Hey Missy (waving~) You guys are very perceptive! The color swatches on the wall are color matches to two different tiles. I wanted to see how dark the tiles would make the kitchen so I took them to Home Depot and did a color match. Of course tile is so much different than paint but the overall darkness is all I was concerned with. The paint by the mixer is the center 4x4 tile and the darker one was Stellar Gloss in "Bellini"...I ruled that one out as too dark based on the paint. Suzyq - I actually cut up some of our floor tile but didn't like the look at all..too dark and much too much texture/coarseness. Great thought though! Annie- I've played with several greys but prefer the brown/grey the most...standard greys just don't look quite right. Kate- family doesn't care for the scale of that tile. wow it would be so easy to install that one though! The price is awesome as well. I'm still looking at it. I wish it were a tad less creamy though. Creams seem to muddy up the granite. Pricklypear....LOVE that green color but have been down that road and failed (bought 60 sq ft of tile and ended up not liking it one bit ...ugh) I agree the white is too stark. Thank you for your comments. I'm loving my kitchen but this final detail is still making me kinda nuts! I know any of the tiles (even the white) would look lovely. I just need to pull a trigger and commit to one. I'm very afraid of making a mistake here b/c I know we won't re-do the b/s anytime soon...if ever again! I think I'm going to call Fireclay and see if they'll send me some samples of a shade lighter than the malt tile... and check on pricing again! Thank you , all!!!!

" Yours is a great example of how switching finishes and just do minor tweaks can result in a fabulous transformation." I was thinking the same. Then things like cost, hassle, time, stress jumped into my thinking... Still, it is amazing how color, a bit change of style/some updates, w/o knocking out a wall, adding on space, vaulting a ceiling etc. makes so much difference! It IS lovely! the island counter top is so beautiful - would scare me to death - lol! love all those drawers! plllog's corner drawers are the first I remember being on here and I think I've been here over 4 yrs now. I do like your floor ... so much like my Armstrong planks. I tested some out on my puppy who slid and skid across a 6'x6' span of it just outside my bedroom door. I'd be on the bed watching tv (or trying to nap) and I'd throw her toy thru the door clear into the LR and off she'd race after it. Fly back to me and pounce on me... her nails were sharp and a bit rough (a lot) - I still have scars from them. BUT, the plank section didn't have any scratches to be seen even after about 6 wks of her wear and tear on it. I knew it was the floor for me. The color is about the same too. I've been thru the old dog (and meds) and slippery flooring. My old girl's last yr I carried her into the vet office for appts and someone there thought she couldn't walk (I guess I was cruel not to put her down). She walked fine (boy did she walk - wore me out) just not on their slippery tile floors! I didn't want her to fall on them with her little boney body.

Too funny Kswl! All solids? I've never really thought about that but I wear a ton of prints, florals, stripes, etc. I do love my solids to wear my scarves with. I love scarves and wear them often in cooler weather. I have a couple of gauzy ones I will wear in spring/summer. If I don't have a scarf on I will more than likely have on a funky necklace. One thing I will note, I do not wear black up against my face. Too stark and washes me out. I do not wear yellows, oranges (I HATE orange but love a pinky coral), browns, mossy greens, etc. (earth tones) other than some shades of brown pants. Thankfully those colors do not look good on me. I don't use them in our home either! Lynn, I had my colors done years ago and I am a winter. I don't think black is drab at all. It's fashionable! But of course, it makes a difference what you wear with your black.

Eh, bins are finally coming into my house. Didn't have the urge to organize before purging as there was so much crap. I did the work, my house has half the number of storage furniture and drawers it did before I started. Now I'm making things easier to access and bins and baskets are helpful. I can reach the front edge of a 6.5' shelf and see to the back of the bottom shelves of my kitchen cabinets. Without bins stuff got lost. Christmas is finally in 6 small bins for safety after living in 3 heavy tattered boxes for years. Without bins the comforter and blankets I have to keep so my guests don't whine about being cold are a horrible mess on the linen closet shelf. I do shop the stash. Any box, basket or jar in reasonably good shape is kept and I use them rather than buy new stuff if possible. And my donation box is full. Time to get that stuff out of the house.