thanks for all the input -- very helpful in thinking about this decision. I just wrote a long post that got eaten before I submitted, so I'll be brief. ctycdm, that is a gorgeous kitchen! magsnj, your pantry and space is so charming - the blue cabs are adorable. We don't have a pantry space in his home (1957 house), so we're having to be creative with our cabinet layout. I think we're going to do a modified version of open shelves. I really do love the look, and I think functionality wise they work for us (I too get sick of opening and closing cabinet doors), but we're lacking cabinet space in this kitchen. It's just not that big. So, we're contemplating a smaller cabinet with a shelf underneath for storing everyday items like plates, cups and wine glasses. It would look sort of similar to the henrybuilt ones that iheartgiantschaunzers posted or maybe even something like this (our cabs won't look anything like this, but this is just the general idea): [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/mid-century-modern-suite-hampstead-transitional-home-office-vancouver-phvw-vp~4309142) [Midcentury Home Office[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/midcentury-modern-home-office-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_732~s_2115) by Vancouver Interior Designers & Decorators i3 design group Another design we're considering is (kitchen is not my style, but just an example): [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/tarrytown-house-asian-kitchen-austin-phvw-vp~101835) [Asian Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/asian-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2102) by Austin Architects & Designers Webber + Studio, Architects Still working out the design kinks but this thread has been very helpful, so thanks!

FWIW: The Grace Ice and Water Shield high snow area detail shows a strip of ice and water shield membrane wrapping past the edge of the roof and onto the vertical fascia board. The upper leading edge of the this strip is then stripped in again to tie to the i &w s membrane on the roof. The memberane should extend a minimum of 6 ft beyond the plane of the wall below the soffit. So for example, if it's 3 ft from the edge of the roof to the wall, then you should put at least 9 ft of ice and water shield on the roof. I have a realtively low pitched roof here in MA on my modest raised ranch-style house. I had a terrble ice dam problem especially at the bow window where the trim at the head of the window continued vertically up into the soffit making this "heated" space under the roof. When I re-roofed I had the contractor cover the enitre roof with ice and water shield.. I have not had any leakage since. Sometimes ice will form and there is likely a dam, but as long as the water stays out of the interior spaces. It doesn't bother me.

During construction. I am waiting for the fabricator to get back to me. I am really upset. What are the best options at this point? Lift the counter off and install metal plates cutting them into the cabinets? Can someone post a picture of what i need. Is this type of granite more brittle than others?

Lowes installed my doors. What a cluster of catastrophes, It started with their crew coming out to measure. Then they came back with the windows and doors that THEY measured and the doors were so much smaller than the openings that they looked ridiculous. The doors were Pella wood sliders, very nice, but too small for the openings. I begged them to make the doors bigger, not smaller, but they said they could not. Then they could not find trim to fit the doors, so they left the last trim they bought in my yard to be rained on. As they were preparing to leave, I asked what they were doing with the trim and they told me I had purchased it and I could do whatever I wanted. This was their 6th try at installing said trim, so they never came back. I called and went to the store in Simpsonville, SC every day for weeks. I contacted the CEO of Lowes (not the current one) and he told me Blaine (the fellow in charge of my special order at the store) told them that I had ordered smaller doors to save money! first of all, I begged to make the doors bigger and the larger doors were less money because they were standard size. Now fast forward a few years and the largest set of doors will not even open at all! I had Pella out to my home and they said the doors were installed wrong from the beginning and that they need to take the whole thing out and reinstall. When the doors were first completed I was told that they only needed to be adjusted and I was doing it wrong. Can I sue lowes? Really angry!