I have a slot very much like Cheri's that holds baking trays, cooling racks, cutting boards anything like that. It's about the same size, which I think is good. Mine is custom, but I think most lines have some kind of shelf like that, whether it's a wine rack or a spice cabinet or a blank, and you can ask to have it made up empty like that. No door for easy access, good air circulation for drying. My mom has had something similar for years and has never had a problem with dirt. But then, you go looking for dirt you're ALWAYS going to find it.

Natal & Krycek, I didn't have to wash the contents of the shelves every month...they got washed often because we used them all the time. I just took all the stuff down to clean the surface of the shelves once a month. I also had a pantry closet and an island, and I designed the upper drawers around the stove to hold all my spices and oils, with the less frequently used ones above, so I had the luxury of devoting a lot of space to everyday china and glass. We have a lot of dinner parties, so having a separate area for bar things, coffee and tea, silverware, table setting stuff, and recycling (which is what went in the breakfast bar behind the table), and having all that stuff accessible, was great. Alison, I love the colors in the kitchen you linked us to. I surrounded my fridge in a similar way, except that I made one side facing out for open slots for trays, baking sheets, platters, and all the other big flat things that are such a pain in cabinets; and the other side, which faced sideways to the door to the dining room, I made into a bookcase for my ridiculous number of cookbooks. That was nice because it created a little book-lined entry, and blocked the view into the kitchen from the dining room. Oh - another note - a tip from Martha Stewart, which I adopted years ago: The secret to protecting painted shelves is paste wax. After they were painted and had dried and cured for a week, I gave the top surface a coat of Butcher's wax. Kept the paint intact, unmarked, and easy to wipe clean. I do that to painted bookshelves, too. If I have to put things away before I'm satisfied that the paint is fully hardened, I put a piece of waxed paper under everything until then.

The minimalist look is very appealing! Reminds me of a photo I recently saw on the Instagram account of one of the brands we sell. Here's the item shown in that photo. If you're still interested in the adjustable/articulating wall lamps, here are some ideas: Savoy House Dakota Hudson Valley Latham Savoy House Morland Hudson Valley Metal No.2 George Kovacs Save Your Marriage (cute name, huh?) Plus, some wall lamps that are not adjustable, but are stylish: Hudson Valley Signature House of Troy Hyde Park Elk Boudreaux Sonneman Chelsea Kichler Alden These are just a few options. Let me know what you think!

@Beth, my tile store displays lots of Lunada Bay--I've been drooling over it for months (it was a serious contender for master bath until I gave in to a more sedate Porcelanosa). That herringbone is so alluring, I want to get a couple SF and frame it for my wall! Those colors remind me of tidepools in the late afternoon sun. Gorgeous. We're just starting to pack for the move so I think I'll plan to try out some large sample boards after I recover from the move. :) @Dixie, thanks for that visual. I'm not sure what my resistance to subway tile is all about (a resistance to ubiquitousness?). But if I went that route, I'd stack 'em vertically, as Beth has suggested. It's funny (kind of) to look back on all the things I thought I was SO sure I wanted over the past year only to change my mind shortly after!