Ah, what a difference a day makes!! I feel so much better after meeting with the cabinet guy this morning. My husband, our builder, and I were with him for over 2 hours and we got so much accomplished!!! Remember I'm new at this, so I apologize if I seem to be jumping all over the place with my ideas and questions. I'm just trying to get as much information as humanly possible so that I get the kitchen I really want. I posted my "before" pictures over on the Gallery. I've lived with - and hated - a full breakfast room of knotty pine for the last 15 years. I'm trying to be very careful to figure out what I MUST have (my non-negotiables) and what I can put on the table to bargain with (my negotiables.) Basically, this guy was able to understand exactly what I was going for, and he had wonderful suggestions. (My builder told me we would love him!) Bottom line is I'm now getting 2 different cabinet colors (Sage Colourtone with coffee glaze, and Chesapeake with no glaze) and an island (which I didn't think would fit.) I didn't want to go with 2 different colors strictly on the cabinets. Having the island makes all the difference in the world for me. He also figured out a way to incorporate a bookshelf type unit in a very awkward short-walled corner that we were concerned about. Really, I'm so excited to see the plans he comes up with. He knows the budget we're working with, so I've just got the fingers crossed that nothing we did will really raise the price. (I was very open with him about the things that I can let go of and what I can't...you know, that negotiable and non-negotiable thing again.) After looking at the pictures on the soffit threads, I feel better about that. We're not even sure if we have to have the soffits or not. Won't know until he guts the room. I think the farmhouse sinks are more money than I want to spend. I like the look, but it's not something I can't live without. And the island will definitely be one height. Well, I feel like these issues are settled, but I'm pretty darn sure there will be many, many, many more to come!! Thanks. (BTW - my husband told me he has never seen me glued to my laptop as much as I have been this week. Thanks goodness the school break is over on Monday and I'll be back at work. I don't this this type of obsession is healthy!!!) Here is a link that might be useful: 2 cabinet colors

Believe me, there are NO plumbing issues involved. What MAY be an issue is finding a hardware store--or other source--for the parts you need to do a changeover. The best thing you can do for yourself is get down and climb under your present sink, the neighbor's sink, your family member's sinks, and familiarize yourself with the plumbing that's under there !! While you're down there, check for leaks, and use a ruler/tape measure to get an idea of sizes. Bathroom sinks are usually 1 1/4" diameter thinwall pipe; the tub/shower and the kitchen sink are, or should be, 1 1/2". One thing to remember: the 1 1/2" thinwall pipe hooked directly to the bottom of your sink, and tied into the "S" or "P" traps under there, is NOT NOT NOT the same as the 1 1/2" drain piping; HOWEVER--there are adapters to mate the thinwall to the heavier piping. By the way, you ARE gonna go to the store and find out what a "P" or "S" trap is, aincha?? Dont be afraid to ask Q's, and do realize many of the guys you ask are about as ignorant as you are when it comes to plumbing....many--not all of 'em. THEN: when you find somebody who sounds like (s)he can help you do this project, and they put down on paper the parts you need, the best thing you can do is repeat the process--go find somebody else at another store who can do likewise, and then compare the parts recommended, &c. Maybe this soundz like plumbing 101--you're right, it is. Anything else spellz disaster in the making, not to mention the resultant feeling you bin ripped off and jerked around, and that you coulda done a better job yourself.... if only.... you'd taken to heart the suggestion of: kenn 1RmSchlHse millersport oHIo -- there's a time and place for spontaneity....

Hi there - I have had a SS apron sink in use for five months now. I just went down and had a close look at it. No scratches, no dents. Upon close examination there were a couple of marks, look like water marks that weren't wiped up promptly. Similar marks on the fridge come off easily with SS cleaner. A SS sink could certainly scratch, but honestly only toddlers would notice. Unlike the handle area of the fridge that we see at eye level daily, the sink is only "casually observed" from adult height. I never would have noticed the small water marks if I didn't get down and really examine it. You can't notice unless you're looking for it. So, I probably would do it again, based on five-months experience at any rate.

I'm not sure I'm really going for a "farmhouse" look, necessarily. I'm just trying keep the remodeled kitchen from looking out of place in our 1870s home. We live in a small village outside of a small city in the Northeast. The kitchen was definitely an addition at some point, not sure when. The existing cabs are from the 1950s. The house is very simple...no fancy moldings or baseboards and it was added on to throughout the years. I doubt it was ever a farmhouse...I guess I'm justing trying to go for a simple, country vibe. I'm probably over-thinking the sink thing. I really like the apron front because I think it's more ergonomic and the stainless for ease of use, so as long as they don't push my cabinet budget up, I think I'm going to go for it. jgopp, The stools were something I just loved, and figure I can take with me. They're definitely not farmhouse. I figure they'll be my "bling" in an otherwise simple kitchen. :) I've had them for 2 years, and even with little girls, they are holding up well....no splinters. I do need to tie in the weathered wood somewhere, so I think I'm going to try to replicate it with the upper shelf I'm planning on one wall. Thanks for all the comments! I'll likely be posting more questions over the next couple of weeks as I try to pin down choices.