation, stairs and doors everywhere and only 11x10 to work with. Landlocked. As if that weren't enough, it's a major pathway through my 976 sf (many kitchens here are that big) raised ranch, so it takes a wear-and-tear beating courtesy of my three teenagers. I've just begun stripping the yellowed finish from my cabinets, plan to stain them cherry chocolate (can't paint -- it'd be chipped in a matter of hours) and put in a high def laminate counter. Will wait until something really strikes me for the backsplash; I like bamaspice's split face tile and I'm pleased to see her report that its sealant is wearing well. (Redi-whip and spaghetti sauce? My kitchen precisely.) One benefit to having a small kitchen is I can pick up leftovers from those 1,000 sf kitchen makeovers; gotta love Craig's List! I regularly see granite remnants but in the end I think I'm just not a fan of it. Dyed concrete, well, I've seen some absolutely beauteous displays of that but no tengo pesos.

I really enjoyed reading your reveal. Read it on my iPad this morning lazing in bed and pored over it for a good 1/2 hour. It was more engaging than a book, lol. I totally LOVE your new kitchen, and this is one of the best reveals I've seen. Enjoyed reading the goals you had for the new kitchen, seeing how all your choices came together, the peeks inside your drawers and doors, and reading about the things you decided that others might consider crazy. Not crazy at all! The whole point of doing the research is to consider the alternatives and then choose what works for YOU. While I might not have made all those same decisions, you wouldn't have made the ones I chose either. That's rather the point, right? You don't live in my kitchen and I don't live in yours, LOL. There is something very freeing about deciding what works for you and just going regardless of trends. And I totally get where you're coming from on the slide in range with glass top. I've had a glass top range in the past and really liked it. Not everyone needs or wants a spendy induction or gas range so I say good for you!! Things I particularly admire: The new layout moving the fridge wall and getting a wider opening. The great new views from your sink and peninsula area -- what a difference that makes. Your drop-dead gorgeous cabinets! Your lovely granite. Drawers and the use of space -- the mostly 4-drawer bases without a lot of stacking was a wise choice. The new fireplace wall (wow, what a difference the black paint makes). And a small thing, but I like that you carried the toekick past the dishwasher, it looks really nice. Great job. Enjoy your new kitchen and may it bring you many years of new and happy memories!