peytonroad: it's very funny you should mention contractors seeing the house before they bid as we don't let them! as a matter of fact, we don't even tell them what town we're in. we've had the same discussion with neighbors for years about how never to disclose too much info. the price goes up before they even know what the job is. as it turns out, our GC is a good friend who lives around the corner so we've had it easy up until this point. i sent out several emails to carpenters the other night and got one response telling me he wanted to come and measure "to get a better idea of the space". i let him know my measurements were accurate and the only person needing a feel for the space is me. it's not only that i don't want people jacking their prices up based on where we live, but i also don't want too many people coming and going ...school hasn't started yet so my children are home. call me overly cautious but i just don't feel comfortable with it. meanwhile, i rec'd a very encouraging quote from an online vendor with wood doors which come in a painted finish, which i like. they are sending me a few different door samples and they worked up the cost based on my drawings. the total cost of the laundry room will come in at around $1950, including shipping. my GC will install. while speaking with him about the situation he said he could work out the mudroom and pantry and anything else we needed. he just doesn't want to have to make too many drawers ...which i understand. i can easily use baskets in place of the drawers i have spec'd for the mudroom lockers, so that's probably what we'll end up doing. if anyone is interested, this is where i got the very reasonable proposal on the laundry: http://newarkcabinets.org/default.asp?page=antiquewhite while this business of building a house can be stressful, i am challenged daily and i rather enjoy it! whatever it is, bring it on ...just not too much!

I use a stainless canister with a lid which I keep on the counter. I empty it everyday. I rinse it out, wipe it with a paper towel, which then goes in the very bottom of the canister, making it fairly easy to clean. I opt for a small compost canister, a small trash can and a small recylce bin. If it is small it will get emptied everyday and that will keep the odor in check. Taking out the compost, trash and recycling is just part of a daily routine; trash and re-cyle to bins during first morning dog walkies, compost to bins on the way to the barn to feed. Re the outside bins, I have 3 big locking bins which I cycle through. I do add manure, leaves, shredded newspaper(our local paper uses soy ink)and already working compost, as well as kitchen scraps. Yes the working bin is frozen, but a good thaw and things will start brewing and what now looks like a frozen sculture of garbage will be turned into black rich earth. You just gotta love it.

I went to a local lighting store (where I had previously bought fixtures) and got free help with the design. My kitchen is 9.5 x 13 approx., unlike yours I have cabs down both long sides ( one of those sides is shortened by the doorway to the basement steps) so my light is confined to a smaller footprint. I have 5 LED recess kits, 3 on one side with the main counter and sink, 2 on the basement entry side next to the frig and pantry; each 800 lumens I believe (maybe 900) = 3600-4000 lumens, and even dimmed to 75-80%, I have more than enough light for the counters with upper cabs without turning on the UCLs. I really feel that I didn't need all the undercabinet lights -- I rarely turn them on. I am a bit older and really appreciate good lighting -- I go into the kitchen when I need to see small print well. So it seems to me that for your space around 10,000-12,000 lumens would be a ballpark. I have no idea how the use of track lighting for some of that will effect the dispersal and effectiveness of the light, though.

Based on your description of your current kitchen, I think almost anything will be an improvement, so don't be unhappy about a budget remodel...sometimes the best things come out of trying to find a way to do things with limited resources! Your layout...first, a range in island or peninsula is a last resort...only do it if there are absolutely no other options. And, if you do put one in, be sure you have plenty of safety margin around the range. NKBA Guidelines say 9", but that's really not sufficient if you have a lot of traffic around it...and w/the garage entrance right there it will be a heavy traffic area. If you want seating, well the NKBA is silent on that one! My personal recommendation is 18" behind if there's no seating but there is traffic and 24" behind it if there is seating (even more would be better). As to on the sides, 24"on each side for minimum work/landing space for real-life cooking. Additionally, even if you could put in an overhead range hood, they're more expensive than wall mounted ones. Downdrafts & Pop-up Downdrafts do not work very well and will also incur the added expense of duct work under the floor. Your kitchen is by no means a "last resort" kitchen...far from it! I have no idea why the Lowes KD would even suggest the range in the island given your situation: Heavy traffic, plenty of wall room, trying to save $$$ OK, some additional facts...the amount of time you spend in the kitchen on a cooking task breaks down as follows: 70% spent prepping 20% spent cleaning up 10% spent cooking So, where is this all leading? The logical place for your range is on the wall and the logical place for prepping is on the island or next to the sink...probably b/w the sink & range. This means that if the sink stays under the window, you don't have enough room for the range + landing & work space b/w the sink & patio door nor b/w the sink & corner. That leaves the wall on the right...and it will be ideal. Very little traffic will be going through there so the cooking zone is protected (a goal for any kitchen). Additionally, you can vent up through the roof...an advantage, I think, b/c that means you won't have a vent sticking out the back wall of your house...it will be on the roof where most people won't notice it. The refrigerator...well probably b/w the patio doors & sink. The only real negative I see with that is the DW will be b/w the refrigerator & range. In this case, it may be an acceptable compromise for better overall functionality. OK, here's something to work with & discuss... It has an optional prep sink in the 8' island. I couldn't decide if it would work better on the refrigerator end or the range end...I could argue either way. You don't have to put in a prep sink but I think it will make the island more useful for prepping. Most people tend to prep where there's a water source...so in your case if there's no prep sink this means prepping will probably take place either b/w the refrigerator & sink or b/w the sink & range. Don't dismiss it out of hand...check to see what it would cost to add the plumbing to the island. Do you have a basement or crawl space or are you on a slab? That will make a difference in cost. Aisle widths are not ideal, but I think they would work. My biggest aisle concern is the one behind the island. That will probably be a major path from the garage to the rest of the house. To help minimize the impact of the refrigerator when viewed from the LR, I recommend you "build it in". Surround it by 3/4" finished end panels (plain/flat) and b/w the end panels and above the refrigerator, mount either a full-depth cabinet or pull the standard 12" deep over-the-refrigerator cabinet forward so it looks like it's full depth. This will give the refrigerator a more "finished" look. For the MW, either put one under counter or perhaps mount it below the cabinets to the left of the sink...but that would limit the upper cabinet space there...an ideal location for dishes and/or glasses b/c the DW is below it. The under counter one could be a "standard" MW in an alcove built for it or it could be a MW Drawer (but, MW Drawers are about twice the cost of a standard one.) Another possible location is in the corner...either on the counter or mounted below the corner upper cabinet. I put in a trash pullout that is easily accessed from the prep zones (island & b/w sink & range), cooking zone, and cleanup zone. Pullouts work much better than under-the-sink trash cans b/c you don't have to ask someone to move out of the way if they're at the sink. The under-sink location has a tendency to "isolate" the trash can from the other zones as well...it's really only easily accessed by the cleanup zone. An 18" trash pullout can house 2 bins...one for trash & one for recyclables.