Regarding "work triangles"...I posted this almost three years ago on a thread that was discussing whether the "work triangle" was dead. (I've also linked to the thread below.) ++++++ As I was eating a late dinner after my first post, I got to thinking...it's not that the triangle is dead and zones have replaced it, it's that zones are a natural development beyond the triangle. The work triangle was the beginning of a concept of kitchen design...the zone concept merely extends it. You still want decent minimum/maximum distances b/w major appliances/fixtures, but those appliances/fixtures are in zones... The refrigerator & pantry are in the storage zone(s), The main (or only) sink & DW are in the Cleanup Zone, A prep sink (or very close proximity to the only sink) and the refrigerator (close proximity to it) are in the Prep Zone, and The range/cooktop is in the Cooking Zone Lastly, the Prep Zone & Cooking Zone should be either next to each other or very close to each other...preferably w/o the Cleanup or other Zone between them. The zone concept also encompasses the workflow...that Zones should follow the natural workflow in a kitchen (as Lisa shows & Plllog also described) Storage --> Prep --> Cooking --> Serving --> Cleanup & Storage (for leftovers & ingredients left out during prep) These are also the main work zones. These zones are the ones that are the primary components of the work triangle. The others zones/centers are almost always secondary and it often makes sense to have them outside the work triangle somewhat so they don't get in the way of the primary work zones where most of the work in the kitchen is usually done (yes, there are exceptions). Of course, you don't want those secondary zones/centers so far away that they're impossible to use... If for some reason one of those secondary zones/centers has to be located elsewhere, then adding appliances/fixtures will make the zone/center more useful. For example if the Baking Center is far from the sink(s) and refrigerator and pantry, then locating the oven(s), adding a small sink, a small refrigerator or drawer, and appropriate storage in that center will make it more usable for its function - baking. Sometimes even the major zones have issues with appliance/fixture location that the addition of a small refrigerator or drawer or prep sink can solve...but great effort should be made to not have these issues with the major work zones. Complimenting or maybe even extensions of the zone concept are ideas such as... Adequate work aisles, Adequate workspace in each zone and amount of workspace tailored to the activities done in that zone, Adequate landing space around & located for each appliance/fixture (including safety margins and emergency landing space around ranges/cooktops/ovens), The Refrigerator & MW both being on the periphery when possible to allow both the kitchen insiders (i.e., those working inside the...

It's a modular, so this was done at factory. I found it strange that the wire running b/t the sconces was coming into the left hand one from the left hand side along with the feed from the switch. But I'm hoping to only open one bay and not 4-5ft b/t the locations. I am hoping for enough slack b/t the sconces not to have to run new wire, but if I do, will it work (best) to connect new wires (longer) to old and try to pull through? Since they're coming in on the opposite side of the box, I'd have to connect them at the box on the RH location and pull them past the box I'm mudding over, to the new location. Also have to use continuity checker to make sure I'm pulling the right one(s) since both wires (from the other sconce and from the 3-way switch on opposite side of the room) are coming into the same side of the second sconce too. They went crazy with 3-ways in this house - except for the one they were supposed to put in for my garage lights - that ended up being single (another post, that I still haven't gotten answer on)! What about my idea of leaving the old box (after pulling wires to new box) and mudding over, in case of future changes? Might be a lump on either side where the mounting "ears" are, will try to feather it out, but that shouldn't violate code, should it?

@Beth, first thanks for all your tips and ideas on the hardware. Good idea to mark them out and good to know that 4" is the min (they sell 3 and 3.5, which are cheaper, so I wondered if that would work. thanks) I know; You had a lot of good ideas on painting. Thank you. I am still waffling on what to do. I guess my concerns w/ the painted floors are the effort to do it and the maintenance (I have wear patterns on my front porch and the kitchen gets more traffic). Plus I want to limit my exposure to chemicals. FWIW, this morning I emailed my house painter to check his schedule if I choose to have him repaint the cabs. (he's a much better painter than I am) Painting would allow me to fix the placement of the holes on some of the cabs (currently, most of the cabs do not have holes). I could also put a cab to the left of the stove. And I made an appt next week with the interior designer who was going to help me pick finish materials etc with the big remodel....to get his opinion of a scaled-down remodel. i.e. how to make this house a better version of what it is without spending a ton of money since I may move in a few years....thanks for all your help! I don't want this to be all about $$$, but everything is so $$$ and I hate the idea of investing a lot of excessive $ that I won't get when I sell. (when my former realtor came over this summer, she kept saying "do what *you* want; do what makes you happy; you don't need to do anything to fix this house to sell it" etc). So I guess my dilemma: what can make it more live-able for me for the next few years. (but possibly longer? who knows?)

thank you Janice for the input. I too have refinished furniture and wood for many, many years. Your experience (or your husbands) might be different, but that doesn't make your statement absolutely true. this though, "because of careless..." is a major reason why. .Careless people. (poorly prepped is the other reason) Just because his finishes didn't hold up around those people, doesn't mean that painted cabinets are always going to chip. I merely debated your statement that "painted cabinets chip on the edges very easily". I completely disagree with you on that. You mentioned walking through 'million dollar homes that you sell' and seeing chipped cabinets. You have no idea how they were painted and what kind of prep work was done. What you're seeing is the end results of poorly prepped cabinets. I still say proper priming and prepping is the key. I redid my friends 1980 oak cabinets over 10 years ago. I stripped and sanded all of them. then primed. then fine sanded. then painted. she still has those cabinets and they have never chipped. she has a bunch of kids and animals and isn't at all careful in her kitchen. That's the only part of your comment I disagreed with. Many people come on here and tell people, 'don't paint your cabinets. they'll never last'. That's just untrue. And I know you didn't say just to 'wipe on gel stain'. (And for the record, when I say, 'slapped on stain", that is meant to mean 'without much prepping or being overly careful. You're the second person on here that seems to have an issue w/that phrase) However, if you look at any how-to's on some of these blogs, that's exactly what they do.The 'slap on' stain. Why? because they have no clue on how to properly refinish wood. I have stained a ton of wood furniture. To do it correctly takes just as much work as painted. (why you think stripping and staining is easier and faster now, I don't know) A lot of people advise the OP's on here to 'just stain them a darker color', (Maybe thinking it's easier than painting) without having any clue that it's just as much work. Stripping cabinets is not easy. not for a novice. When I advise people of things on here, I try to keep in mind their budget and what they can or cannot afford. Painting or staining kitchen cabinets is not a cheap date. Not if it's done correctly. That's why I offer a DIY option whenever I mention painting. unless the OP is familiar w/wood finishing, I just leave that DIY option off the table because it's too difficult for a novice to get right. I understand you just wanting to offer info to others that may read this post, as do I. That's why I sometimes contradict some comments, like I did yours. Someone who knows nothing about cabinet painting would see your comment and immediately think all painted cabinets won't last. Simply put, it's just a false statement the way you have it written. Perhaps next time you might try adding, "without proper prep work and materials used, painted cabinets may not hold up well enough compared to stained wood cabinets". Mkay? thanks. this is prob moot anyway since the op hasn't been back.