Sorry so long on the replies, but got a bug or something and have been laid up for DAYS. Hey Stooxie, this is how the exhausting up v down situation has been explained to me: I cannot go up because the joists are running in the wrong direction. There is no wall running so that I could duct with the joists--there is a stairwell involved as well. Is there an UP way around this, or are 3 people (from various companies) ALL wrong? I know with enough money ANYTHING can be done, however, all 3 people said that it would take something close to an act of God to make the up exhaust happen. NOW I find out that you can't duct the OTR micro down anyway--it looses whatever suck it does have, so I am back to square one. My only options: separate out the various range parts (exhaust, oven, cooktop) in order to get a telescoping downdraft exhaust that's only slightly better than a micro hood and costs a fortune and I can put the blower in the crawlspace OR If I get a hood (thank you Davidro1 for the link...very helpful) and downdraft it then I have absolutely no place for the microwave unless I put it on a micro cart--you know the carts of yore olden times! I am totally at a loss here. I honestly would not mind considering spending the $$ on the telescoping downdraft option if it worked. But according to what I've read here, they just don't. So what to do? I currently have a free-standing range now. If I split out the range into pieces parts, I end up with having to build 2 cabinets (I have a teeny kitchen with, get this, custom made cabinets -- prior owners/builders must have been sniffing glue) one for the cooktop and another one to hold the wall oven. I can't build out a wall to hold the wall oven because, again, all the walls are taken or are doorways, walkways or bay windows. Wow....what a dilemma.

Contact lenses are much abused eye products and can actually cause damage if not picked wisely. Here are a few reasons why contact lenses should be picked wisely after a prescription and that too after a visit to a qualified eye specialist. To begin with, a contact lens need not be 'fits-all' type. One must get it prescribed. Since a prescription is an authorized statement that clearly mentions what is ok, you can shop with confidence and it feels good that you are doing the right thing. Since buying a pair of contact lens can happen only through a prescription, any website selling 'branded' contact lens are likely to be selling lens that may not be branded and that isn't good news for your eye. If you have been wearing both glasses and contact lens, you are now aware that the prescriptions are a little different from each other. While most of us know what we need a prescription to buy glasses for eye sight problems, the same prescription cannot be used for contact lenses. This means, you need to get a separate prescription for contact lens. Even if you wish to wear contact lens for changing your eye color, you will need a prescription from an Opthalmogist. If you prefer to wear a specific type of contact lens, you can talk to your doctor so that she or he can recommend and also mention that brand in the prescription so that there are no hassles tomorrow. The doctor can also clear any doubt and specify the positives and negatives about any special type of Contact Lens. A prescription will have the doctor's contact details and this way, the dealer can call and check should there be any kind of confusion or if any clarification needs to be sought. Here is a link that might be useful: Contact Lenses

I was thinking about your desire for a more open feel. It seems with the refrigerator on the east wall that it closes your kitchen in. What if you moved the refrigerator to the west wall? That area is already somewhat closed in b/c of the 1'4" wall on the north/west wall and the 4' wall on the south west. If you move the cabinets south a bit, you could even have a peninsula w/seating rather than a knee wall (I think that's what those short walls are called...or are they pony walls?) I also recommend putting in a pocket door to not only decrease the door's presence in the kitchen but to also help keep the open feel and yet have a door to open/close as you wish and to give you more usable space in that corner (no door interference). Since the desk is important to you, I put it in the 2' space b/w the pantry/laundry door and the south wall. With the pocket door, there is still room for your two DR chairs. The doorway is 36" so even w/someone sitting at the desk there should be room to get by. As an added bonus, this location also shields the LR from any clutter that might accumulate on the desk! What this does mean, however, is that your pantry will have to go in that room to the left. Also in both pics below: 36" Sink 36" Induction Cooktop 42" Hood 30" Under cabinet oven If you don't want as wide a passage way b/w the refrigerator & peninsula as I show (54"), you could shorten it by a few inches (6"?) and add those inches to the peninsula length. 36" Full depth refrigerator (you could put in a 36" CD refrigerator instead, if you'd rather. You'd gain about 6", I think, to add to the cabinet/peninsula length MW in 30" wall cabinet next to cooktop & hood Dish/flatware storage: In 24" cabinet in island + 39" cabinet to right of sink Glass storage: 18" wall cabinet next to refrigerator? (which I neglected to put in!!!) BTW...you have a good 7' x 7' space to put a chair/bench & maybe small table & lamp for sitting in that area, regardless of layout! First layout w/peninsula seating: If you prefer a slightly bigger kitchen, you could have a couple of seats at the island instead....the advantage here is that people on the island look out toward the backyard! Second layout w/island seating: Adel Birch 29-7/8"W x 12-7/8"D x 30-3/8" Wall cabinet for MW: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S09811830

There have been requests for photos and so far, not too many, so I'll throw mine in. Vision points... What I was 'after': - Functional goals: Room for our whole family of 10 to hang out and work together without getting in each other's way...Work Zones and multiple work spaces. A separate room so kitchen mess, noise, etc. is confined and not experienced from other rooms. - A 'baker's kitchen'. One that looks like you should smell bread baking in the oven and see pies cooling on the counter. This is what I fell in love with in looking at white kitchens, while all the time knowing white kitchens weren't for me. I had to figure out what else it was that was drawing me. - One my kids would think was cool and my grandma's would've loved, too... A good mix of contemporary lines, well-performing appliances, all while feeling welcoming and homey. Barefoot appropriate. Where the kids and friends, and eventually grandkids, want to hang out and bake. - A little bit of the outside in. I wanted to be able to sit at my kitchen table and feel relaxed... Like the feeling of sitting on the sun-warmed and sun-bleached rocks along a river...with the feeling of a sunny day in the trees. (The stone behind the stove was supposed to represent the feel of those sun-bleached rocks, so that's why it was a disappointment for them to be more varied with some darker shades.) - I also needed to have a surprise of boldness and artistic flair. That's where the stronger color comes in along one side, and the variation in materials and, particularly, backsplash. Lascatx helped me be brave enough to show this side of myself in an otherwise fairly traditional, farmy type kitchen that was designed to suit our 2007 version of an American Foursquare home. You can see I asked a lot of it! LOL. And it delivers, pretty well for us. After 3 1/2 years it's still a bit of a work in progress. Island needs to be finished after I redesigned it to replace doored cabinets with drawers, need a new drawer front under the newest oven, and the upper trim needs to be done. Looking forward to seeing everyone else's 'hits.' :-D Here is a link that might be useful: More kitchen pics