Okay, now that you've explained all that, I think I understand. I live in a open plan and everyone still crowds into the kitchen! I am a believer that function comes first and form should follow. You'll end up with a hybrid look, but it will be better for living I am sure. I was also thinking how nice it is that the sink and DW will be right there. We have a similar set-up from the patio, we can pass dishes through a sliding window right onto the sink deck. It's great. Getting back to your original questions...I don't know a lot about soapstone, but I think if you can find a "clean" one it will be okay. You mean for in the kitchen, right? I was thinking about wood for the bar surface. Then as I read back, I think you have already considered that. Don't rule out quartz, btw. Not sure why you don't like granite...maybe just because you love soapstone! Also, do get a quote on custom (not the brand...the concept!) because it might price out better than you think and you'll get exactly what you want. Maybe you can make a trade-off somewhere. Contractors in some areas are slow with the decline in the market. People I know have been getting fast service and better prices. I think the biggie is finding fridge panels and slab doors that really look nice with your DR furniture. Counter material is less important IMO. I don't like the white as much as I like the Custom doors...wood with black, especially for the fridge. Mixing in some painted black units could give you the unfitted look suggested above. And maybe you could even find frameless cabs to paint black to go with whatever you have to do to get the black/wood look on some of them. (Yes, leave it to me to make things as difficult as possible!) Have you thought about color? I know Allison's F&B French Gray appeals to you. Maybe there is a color in the Bird of P fabric you could use, a dark gray/green or something. Often, one way to ease a style transition is through color. Like even when the style is different (a less formal kitchen) if there is a color connection, it makes sense to the eye/brain on a deeper level. I do it all over my house...because I have no style! ;-) One last thing to think about... I am a huge fan of frameless cabs and will never "go back" if I don't have to. But, I also find that I can get along fine with very little in the kitchen in the way of food and equipment. I have satellite storage (pantry shelves in the nearby laundry room and a linen closet I borrowed for seldom used dishes, candles, napkins, etc.) and find I really only need about 20-30% of what I have (equipment and food) on a daily basis. Just something to think about...aesthetics vs. storage. Which matters the most, etc...

I'm bumping this thread so more can post if they wish, and also to help fussy chicken find out about her chair style. These dining rooms are so beautiful. I love looking at everyone's great photos. You know, I've long considered a DR an indulgence, something for show. For years, I had only a kitchen set in each house I was in. That seemed satisfactory. Even when I had company, we sat on the sofa or I brought in folding chairs and called it good. And it was good, since that's what I had to work with at the time. But in my last home, I turned the "Living Room" into a dining room and study, because we had what the builder called the Family room set up for living. It was so nice to have that area where the grownups could play cards while the kids played at the kitchen table when we had company. In this house, I tried putting my dining table at one end of the long LR and using the front room as a more formal room, but about 2 years ago, I moved the dining furniture in there and bought a sideboard for my dishes. Do we use it all the time??? Well, no. We usually eat on the sofa in front of the t.v. You can do that when your kid is 20. But nothing beats having a real dining room for company or a nice dinner. And I love the patina of the antique furniture, the oriental rug, and maybe a few candles burning just for ambiance. Some houses have no room for this. Some people's families can't spare the space that could be used for something else. But when you can take a little piece of your house, put in a pretty set of chairs, maybe add a vintage sideboard or chandelier..........wow. Just take a look at all the dining rooms pictured above for inspiration. Red

Ok I'm convinced to a 60" round, hopefully with drop in leafs for extra seating. I spoke with the table maker today and he's on vaca until Saturday so we'll touch base early next week and finalize plan/start the actual build. After all the recommendations I'm thinking too that I'll only purchase 6 of the chairs and use my existing wooden ones for extras. We aren't big entertainers and would mostly have just another couple to host but this will provide a slightly more cost effective solution for when we do entertain more. @maggieq & @cyn427 @jjam - thanks for the chair info! Yikes about the experience with the Hudson chairs, esp for how pricey they are! I've heard such mixed reviews about the overall quality of RH, either wonderful or awful, but I've been coveting the Martine for so long that I'm cautiously willing to give them a try... And hope at worst I could have them brought to a re-upholsterer for future modification over buying fresh set at that time. Thanks again everyone, this has been Hugely helpful! :-)

May I say that what showed in your initial photos: I got feel of a 'cool' country lobby / restaurant, where things are imperfect as they say. I like what you had, especially because of the large focus on black metal creatures. :) Do you have to have modern lighting? cause I think ones shown are too far over, and should be transitional instead. The other chair options won't 'go colonial' - is it a concern? - anyway, a very bright kilim rug would work with those chairs. But a more muted and simple kilim might work with the leather strap chairs....?