I am so grateful to all of you for trying to help me with this decision. Kmcg - your have it right -- I like the butcherblock but I am not sure how it will look. Those are beautiful kitchens you posted - in my next life I will have all white cabinets and butcherblock - no cherry island! Likkiirish - I have spent so many hours looking at the finished kitchen blog that that I think I could be certified crazy! In all my searching there and elsewhere on the internet I have found only one photo close what I am thinking about - which is below. It is not my favorite photo and, even in this photo, the island is black, not cherry, which would visually connect with the black countertops. I am thinking that I probably need to let go of the butcherblock idea and go with the black tops everywhere. I feel pretty certain now that that the black top on the island will look good. Here is a link that might be useful:

Kara, holy cow!!! What a beautiful plant! I can't blame you for favoring this one. I wish I had one in my front yard. You must admire it every time you walk by. It is simply amazing...Thanks for taking that pic for us... Nancy, not sure which one I would keep either!! Lol. So many favorites but if forced, we would all have to pic one( Stupidlazydog...You crack me up lol I would have a hard time especially if I had the room to grow more like you to..You have some gems there and I love seeing you post them. Thanks Gabby, quite interesting..Does it grow slowly? What a great color on that. I am almost in love with anything that grows black leaves, like the 'black prince'. What a nice dark color on that one. Josue, wow, what a huge Aloe..I'll bet you could squeeze juice out of those leaves..Very big. Maria, did I ever tell you how badly I want one? Yup. I keep admiring your plant there. You must look at it every day and treasure that one. Love that one. Mike

Oh, good grief! Anything can be taken out of context and to the worst degree! I’ve purposely avoided this thread after I initially posted, as some posters made it sound like any parent who helped decorate this kid’s dorm room was crushing that child’s own creativity “Mommy-Dearest-like”. In retrospect, I’m sure there are parents like that. And, yes, some of those initially featured pics of rooms are so incredibly unpractical. BUT, there are so many more, like us, where daughters have grown up learning from mothers who are very good at decorating, and they are absorbing and enjoying it, too. They have their own likes and dislikes, which are encouraged and respected. BUT, they still need and want help with storage issues in those minuscule shared dorm rooms, lighting ideas, and a lot of other ideas to consider. It irritates the heck out out of me that some immediately paint the worst scenario when someone (Me) says, yes I did help my daughter decorate her dorm room. No, it was not some impractical designer room. No, it did not make her friends there hate her or her room. But, yes, it was overseen by DD and her roommate with the colors and art they wanted and chose. We mothers did, though, know what and where to find the storage and lighting that would facilitate the very best use of that minimal space. And, we did it at our daughters’ and with our daughters’ blessings. In closing, there are probably as many normal, happy mom-daughter collaborations as there are non/collaborations. Maybe I’m in the minority, having had a great, fun relationship with my own daughter her entire life. I consider it a blessing, but one that takes work. My own daughter has learned and absorbed so much interior design creativity from me over the years. She could easily make it her career if she chose. And, we love trading ideas still. But, even at age five, I allowed her to make the final design decisions with her own personal spaces. Not all decorator mothers are “Mommy Dearest monsters”.

Annette, I recently had my antique iron bed modified at a welding shop. I would think they could do as JudyG suggests but could make a base/legs on the foot board so it's the same height as the headboard - without having to attach anything to the wall. Just get another bed frame that allows you to attach a headboard (or have the welders rig it up so it's attached to the frame). It won't show when the mattress and boxsprings are on the bed. It was very, very inexpensive to have mine modified (I had it changed from a double to a queen size). eta: I guess they'd have to modify the original frame with the headboard, too, so you'd have legs at the foot of the bed. Or maybe you'd have to buy two metal frames that allow headboards to be attached and have the welders attach them with the footboard (now headboard) at a height to match the original headboard.