Is your great room open to the kitchen? I'm not good at looking at pictures of a house being built, at the framing stage. I'm trying to remember a poster who has a fabulous tuscan house, she had lots of pictures posted, that would be a great reference for hickory. Anyone ? Hickory, do you have a master plan for your finishes or inspiration pictures? and by tuscan, are you aiming for rough-hewn and rustic ?

Frighteningly, I have a bird thing going in my house, too. Happened partly by accident (inherited mom's things) and partly as a response to the freaking Audubon party that happens on my lawn every day. I think it's the golf course nearby. Anyway, you need this picture frame in your kitchen, minus the unattractive married couple: There are lots of papers to explore besides Imperial Trellis. Neisha Crosland Majorelle in Mint, maybe: Ferm Living has some cute (Scandinavian!) paper: There's peekaboo from twenty2: You could maybe use Iconic panels, as long as they're not right behind the stove of course.

Yes, a sink lid is custom, unless the sink you choose has a matching cutting board which you can use, but it's easy to make. Just cut it out of plywood or plastic. There are a few types. If the sides of your sink are angled, you can do a flush lid out of 3/4" or 1" thick plywood with the edges angled to fit to keep the lid in place. That takes more skill, but is nice. Even fancier, you can have it made with applied edges and tiled in the middle so that it matches the counter. If you want to do it unskilled DIY, cut it out a bit larger than the sink. Sand it well on all sides. Use a piece of half circle or quarter round trim molding to cut "feet" from. Make them about 3" long. Glue then nail the feet around the bottom of the cover, about a quarter inch from where the sides of the sink should be. Add a knob or handle with screws. Use weatherproof finish to complete. Not hard. :) I even know of one guy who made a similar plywood cover for the whole counter. I'm not sure if that's overkill or if he thinks that gets him out of cleaning. :) Lucy, if the porch has an actual roof that's part of the house (not an awning), you should be able to use a regular hood. Might be a good idea too. Check your local codes. You'd surely have to have it on a GFI circuit, but other than that, and a question about how you'd handle the exhaust end (isn't it going to show?), I can't think of why not.

i'm sure the flooring guys could tape off the toe kicks, but sanding off the current color with those in place would be more difficult. I know your cabinet guy wants to finish, but is it really that much of a hassle for him that he can't come back after the floors are done to install them? would you be willing to pay him a little extra for his time if he does come back? I can understand his side of it. he's already there and wants to finish. to come back another day means extra hours and a trip he has to schedule. so, compensate him for it if that's the only issue. You can also ask your flooring guys if having the toe-kick in place is a big deal. they would know the answer to that better than us. Is the wood red oak, white oak? have you sampled any other stain colors?