Thank you all! It is a real pleasure to be able to share a years worth of decisions and fussing with you all! Thanks also to whoever fixed my whackadoodle pictures in the first post! It is a smaller house, only 1000 sq ft in the 2 stories. Since I like to stock up on things I use a lot when on sale (canned soup, for example, which I take for lunch at work most days) it is nice to have room to keep it handy instead of in the basement, plus now I don't have plates, mugs and glasses stacked to the max in one cupboard. I could actually have made the new window bigger and the cupboard between them narrower, though -- I really didn't realize how much storage I was adding and the upper shelves are fairly empty. Romy thanks for the compliment on the molding. It was actually not what I asked for -- I wanted something simpler, but by the time it went up and I saw what I had, I just didn't want to go through the fuss and wait for a replacement (I was ill at the time). So it is nice to hear that it looks good! I did change the trim around the windows; the carpenters just put in quarter round and it looked both cheap and unfinished. I replaced it with the cove molding which I think looks much better (did it myself, too!) My favorite thing about it all would really be hard to say; of course just having enough counter to work on without balancing things on the stove should top the list! But, every time I pull open the base drawer to get a pot I smile!

the place I am trying to buy has featured artists every month for 9yrs. now. The next year is already booked and I told the owner I would keep to his commitments, but after that I am open to anything! It would be really cool to get a bit of everyones work and do a Mosaic Gallery!!! Something to keep in mind.

Tamara....I know this thread is old, but your kitchen is simply stunning! Are your cabinets Chantilly Lace? I read you kitchen delays and had to smile. I've lost weight and sleep over my darn remodel. Who knew how stressful this would be? If you used Chantilly Lace did you paint your ceiling the same. I just ordered my paint yesterday and I'm freaking out that it might be too bright.....

I recently finished redoing my kitchen. When we bought the house it was painted in antique white. I am a fan of bold color, in the style of the great Mexican Starchitects (Legorreta, Barragan etc.) however, when we sold our last house, we painted it plain ole white and I was amazed by how much it dressed up the house. So, when we moved into the new house, the first thing we did was, the opposite of the Stones, paint it white and sure enough that did the trick, for us at least. We used Benjamin Moore's Super White on the walls and Cotton Balls on the trim. Another thing I've done is replace all of the recessed light trims with various glass and antiqued looking ones. Check Bellacor and Lighting New York for these. The brand we like is Minka Lavery. Evidently these probably didn't sell well, I don't know why, because they are pretty cheap. The glass ones can be had for under $10 and the various metal finishes for about $25 to $40. These are the ones I used on my kitchen, to match the appliances: http://www.bellacor.com/productdetail/minka-lavery-2718-84-paradox-brushed-nickel-6-inch-recessed-trim-1600094.htm These are the ones I used in some of the other rooms; http://www.bellacor.com/productdetail/minka-lavery-gt100-f-frosted-white-6-inch-decorative-glass-trim-521767.htm The glass ones come in different colors but I would discourage you from using multiple colors in one room because then, in my opinion, it starts to look like a daycare. The glass trim does not look like much but when it's in it really looks amazing! The glass glows and those that have seen them always asked me where I got the second light. Best of luck, if any of this sounds interesting, let me know and I can post some actual pictures.