I don't agree with moving the fridge to the other end UNLESS it will greatly increase your function - for example, if you find people are constantly walking through the kitchen from the deck to get a drink, and the wine fridge you propose will not fix that. This is because I would rather have the open space and light at the end of the counter by the patio doors than the light from that teensy window at the other end. 1. The lazy susan across from the refrigerator creates a bottleneck with only two people in the kitchen. Our thought was to slide the refrigerator 18" to the left and/or replace the lazy susan with 36" drawers. I would consider putting a microwave between the fridge and the window. You can reuse the MW & cabinet over your range, or you can buy a drawer microwave and put it under the counter. This way you can put in a real hood over the range, which will provide real ventilation and be a nice focal point, and also keep reheaters out of the cook's range area. Alternatively, you can put the MW above or below counter between the fridge and the range, or across the aisle below the counter, but it will be a bit more in the way there. In any case, the MW is best placed close to the fridge for reheating leftovers. 2. The 36" drawers/wall cabinet currently to the far left side of the refrigerator would be swapped with the 18" drawers/wall cabinet currently to the right of the refrigerator. This will provide more workspace to the left of the stove. This would be nice; see my comment also above. 3. The cabinet maker says he can change the base cabinet currently to the right of the stove to drawers so there would be 36" drawers flanking the stove. Very nice, that will be a lot of great storage. Even though I don't love it the tile floor will likely stay. It runs the entire length of that side of the house, so replacing it would also involve the utility room, laundry and half bath - a bigger project than we want to get into. Can you put a floating flooring product like cork over the tile in just the kitchen? You can get them in planks that look a lot like wood - see beekeeperswife's original kitchen. I'm not sure how you would handle the transitions to the other rooms though - glue them down, maybe. The raised portion of the counter, and possibly some portion of the counter to the left of the refrigerator, will be wood. Despite friends being quite emphatic that we need granite counters, I believe I'll be quite content with laminate for the remainder. We already have the hard tile floor and, being less than graceful, a hard countertop surface isn't all that appealing. The kitchen is part of the great room. The wall color is BM Grant Beige and the carpet is a funky gray blue that will be replaced down the road. Do you suppose a black counter such as Wilsonart Oiled Soapstone works with the gray floors? Or should I consider something closer to the wall color? I think the counter needs to be fairly plain since the floor has some pattern. We've lived without a tile backsplash for the past ten years so I don't feel the need to add tile there. Sounds pretty :) I love wood counters, and the wilsonart soapstone seems neutral enough to work with the floors, but very classy as well. The dark color will ground the paler colors in your kitchen nicely. My husband mentioned that he would like an under counter beverage refrigerator where you suggested moving the current refrigerator. We're on a lake and he is thinking that would be useful when entertaining. Seems like a good idea. Perhaps you would like to put glass fronts on one of the uppers at that end to show off your barware and make it easier for guests to help themselves? You might also consider an undercounter ice maker next to the bev fridge. That end of the kitchen is the main access point when it is just the two of us. While the refrigerator would be shallower than the lazy susan that is there right now, would that just move the bottleneck? As near as I can figure there would be about 37 1/2" between the refrigerator and the opposing counter. I don't think you should move the fridge to that end, but that's the dimensions AFTER the lazy susan is replaced by drawers - and the dimensions if you keep the fridge at the end it's at? Eek, that is very tight. You need to be able to both get the fridge in and out of its hole for both installation, repair, and eventual replacing. Make sure to replace your fridge with a counter-depth model when the time comes, because standard depth fridges are almost 36" deep and that may very well be impossible to get out in a 37.5" aisle - you have no room to turn, etc. Actually, I would test this before you are done with the kitchen to make sure you don't trap in your current fridge. Counter depth models are actually very nice because you don't lose things in the back. If you keep the fridge where it is, the lazy susan on that side would also need to be replaced by drawers. To make up for the loss of counter, I would consider making that half of the island have a counter-depth overhang to give you back some of that lost prep space, and half of it (maybe starting at the sink) keeping the bar-height overhang. There are some cool pictures of this kind of set up floating around. Also, I don't quite understand what you mean by the refrigerator needing different specs than the cabinets around it. Are you talking aesthetics or fit? I think he might mean what I discussed immediately above about getting the fridge in and out with that teensy aisle. Or, that the fridge is deeper than the cabinets so you need to account for that when ordering the panels to surround it. This was long.. hope it make sense!

Like your kitchen and its dark cabinets. Agree that tile would be better for the flooring than wood. Would not (at least not initially) make the drastic change of painting the cabinet exteriors unless they're actually damaged -- they don't appear to be. Would (at least temporarily) remove the island from the kitchen until you get the flooring you want. Then when you add back your island and any seating, make them have a more upbeat vibe so they become the focal point of your kitchen. You might consider a wheeled table for your island. Since it is so very near your dining table, you might seek to match or at least coordinate the two sitting/dining areas. If your dining table has a straight end, it might be practical to find a rolling island or table the same height so you could put the two dining surfaces end to end when you need to seat more at your table but keep them separated when you want to use your island for prep space. If you actually use the seating at the island, you could reuse seating you have and repaint the painted surfaces in your favorite bright cheerful color. Rethink your neutral kitchen window valance and have your window treatment create the lighter vibe you seek. Perhaps add a stained glass sun catcher hanging or a few individual small individual sun catchers that attach to the glass via suction cups. Repaint any painted wall surfaces a light shade of the same color. You could even paper (w/same color in the pattern) or paint the INTERIOR of any overhead cabinets w/glass doors with some of the same wall color.

Thank you @mxk3 z5b_MI we're excited for it to be finished so we can really enjoy it! I think we have figured out the outlet situation. We've purchased sillites which should be small enough to fit in the space between the window and the counter top. Our GC told us that the edge of the receptacle can't touch the counter top. Is that true? @Patricia Colwell If I put the receptacles in the window apron, should I use the quartz counter top back splash on the back and side wall (around the window apron) ? Or do you suggest some other type of back splash? Does it need any back splash above the counter top?

@svanflicka, I would definitely check around for other quotes. When my ex-husband and I built our new home, we had the enitire house painted for about that much and it was almost 3000 sq ft. I am sure we got a bargain as we found them through a friend. There are painters out there that are not with huge companies with overhead etc. I would really dig deep into finding someone from word of mouth or just investing on your own. Then meet with anyone you find an check references. I promise you that you can find someone to do the work for far less. I feel you will not be as happy as your working around something and giving into things (colors, counterops etc) that you do not love just bc of your trim etc. I would really take your time and think through it all. Spending all of that money and time, I would want you to be overjoyed with making the choices you want and not being made to just settle due to keeping and try to work with the trim color you have. I am not sure where you are in the process, but I would take a breather and really think this all out. In the long run it will worth it. Editting to add, you can always just slowly start with the trim in certain areas (like the kitchen) and take your time in painting it all. I know you will be happier. I have been in a similiar situation before and after all was said and done, I wanted to kick myself for not taking more time. Your spaces are going to be gorgeous! It sounds like we both have a very similar taste in design. Amy