Thank you all for the compliments and the additional advice and opinions. I value each and everyone of them. : ) I think we will take a link or two out of the chain and see how we like it. Last night DH and I sat across from each other at the table and I noticed the round metal piece on the bottom was blocking the very top of his head. And we have 6 ft. plus sons and friends who come and eat with us so I know their heads would be a bit blocked, too. Dilly, thanks for weighing in and mentioning the glass top. I will consider it. The grooves aren't as big as the pic seems to make them appear but they do get some dust in them and it can be annoying. But glasses are no problem. Everything sits flush without tilting. profmom, we used waterlox as a finish. It works really well. If I'm remembering correctly, we did 6 coats, sanding lightly in between. We did it out in our garage because the fumes were too strong for me. You do need to do it in a clean, dust free area. I used wide foam brushes which gave a nice smooth application. I believe Budge used waterlox, too. Maybe she will weigh in on her experiences or start a thread and she'll most likely answer. And if you search on the kitchen forum, I believe you'll find more info or someone will find it for you. Let me know if I can be of any more help. I think we will keep the table top for now. Too many other projects to get done and I must say I do like the lightness of it all. It is my favorite room in the house, besides my kitchen, so I sit there in the morning with my laptop, perusing the decorating and garden forums. DH is going to make bookcases for the living room, the kind that have the lower cases out further than the top. The top of those lower cases will be walnut so he'll get to use his beloved wood again. : ) Diana

Yes Mongo, I was wondering about quality and quantity of light. For putting on makeup I really like having lots of lumens. In the east bathroom that DH now uses for most of his grooming, I have 100watt halogen bulbs on each side of the mirror. I think that is around 1600 lumens per bulb. But a calculator I just used says its 2000 lumens. So at the mirror for DH to shave it is 3200 to 4000 lumens. It works well for him. In my other bathroom (west) that I use for makeup, I have 2 sconces that each have 120 watts halogen. It seems to put out less light. But the room has more dark pieces of furnishings, so maybe that is why. According to the calculator I should have 4800 lumens at that mirror. I would not want less. I have a dimmer on that switch, but never use it because I need the light. I also have 2each 50w halogen overhead lights in the ceiling. This room is 8x10. I would not be happy with any less lighting.

It's fun to read these suggestions! Some are very creative. I've wondered about a peninsula instead of an island. I've also toyed with re-configuring the pantry and powder room areas. Never thought about moving that living room door. I'm guessing budget and spouse will both constrain the extent of this project, but we can definitely look into moving or eliminating the prep sink, adding seating to the end of the island, and considering a range. For those who asked, the aisle between island and sink side is about 40 inches and between island and pantry/oven side it's more like 48 inches. The island itself is 44 inches wide. I think my sketch is a bit "off." Thanks, all!

Also, in an ideal world, I like counter chair backs to be closer to the counter height, especially in a case like yours. But, I realize you are going to stick with these chairs for awhile. I prefer leather for the breakfast bar. People tend to spill more there and it is a casual in and out. Fabric is fine for the dining area.