The first and least expensive thing you need to do to lighten up the kitchen is to repaint it going a shade or two lighter of the same color paint. It looks like you've painted the greatroom and kitchen with the same paint but because the kitchen doesn't get a much light as the great room, using a lighter shade in the darker room will help fool the eye into thinking the rooms are more equally lighted. Next, and this may be a totally crazy idea but... It looks like you've got tons of natural light in the adjoining great room so I was wondering what you could do to borrow some of that light. Your arches and columns, combined with the dark wood (especially the dark ceiling beams) in your kitchen, plus the dark metal scrollwork on your lighting fixtures AND the fact that you have steps going up from the great room into the kitchen put me very much in mind of the "gothic cathedrals" in Europe. And that led to this idea. How about adding a "rose window" effect above the central archway leading between great room and kitchen to let more light into the kitchen. Attached is a link to an image of a rose window over an arched opening leading from the nave to the high alter of a cathedral that will give you a better idea of what is inspiring my idea. Basically, I think this would mean cutting a large round hole (like a round window) in the wall above the central archway and then inserting metal scrollwork to give the impression of a rose window. This would doubtless require a bit of reframing but it would cost a lot less than trying to add additional windows on the exterior kitchen wall. And, extra light from your greatroom would pass through the hole into your kitchen. Then, to make the rose window look like it was part of the original plan, you could find (or have made) some similar but smaller pieces of gothic scrollwork to hang over the archways leading to your front door and over the niche on the wall opposite the kitchen. Add a metal scrollwork quadrifoil design to the front of your hood (that smaller 4-leaf clover shaped window you see at the very back on the inspiration picture is a quadrifoil) and your stove very subtly become the "high alter" of your home. LOL! I'm also thinking that if you eventually find the western sun creates too much glare, you could hang stained glass in the kitchen windows instead of curtaining or shading them - which of course would add to the gothic cathedral impression. Anyway, I know its a crazy idea but sometimes you it helps to think outside the box. Here is a link that might be useful:

Ok, we're done for the day. We're all exhausted! My uncle left this morning to head home and the four of us finished up. Took about 6 hours to cut out and polish the sink cutout, but the guys persevered yesterday and even cut out and polished all the backsplash pieces. Today we finished all the plumbing for the sink, dishwasher and refrigerator, put in a new door, put up the crown, scribe, base and casing (not quite done, we have to figure out a different base for around the cabinets). We also finished installing the appliances, the undercabinet lights and cleaned up a bit. Still to do: finish the base, putty and caulk all the trim, paint trim and the door and install the jewelry (aka hardware). Little stuff, nothing huge. Now I have to get the house cleaned up and back in order! But for now, sitting down feels really good. Oh, and while we were at it, we replaced the (horrid) laminate countertop in the bathroom and put in a new sink and faucet. We'll have to do the rest of the bathroom at some point, but this is a good start!

I did google them, it appears they just get the wood from all over and send it out. I lived in that area for many years, built and remodeled our own places but have never heard of it. You need to check on shipping, who will install it, guarantees, does it come pre-finished? etc. Have you asked any contractor in your are to compare materials and prices? Just a few things to check on. Would do it? No. I prefer to deal local.

I don't have the splatter thing I guess. I just have 2 huge dark baking pans with sides. They are coated with the PC. They slide under the rack on the special glides so you can move them to whatever rack you want or use them on top of the rack as a baking sheet....that is what I usually do. I use them when I make huge batches of granola etc. Try the de greaser and the green scrubbie. Also ...and the Miele people would probably have a fit but this is what I did when I had stuff in the oven that wouldn't come off. I used a plastic picnic knife. You know disposable and I scraped back and forth with it after the degreaser had soaked on it. Also make a compress with VERY hot water and a thick rag. Leave it and the degreaser alone for a while and then use the plastic fork ,it all comes off. Believe me it works and the PC is not damaged. GOOD LUCK !! c