Hey, thanks for the ideas and nice cabinet comments, guys. All good. I'll check that rainforest brown, too. Um, it's not really grabbing me like the green does but good thought, thanks CIC! Romy: I loved the hardware until the first screw stripped out and then a handle snapped off the first time I pulled on it. Oh well, that's what you get for buying cheap crap hardware from overseas. I needed something with a flat projection and that seemed to fit the bill. They are sending replacements, no questions asked, though. Now Fori, you are on to something with that embedded tile thought..... I'll have a wine tonight ;) and mull over that idea, but I like it! Maybe we could cut the tile so it was more rectangular and inset one into the center of the oak? Oh! I have so many tile samples of all sorts that might work for this... have to drag out my box and look through it. (what does one DO what all the samples when the remodeling is done, anyway? There's a thread to start....)

Thanks for the welcome! boxer, those are very similar except the cabinet style is a simple shaker. I believe the color is very close. The sample we have is a few years old so it has darkened some. A nice preview of what is to come. I'm personally drawn to the darker one, multicolor. I'm hoping light walls and backsplash will be enough to keep it from looking like a cave. It would be nice to also put the same tile by the front door (in a different size) to tie things together. I feel like either tile would look beautiful, I just don't want to pick the wrong one and wish I had the other. Probably the most difficult kitchen decision so far!

I agree that you have created a wonderful, warm and inviting kitchen. I also agree that you might wait on the backsplash because you might decide that you are happy with the painted walls. We did that initially as a cost (and work) savings, and ended up liking the choice. To provide a finished look, we bought some 1 x 4 maple (our cabinets were -- and are -- natural maple), routed an edge we liked and used them as our "backsplash." It's a nice clean look. You could probably do the same, using, of course, wood to match your cabinets. You can see the strip of wood to the left and right of the sink -- and behind the wine bottles on the right. (Wine: the drink of choice of kitchen remodelers everywhere!) From GardenWeb Photos Since your stove already has a raised area in the back, you might not need anything else. If you do, you could install a piece of glass or stainless steel, as in these pictures from Houzz. [Living Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/living-room-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_718) by Bedding And Bath Tricia Rose [Traditional Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by London Photographer Chris Snook

I need to warn you. I'm not one of the talented design gurus here, just an interested amateur. I think Lisa was working with the wrong dimensions, correct? I wrote them on the diagram. Please let me know if they're correct. If so, cpartist is right. You don't have room for an island. I left off your peninsula only because you never answered the question Lisa asked: If a peninsula is put in the location in your original plan, will you have at least 60" from the edge of the peninsula to the edge of your dining table? That is the minimum needed to have seating at both and still have room to walk if people are seated at both locations. Anyway, the best I could do is this: First, let me know if the dimensions are accurate. I didn't bother to draw uppers in on the fridge wall. The blue line will be about 117" fro the end of the counter to the edge of the kitchen. The yellow line measure will be about 86" from north counter edge to south counter edge and about 81" across where the fridge is (unless you get a true counter-depth/built-in). A lot of people do something a bit different in kitchens like yours that adds counter space and storage. They go with 30" deep counters. This adds a lot more counter space and, if you get custom cabinets, also a lot more storage with the deeper drawers. It will allow you to make a regular fridge look more built-in as the counter-depth will come out to the fridge door (you do need to allow for door swing). It also gives more space behind the range for less grease splatter on the backsplash and behind the sink for cleaning items (or pretties). If you do that, the north/south green line would be 74" and the east/west will be 105". Without an island or other blockage, there is plenty of room to walk from fridge to sink so crossing over the cook's area isn't a problem. It's not the most creative layout but it is a functional one. I know your wife wants some glass uppers. I wouldn't recommend them right next to the range and hood due to potential grease collection in that proximity, harder to keep clean. Also, keep in mind, your hood should be larger than your cooktop. I think you're going for a 36" cooktop? If so, you need a 42" hood. With a 30" cooktop, you need a 36" hood. If you go with the wider hood and have a couple inches clearance on each side before the upper cabinets start, then glass doors there should work fine. Hope this helps a bit. Have you read the "New to Kitchens? Read Me First" thread? If not, please do. It kinda bounces around from pages 1-3.