Have you considered prefab formica countertops in a neutral color? They are not too expensive and would have a big impact on your kitchen. They are not granite but they would probably look less dated than what you already have. Another inexpensive option is butcher block. I did a tumbled travertine backsplash with my pickled oak. I know its a cliche but the travertine has a mixture of tans and greys that pulls different colors together without making the cabinets look pink. An accent color that worked for me is terra cotta. You need to stay away from pinky tones which bring out the pink in the cabinets, but sometimes if you go with a stronger color, the cabinets will look neutral in comparison. New knobs for the cabinets made a surprising difference. I went with an oil rubbed bronze finish. Knobs really dress up the cabinets. Try some knobs with interesting shapes to draw your eye to the knobs and away from the cabinets. Fancy knobs can be quite expensive but you could use just a few for the focal point cabinets and use coordinating but cheaper and simpler ones for the rest of the kitchen.

Oh, my3dogs--I just LOVE that front door. I have a 30's cape (unfortunately it's not in New England--it's in a MD suburb of DC!!!) but as a displaced New Englander I pretend :) Anyway, you've got me wondering what I'd find if I stripped the 70 years worth of paint off my front door (it's a beautiful door and we just added another coat of paint!) This may get added to my list of projects for a rainy day (or several rainy days!) In answer to the OP's question--I'm thinking a variety of closely related doors would be nice--rather than going with one style throughout.We're only the second owners of our house and I know the doors are all original--and we have a bit of a variety. Several with the barn door cross hatch look, most others with 6 panels..but our front has 12 small panes of glass and our kitchen door to the mudroom has 6 long skinny panes of glass. I guess what I'm saying is a little quirkiness would fit well :) Our hardware is mostly the original tarnished brass with a little glass in a couple of places.

Fori, yes, the cat towel holder is staying . . thanks for the reminder! I totally forgot about that being black. Lots of votes for the lace curtain . . if I keep it, I have to hem that curtain! EAM44, thank you! I do like the suggestion of switching out the fan for a schoolhouse globe style and I love that pendand choice. DH said he can try to put the light on the wall provided there is no stud dead center but if I do put it in the ceiling, I was worried about it being too much and it being too close together. I do love the shutter idea and that may work. I considered those for my living room as we live right on top of our neighbors; however, the cats like to look out the window. The kitchen window is the only window they can't get too (well in a perfect world . . . ) Localeater, my sentiments exactly. I have this concern that I don't want it to look like a bath fixture but there are so many pretty lights to choose from. True, how often do you look straight up but I am tall and there are cabs on either side of the sink that I will access on a regular basis. It's almost a shame for the ceiling fan but we definitely need it. Shelayne, what a pretty fixture! Is the 8 inches the length/height (up and down) of the shade or the width (left to right)? Desertsteph, I'm so wrapped up in the countertop selection that I totally forgot I could change the shades on the fan and I think I will! Thanks. Annie, ooh! Very pretty! Thanks for the picture! We have way too many choices!

The main problem with rootbound woody stock is toppling some years later after the top gets heavy enough for the specimen to pivot over on its inadequate anchorage, when additionally weighed down by snow or being pressed against by high winds. I've had shrubs fall over in snow about 25 years after planting, turn out to have small, tight turnip-like root crowns due to having spent too long in 4" pots at the production facility. Sometimes also a girdling main root will actually pinch off part of the top, resulting in deterioration and death of the part above the root. Watering issues with recently planted trees and shrubs are due to textural differences between the field soil or potting medium on the roots and the soil around them - this is one reason why bare-rooting at planting time has become recommended in later years. Plants with intact rootballs or root masses surrounded by soil of a significantly different texture often have moisture wicked away during dry conditions if the soil around the plant is of a finer texture - as will very often be the case when the plant is in coarse potting soil, surrounded by an unmodified native soil - or may instead attract water, become sodden if placed in a heavy and wet soil. Liberal amending of planting hole backfill merely enlarges the area of impacted water movement that the plant has to survive and root across. Amending of an entire bed of soil around the plant does push the zone of interaction with unamended soil out farther but this altering of soil texture lasts only until the amendments decompose - not long enough for long term plantings like those made using woody plants. Amending with mineral materials like sand avoids the problem of decomposition of organic soil amendments, but if a soil does not already have a fairly high percentage of sand an enormous amount may have to be added before the desired level of improvement is seen. Resulting in the height and volume of the bed exceeding the space. Also if too much sand is added a droughty and leaching (poor) soil may be produced.