I'd go with Dave's call here but also add that there are many different cultivars of the Colorado Blue Spruce in addition to the straight species. You could encounter some of these at your nursery so, before you go, you might check out this reference (link) and select some from the pull down menu to brush up on possible selections. The typical Colorado Blue can get to be a big tree over time and if space is a problem in your yard, you may want to investigate dwarf or intermediate sized trees, weeping, prostrate or fastigiate forms. I'm sure you will find something to fit your site and budget. Here is a link that might be useful: Picea pungens cultivars

kitchenkelly, When we finally got to installing the runner (months and months after having moved in), I was trying so hard to be fine with it--even though I was sure we had asked for it to be wider. Our staircase isn't narrow, so there's enough runner there even with the sizeable amount of wood showing. The runner is 32" wide and the reveal is about 7", not including the wood to the outside of the bannister railings. The installer said something about 6" or 7" being the standard reveal but I think he was just covering himself at that point. Also, our stairway makes a turn, the bottom stairs are wider than the upper stairs, and there are posts that cut in so it was kind of like a geometry puzzle to figure out how close we could get to the posts, etc., and still have it look okay. After the runner had been cut the installer said that we could possibly have had the runner hug the posts but I've never seen it done that way. Not sure how that would have looked and it was too late for us anyway. We're still having a problem with our hard drive but I'll try to take and post photos later if that would help.

This may not be the answer you are looking for, but this is the conclusion that we came to when considering doing a medallion. We like change. A lot. So much so that committing to one design behind the cooktop felt constricting to us. Even with our calendars, we look forward to changing the page to a new picture by the end of the month because we've become tired of the old one. So my suggestion would be to do a shallow shelf where something decorative could be set up behind the cooktop. A picture, decorative tins, a beautiful platter, something that you find pretty. You have a beautiful space, and with the induction I think putting something above it would be relatively safe, as long as it is secured so it doesn't fall on your cooktop! You could even have a tiled medallion mounted and framed like a picture to hang over the cooktop that could be changed out relatively easily.

ty Caflower I had read a book and it was mentioned in it. I was curious if it really was something or something made up by the author. I had told my DD about it and she asked me again what it was and I finally found it in the book. The name of the book was The Brickmakers Daughter