I always LOVE seeing what dishes you put in your white hutch!...love those CTS dishes from last yr ... looks so lovely w/cardinals, candlelight & those red boots! Those reindeer flying 'over' looks like a silhouette! Cute! The mix of 'gingerbread' & old & new on your counter looks good! For one of my DD gifts this yr, I hunted for something 'Gingerbread' to go w/GB soap I got her & some pretty new towels for the bath ...& at HLobby, there were TONS of gingerbread dolls, ornies, lots of goodsies...so I found one today about 8" tall that bouncies on a 'spring' (like you would imagine a boxed mattress spring)! LOL! Jane, I am also lovin' the potted pinecones I've seen ...cool idea & looks 'Wintery' on your red shelf. TFS & lookin' forward to more! Jeanne S. Get some rest (while you can for a bit before Christmas) & hope your Dad keeps responding to the meds & feels much better soon)

See, I'd just tell my DH that he could enjoy the sunrise while he's doing the laundry rather than while he's making coffee! ;) I kind of like the look of latest rendition, but I'm not loving the function. Leaving the laundry in the MBR would kill it for me. I know you don't mind it, but I can't imagine that it wouldn't be a sticking point for some potential buyer down the road. It would be for me. The issue raised earlier about kids having to come in the parents' room to do their laundry as they got older would be even stickier with the addition of another bedroom--i.e., room for a second kid with laundry needs. Could your stackable W/D fit in that closet area in the mudroom? Also, how will you use this desk? Will it become your home office space? If not, it seems like it would become a clutter magnet, ruining that nice view. I still prefer the rendition above where you reuse your sink and five-panel door. I think it makes the space far more useful in a house where useful space is at a premium.

Thanks for all of the nice encouragement. There are several areas of the kitchen which I feel pretty strongly about, and then there are the ones I am uneasy about. I think the Marcolo / rhome concern of too many steps for something as simple as a bowl of cereal is certainly worth considering, and I am going to work to tighten up those functions which are common for us. I have one of those little "planning desks" in my current kitchen and at any given time it is piled with papers, bills, kids pemission slips, and mail. If I have somebody coming over, I quickly dump it all into a basket which quickly becomes a black hole! My little room behind the cooktop (Rachel's space) is to allow my mess, keep it close by, but keep it out of the kitchen area. I know this little space will be a favorite, and it is really there only to handle a roofline issue. The home planning area, is where I was thinking the kids could do homework --- they would be close by, but not in the loud main room --- I knew it would be darkish, and would have no windows, but that is a bit by design as the computer will not have a glare and the printer and all of that stuff can be tucked away in here. The butler's pantry will likely house the more formal china, and it is where guests can help themselves to wine, beer, drinks and a food buffet, though I think it will mainly function as a bar during parties, and food will likely be on the island. My thinking is the butler's pantry is a good connector to the dining room, and the great room, kitchen and porch. The corridor is wide enough for some milling around, and there will be a sink in there, but the related clean-up area will really be on the island. I'm OK with that. One of the other things that you've all made me consider, is the steps to do things like get cereal. What if the 2 cabinets flanking the kitchen table have a fridge and freezer drawer, coffee maker, mugs, sugar bowl, glasses and bowls on one side. On the other side, what if they have 2 big drawers (size of fridge drawers) filled with the cereal boxes. Silverware is another issue. Would it make sense to keep the daily silverware over by the table? If so, couldn't I just take the silverware basket out of the dishwasher and take it (or have the kids take it) over to that area to empty. In that case, a daily meal (cereal and coffee, and juice) would all be handled right there at the table. Clean-up would involve setting the dishes through the little pass through (I could make this a door, but I think I like the pass-through) and then loading the dishwasher, etc. Not too bad, it only involves the breakfast and clean-up area. Now, things are more complicated for other meals. Setting the table would mean getting plates, etc. out of the "dish pantry" area. In my little baking area, I think the comments are totally on --- I think I need to put uppers here for baking supplies. That would allow me to put drawers below for things like mixing bowls, pans, mixers, etc. The toaster could also go out here as well. I know I have lots lots more to figure out --- but thanks for all of the help thus far. Marcolo, thanks so much for the design and reclaimed wood, etc. encouragement. I have always loved these things and sometimes people look at me like I'm crazy, but I really love them. Good to know that I'm actually going to be current for a little while at least!

This is what you see when you walk in the door from the front hallway. There is a door to the backyard to the left of the long row of cabinets. The light switch for the exterior light is just below the upper cabinets on the left. I don't think we can move this. The long upper cabinets contain glasses (left), dishes (right). The lower cabinets contain place mats (left drawer), bread and cereal (left cupboard), silverware (right drawer), and mishmash of items (right cupboard). The skinny drawer next to the sink holds matches and birthday candles. Skinny cupboard holds baking pans and cookie trays. Sink cupboard has tip-out drawers. Cupboard holds trash, dish suds, dishwasher detergent, garbage bags and similar items. Lower cabinets, left, drawers top to bottom: cutting board; utensils; towels & dish clothes; mishmash - could be used better. Lower cabinets, right, drawer: knives. Cupboard below (can't see) holds 2 pull-outs with casseroles and baking dishes. Upper cabinets holds oils, vinegars, salt, pepper, flour, sugar, corn starch, baking powder (etc) & measuring cups. The very top shelf holds my copper roll warmer (was my mother's) and a few other seldom used items. Cupboard above refrigerator (currently on its side in the DR because our new fridge is 2" taller than cut-out) hold roasting pans, canning jars, and similar items. I want cabinets in the existing bar area. We've never put stools here and never will. There isn't enough counter, knee room and not enough distance from the table without blocking the aisle. Pocket door leads to the DR, regular door leads to the pantry (love my pantry). Oven column: the drawer below the oven (can't see) holds Tupperware. The doors just above the oven hide the microwave. The tall cupboard holds small appliances - blender, griddle, waffle pans, etc. Right side, cabinets: drawer holds plastic wrap, baggies, foil, etc. Cupboard has 2 pull-outs holding Mixmaster, small hand blenders, punchbowl (never use but it was my mom's), slow-cookers. This counter here is a catch-all and always a mess (drives me nuts). I don't count it as usable counter space in my kitchen The two drawers under the cooktop are fake. The cupboard below hold pots and pans and the downdraft guts. To left: drawer holds potholders. Cupboard holds baking pans that don't fit in the skinny cupboard next to the dishwasher, food scale, cheese grater, trivets - could be used better. To right, top to bottom: cooktop utensils (spatula, ladles, big spoons, meat thermometer, etc); mishmash including citrus juicer (low tech, not electronic) and funnel - could be used better; pot lids - could definitely be used better. It started out with dividers to hold the lids but it didn't work so they were removed. The original plan called for a desk here, so glad we nixed that idea. Counter is always a mess (also drives me crazy but, as my husband says, it's a short trip). Upper cupboards hold plastic dishes, travel mugs, coffee thermoses, ice bucket, cookbooks (visible), bills and to-be-filed pile (visible). Lower cupboards, drawers left to right: sunglasses, coupons, misc.: my boys' stuff - I was tired of it always being on my counters so now I just throw it in the drawer. When they ask "where is...?" I say, "Look in the drawer.": Pens, pencils, stamps, address labels, tape, etc. Cupboard, left to right: paper recycling - could be used better; phone books (who uses these anymore?), envelopes, recipe file - everything I've clipped out but haven't tried yet - and an almost empty shelf. Here's the other half of the kitchen great room area. Hubby and dad built the bookshelves and mantle. The mantle is quarter-sawn red oak, the bookshelves are regular red oak since we couldn't find quarter-sawn red oak plywood anywhere. They were very choosy about the oak, though, so the grain is not nearly as busy as in my kitchen cupboards. These are stained lighter than my kitchen cupboards, which have really gone orange. There are 2 doors made and ready to go on the left unit just as soon as hubby replaces his 30+ yr old receiver with something slimmer (couldn't get it out with the doors on). Can you tell what our favorite colors are? ;-)