Personally, I'd never use propane in a basement. Propane is heavier than air. If there's a leak, the gas flows downhill (like a liquid) and so would fill a basement space. The first spark or flame it encounters - a pilot or starter on a water heater or furnace, a light switch turned on, etc. - kaboom. Natural gas is safer in this respect because it is lighter than air and so rather than pooling in a low space, it escapes upward. Get your oil system fixed to eliminate the odors and be happier with the safer alternative.

You guys are fabulous - I got so stuck into the thinking that it had to be in the wall, I missed these other venting options. I just realized there is a very good chance that the wall ends up being one that goes up right though the master bedroom closet wall on the second story. That's a possibility! But then it's scary cutting the roof to ensure no leaks! Our new cabinets will be staggered with most of it going to the ceiling. It could potentially be worked around behind moulding - it would just have to go through the hutch somehow and the mullion doors may complicate it, but I am leaning toward custom since their prices are coming in exactly the same as semi-custom, and that could then be built in somehow - any idea how to hide the ducting through the hutch? Here is the plan from the bid that comes the closest to what I am envisioning:

I love the Black Venata too, that was my first choice in stone. Just be aware that the veins can vary WIDELY depending on the slab. When I went to look at slabs at Dorado (they call theirs Minas) they only had 1 visible (couldn't move stone b/c the guy was alone) and it was sold anyway, but it had a huge splotch of veining in the middle I wasn't crazy about. For some reason they didn't have much of a selection of minas - though maybe you're not as particular as I was. ;-) I can say that for veined stone, at the moment Teixeira has a good selection. I was just there yesterday. (there is more than one kind of veined - some have gold veins, some white, etc etc.) They are good about sending pictures via email if you can't get there. They are also having a sale on their venata right now. After all that I didn't even get a veined stone haha. I fell in love with the Julia. :-) so my point is, if you are at all picky about the veins, have them send you lots of pictures if you can't get there yourself. I had Dorado working on it, after about 1 month I got a local RI guy on it - but neither could find anything that met my requirements. (quiet stone with white veining) However, I walked into Teixeira and they had 3 different types of soapstone I could have walked away with. I think part of it is just luck.

NYC - Interesting, I have a 30 year old concrete slab on grade foundation in Michigan, lots of freeze and thaw here. I am currently pulling up one layer of linoleum and one layer of parquet and all the associated glue off the slab. Yucky job. I am putting down all floating floors, to get off the cold slab (cork under marmoleum would have some of that effect) and to prevent any problems from any shifting or cracking of the slab. In addition, I like the non-permanent nature. I can change my mind and change it in 5 or 6 years if it is not glued to my slab!! In researching all the different floating floors, I discovered they all require a 6 mil plastic vapor barrier between the slab and the flooring to prevent moisture from the slab from reaching the flooring. Marmoleum Click has a pressed wood core with the marmoleum glued to one side and cork to the other side so my plan was to just go over the vapor barrier with Marmoleum Click. I think the main advantage of glue down is the extra protection it provides you from water damage. I think glue down tile or sheet Marmoleum is quite bullet proof against water damage. The Click is less so because it has the pressed wood core like all floating type floors. I am just going to have to be careful not to let water sit and put something under the dog's water dishes.