desert, I plan to get out to some showrooms this week to see what's there and I'm really hoping that will help move me forward a lot more. When we built this house, we hooked up a trailer and drove to Dalton GA and came back with all the flooring needed to do the entire house. It was easier to make choices when we were looking at the entire roll and not just small samples. We got terrific deals and then just paid the labor to have everything installed by a friend of DH. For the majority of other items we spent hours at Lowes. lanval, I plan to give the island a new top along with whatever we choose for the countertops and I know that will help spruce it up more. Originally we were told there was no room for an island at all, but our cabinet guy designed the funky shape to fit one in. I wish we had space to redesign it to allow more of a rectangle shape with an overhang to fit a couple of stools, but there is just not enough space around the u-design of my current layout. Anne, DH is assigned the reno to his brother. He doesn't have time to get involved in the work itself. That's probably a good thing since we end up disagreeing on details most of the time. I've learned we just see things from different perspectives because I'm considering details he thinks are not important. And since the kitchen is not really his domain, I don't want to get into a power struggle over the choices I make. I tried to discuss the timing with him yesterday and he sees no problem moving ahead with the April schedule. I pointed out the events coming up that will coincide with the time the kitchen is torn apart, and his basic outlook/comment is "it's no big deal"...he's just a 'get'r done' kinda guy. I tried to remind him this is not one of his empty houses that is unoccupied and the fact there is more involved than just slapping on a countertop and being done. Maybe I'm just thinking too hard, but I can see the entire kitchen torn apart and me being stressed enough over that while trying to juggle our spring busy season and my DD's precious time left living at home knowing the activities associated with that. Plus the responsibilities of finishing up our eoy business details is difficult enough alone, and now I'm sposed to be doing research/legwork to plan a kitchen reno. I'm sorry if I'm rambling, but when I say 'overwhelmed' I'm not exaggerating. If I could just put everything else in my life on hold right now, it might be no problem, but everything else is not going to just stop. I'm glad you see what I'm feeling about the timing of my DD last days at home. Just last year when she wanted to have her after-prom party here, I had some mini meltdowns feeling overwhelmed with my regular daily workload and then adding more to it. This year isn't looking much better... Anyway, to clarify some of the questions you asked: I broke the measurements into 2 sections since the bar seems to separate it into 2 areas. The nook area is 13'x9'8". The kitchen area is 9'5"x13'2" but that is only the actual floor space. The cabinets are 25" deep so you could add that to the width of 9.5 for a size of the actual room. The garage is on the other end of the house. There is door to the backyard patio in the nook area. The original plan called for columns and a more open floorplan. DH chose to change it to large c.o. I posted pics from different angles to try to show this. I measured everything you asked to help clarify; fridge is 35"Dx35"W - cab depth is 25" - MW cab is 29"D - raised bar is 12"D. I checked the face frame of cabs and it appears the only ones sharing is the section to the right of the sink where the raised bar is. The rest are chopped up due to the DW, stove, and corner that leads to the MW cab. I'm trying to visualize the changes you suggested...I guess I need to sketch it out to understand it completely. Since his brother is doing the reno, it actually gives me more comfort b/c I know is fully capable of any little details I bring up. At this point...right now...I'm in panic mode after talking with DH last night and he totally doesn't get my lack of enthusiasm about the schedule. He makes it sound so easy. The ct can be done in one day, the floor can be done in one day... what's the problem??? Arrggh!! happy, Glad to hear of your wp sucess, painted and stripped. I hung every bit of the paper in this house and have 3 baths of wp also facing stripping.

Idee , I think you are on the right track in wanting to add some chandeliers here . The juxtaposition of rustic, like your wood ceiling, farm table and antique sideboard with a little glam ( consider adding a couple of gleaming copper pieces in decor ) will give that french quarter New Orleans vibe. Sending some inspiration pics. for colors to consider painting your cabs. (either all ,or maybe a mix with white uppers and diff. lowers, or painting the perimeter white and the island a color ). Think about gray- green, pale sage, teal blue or black. I would paint your walls a soft white , just a slightly diff. hue from your white trim, since your space appears somewhat dark. I would use a rustic tile backsplash or possibly a brick tile. For counters consider a light butcher block or a honed dark stone like dark Emperador marble, soapstone or leathered granite. So, —light fixtures, painted cabinets, the countertops and backsplash- nothing structural- hopefully you could achieve this in your budget ... ? ( maybe try to include a copper sink or some other type of new sink while doing the counters) .—- The inspiration pics. show many of these individual elements . The following focus on cabinetry colors. -

I am adding a natural gas line from my livingroom fireplace to my kitchen plus moving the plumbing lines and for my Washing machine and laundryroom sink plus having an outside faucet replaced that is on the wall where the new Washing machine plumbing lines will be placed. The estimate I got was $1200.00. I am in Central PA, so prices may be higher in other areas and I had gotten estimates that were far more expensive. The plumber I found is good. He has owned his own plumbing business for 30 years and has brought his son into the business. His explanation for some of the high estimates was that my work is a small job and many of the younger plumbers would rather do new homes and bigger projects and don't seem to want to do the small jobs on individual homes anymore. He told me he is trying to teach his son that you can make more doing a lot of small jobs than you can doing one or two big jobs where you have to bid so low that there is little profit. Finding the right plumber took some effort, but I got a reasonable price from someone I trust will do a good job. I have shopped hard for a good plumber, a good electrician and a good car mechanic since moving to a new city, but I have found all 3 and trust that any work I need done will be done right and at a fair price.

for the floors, bring in the same oak hardwood and have everything refinished at the same time. go for the natural look you like a good flooring company can weave in new planks that match the older ones. sand everything, stain new. as for the kitchen, are you happy w/this layou?? while I don't mind a reface This peninsula would have to go. it's too bulky. this is an mcm peninsula: I'd think about moving the fridge right under this beam, and bring in some other cabs where the fridge is now. honestly, to sand and paint these frames, get all new doors (and you need drawers on the lowers) might not be as cheap as you think w/buying all new cabs. Have you checked Ikea? what about local cabinet makers? Check around and get some pricing first, then decide if you want to paint. I had custom built cabs back in 04 and recently had them all refaced and painted. (but I have 3X as many as you do). Came out great. Instead of the mustard color cabs, why not go w/the mustard mcm style backsplash? this way when you tire of the color or want a change, it's way easier to pull down some tile than to paint cabinets. Look at Zellige tiles. that have some beatiful mustard and gold toned tile or, you could get something like the cube pattern done in the goldenrod color paired w/a slab front mid century style wood cab like these, and a solid quartz top (dark charcoal or black would look amazing w/the mustard and the natural oak floors) if you like the subway size tile, go for something like this w/a custom glaze and set it in a vertical stack. open wood shelving completes the look. this countertop is recycled glass. Ikea has this green color. you could accent w/yellow tones if you like walnut cabinets, white quartz, mcm elements w/the tile and stove take a look at finger tiles. (these are super mini) Sevilla kit kat tiles in the mustard. these look so good w/walnut or wood cabinets. Fireclay tiles have custom colors anyway, since you've saved and want something that fits you, don't cut corners. Do this kitchen once and the way you want it. no half azz. consider a diff layout. consider lower drawers. see if you lose the peninsula, can you do some type of island. get rid of those horrible white beams and see if you can inset some new wood ones, (like this Fir one) or see if those can be redone, sanded or even veneered. or repainted check w/local flooring companies to inquire about sand on site oak flooring.