Just a thought. Do you have to have some of the caramel in the counter? Once you choose a counter with caramel, your counter becomes less neutral and perhaps less timeless. I know you have caramel tones in your wood, but wood is supposed to be neutral so your are not required to repeat.it. Not saying the caramel is not nice and would not look great, but I just want to be sure you see that you could go with a counter with more neutral colours in it if that was what you find. The bianco drift I posted does not have carmel in it, but aside from that is similar to your inspiration photo you posted above. Carol

For a complete Kitchen remodel you will need to update the following at least to comply with the NEC 2011 electrical code. New kitchens use 7-9 circuits unlike old kitchens which may have only 2 circuits. If you install an Island that is where you get up to having 9 circuits. Hopefully you don't have an old small main service panel that doesn't have room for 7-9 new circuits, because then they will need to update that or add a subpanel as well to get more spaces. I personally had my tiny 100amp panel with only 20 slots updated to a completely new 200amp panel with 42 slots for circuits. From section 210 of the NEC 2011 referring to Kitchens: (1) Minimum of 2 -20amp circuits to supply small appliances on counter. These will need to be GFCI protected - usually one gfci is installed for each counter circuit and that protects the rest of the outlets on the counter for that circuit. (2) Refrigerator can share counter circuit or be on a separate circuit. It is not a good idea for the fridge to be on a GFCI circuit so often people separate the fridge in a remodel. (3) think about if you will have under counter CFL lights. if you want them to be direct wire or the linkable plug in type. If you are getting the plug in type, have an outlet installed in back of one of the cabinets so later the plug can go up in there. You might even want an outlet at very top wall above cabinets for rope light accent. (4) Lights must be on a separate circuit from counter circuit. Pretty much nothing else is allowed on the small appliance circuit except the fridge. (5) Gas range ignition (120v) outlet allowed on small appliance circuit, but in my area of California we usually put the gas range and hood on a separate circuit together. If you have an electric stove - that is a whole different problem b/c you need 40amp 240v sometimes - some people choose to have 240v outlet installed behind the stove at rough-in "in-case" they ever get a future electric stove or a dual type range that requires it. I didn't opt for this. I just got the normal outlet behind my gas range. (6)Under the sink you will need 2 more 20amp circuits (typically non-gfci protected). One is for the dishwasher and one is for the garbage disposer. They allow you to have one circuit if the combined rating of both appliances does not exceed a single 20 amp. However, because the electrician typically doesn't know what model DW or GD you are buying during wire rough-in, 2 separate 20amps are best to be run. My DW is almost 10amps max and my GD is 7 amps which is 17 already. So you see why it is better to have 2 separate circuits. Plus we may get a future Instant hot water dispenser (11 amps). Sine I have 2 circuits under the sink, I will plug that in to share with the GD to stay under 20amps. The DW will stay solo on the other one. (7) The island is minimum 2 -20amp circuits. I have one circuit supplying the outlets on the side of the island (gfci protected). I have a small sink in the island as well so under the sink, I have outlets on a separate circuit (not gfci) supplying the GD and the Wine chiller fridge. Summary my Kitchen remodel has 9 circuits: 1 - 15amp AFCI all lights in Kitchen & Dining room 2 - 20amp for Island (one required gfci, other for wine& GD) 1 - 20 amp for Refrigerator (not gfci) 1 - 20 amp for Range/Hood (not gfci) 2 - 20amp small appliances circuit on counters (gfci) 2 - 20amp under main sink for separate GD & DW (not gfci) I hope this helps. If you are in California don't forget title 24 and the need for CFL in the Kitchen. This is why I went with Fluorescent under cabinet, but used also Low voltage dimmable LED puck style in upper cabinets, and CFL 2-pin island pendants, and for main lights CFL 4-pin recessed lights (IC & AT rated). There are a lot lot more rules. I suggest buying Code check Electrical guide for a "mini" overview of the requirements. It has about 85% of what you need to NOT forget about in remodels. For example the Kitchen & Bath are two of the few places that do not presently require any circuits to be AFCI type. The rules are a little ambiguous. In one section it says the Dining room outlets must be on an AFCI circuit and in another section of the code it says that the Kitchen small appliance circuit can serve wall receptacles in the dining room. For confusing situations like this you have to call your local Electrical Inspector since they have final say. I know this problem first hand because I have an open style Kitchen/dining room area. Because the code 210.52B1 says that the small appliance circuit could serve exposed receptacles in the dining room, we thought we were good. But at rough-in the inspector said NO - dining room must be on a separate AFCI circuit per 210.12. We had to run a new circuit (AFCI breaker) for the dining room outlets. I actually don't understand why the code is ambiguous in this area. One part says Dining room must be AFCI, another part says the Kitchen small appliance circuit can serve the dining room receptacles. Can anyone shed light on this? In my case there is no wall between the dining room and the Kitchen and my counter runs straight down the wall from kitchen through the dining room, since we use the same base cabinets in the "dining area" for dishes/built in buffet so to speak.

Thank you all so much! It's so nice to get feedback from the experts here. EAM, I love the color boards you do for people. Really helps me visualize the final look. Funny you should suggest glass tile for the bs--that was my initial idea, but I haven't found one that doesn't pull green in my kitchen. Even the Yorkshire tan wall paint looks greener than it does here. I like your idea of incorporating the burgundy, SparklingWater. I was thinking of putting a burgundy pendant or two above the peninsula. Hadn't even thought of using it on the cabs! Hmmmm, more to think about. Looking forward to seeing your cabs when you are finished pinkpaula. I am DIY'ing too! Thanks again for taking the time to hold my hand through this:) I'll be sure to post progress (and hopefully soon, finished) pics.

for the handles, may I suggest something to pick up on the hues in the flooring? A little more copper toned. you have light cabs, light floors. I think throwing in a dark ORB w/o actual copper highlights would be too much of a contrast. IMO. cypress park Sandra, I like the porcelain one better than the other one. Does the backsplash have to be done immediately? If the tones in the porcelain tile you picked clash w/the ivory tones in the counter, it could be a problem. However, I did find some copper toned ones that should be avail. these are porcelain/SS, and treated so as not to stain or tarnish. I LOVE these for your kitchen. timeless and gorgeous. They are probably not super cheap, but it would be worth it for me. http://www.miusartmosaics.com/arabesque-lantern-beacon-copper-tile-in these would also work. the site is here: maybe they have them in stock.http://www.westsidetile.com/arabesque-tiles/ i like this one too. notice the copper faucet. beautiful w/the glass mosaic. if you got the cream countertop, this would look amazing w/your floors. this last one is a copper colored slate/quartzite.