Interesting..... I had this vision in my mind to do the cabinets in a dark cherry to tie in with the bedroom and bathroom for over a year now. It was only yesterday that the designer suggested white and I immediately dismissed it, yet since then, the idea has been growing in my mind. There is a lot of white trim throughout the house with the doors and molding plus the blinds there now are also white so it is really not adding another woodtone look. I could see myself making it less stuffy too with a fabric valance on the bay windows. The other advantage is that it is less expensive and it puts the third designer we met with (who will work through Costco and most likely the less expensive of the three--we get a $10 cash card at Costco for every $100 we spend, plus we pay through Costco and it counts for our EOY rebates). I am just going to sit with this idea in my mind for a few days as it is a big shift in my thinking for this room, but this type of input is so impt. for me. I will call the other two and tell them to quote in both the african walnut and white, but as of today, I'm leaning towards the white myself for a more airy, less stuffy look. It is very hard to visualize how very small this is. It is only 8'9" (including the 3' bay bumpout) x 10' (including the step). Doing any type of cabinetry on the north wall would block the entryway. We wanted the desks to face out into a window so we have a view of our backyard while working. That way the blinds can be open yet no glare on a monitor. The desk locations are really fixed as all wiring and lighting has already been done with that in mind. funkart: You brought up some very good points. We are working with closet companies for now that have all the insides for offices and do the wire management so it's not fully custom without an upcharge. So choices really are either 20"D or 24"D cabs but the countertop will have an overhang of 1-1/2". Yes, my kids (3 of them) do use it occasionally though DS has his own laptop, older DD we are in process of buying a laptop for her and my 7-year-old will probably start using it more and more--just the computer. Everyone (all 5) will use the printer (networked) and we may add a second one for laser printing (either here or in DS's room who has greatest need right now), but the narrower depth should still accomodate that. The narrow depth will definitely make it easier to reach over and open the windows. DH wants 20" and I'm leaning towards that as well. I actually want to cut down on the desktop clutter so I'd say more impt. is having enough storage to put it all out of sight--that alone I think will have the biggest impact. I guess things get lost in the back of drawers/cabs. anyway. The uppers will probably be 14" deep, though only one upper. The one tall cab could be something different--could even be 24"D and desk cabs 20"... I'm still trying to figure out the size of the cab since the wire we put in for the plug mold is right smack in the middle where we would do two equal sized cabs and I'm not sure how much it can be move--so the tall cab may end up being larger--closer to 36" and we also need some filler of the left to accomodate the drawer clearance. I'm still debating putting an upper on the west wall or just leaving a bare wall as I don't want to feel closed in, though I'd really like some overhead paper trays over the printer to load it up. Today I'm going to head out to 2 of the showrooms and will visit the third tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have a clearer idea then. It took me 6 mos. to design my kitchen (time well spent) though I'm hoping to do this one in much less time as we are so sick and frustrated with dealing with it as it is....

Jake- very good point on the dishwasher/dishes storage. I plan to put plates/cups in the upper cabinet above Left of the DW then use drawers beside the DW to store utensils, food storage plastic ware etc. My thought was exactly yours- to have one area outside the work zone so that when I tell the kids to set the table, they go to that area, grab what they need and head to the table. Most casual weeknights I plan on using my island as a buffet so the plates will be placed there, but I still like for my kids to set the utensils and napkins properly on the dining room table. That’s probably more than you ever wanted to know but wanted to share my “plan” in case anyone sees anything I need to change? Thanks all for the advice on overhang and aisle space! You’ve given me a lot to think about and I need to choose between 15-18 overhang now!

@jimandanne_mi Hi, Thanks for the questions! --Windows and doors are not there now. Reasons for the door/window locations: I don't want any windows on the North (privacy, charm, you'd have to see it). South windows bring in the winter sun and there is a seasonal creek 30' away, so will put in a deck. East there is a grove of oaks, which are very pretty. West is not private and plus it gets hot here in SoCal so we don't want afternoon summer sun coming in. -Support post is in the middle of the living room now (put on plan above) but it can be moved north along a straight line up to 6 ish feet from the north wall. -The only current interior wall is a double wall (Purple and red) and goes from N to S outside walls. The purple rectangle is the original building. Then a 'lean to' was built (shown in red) on the outside of the original. The west outside wall of the lean-to is 6' 2" high (shown in green). Thus I am limited to what I can do in the BA. We will be taking out the entire red wall that is right by the purple wall to gain a few more inches. Obviously we will be doing support to open up the purple/red walls for the bedroom. Also, the east and part of the north outside walls are the only place where you can enter at ground level. The south and west, you would have to take stairs to get up to the house. Maybe I'll take pics of the outside to make it more clear. Thanks again!

No. The cabinet color doesn't work with the floor. They will be adjacent to each other. You will notice that they don't work together. There is still time to turn the ship before it hits the rocks. I don't like the grey flooring and find it to be overdone. Grey is a hard color to get right because of the varied undertones. I suggest a mid-toned wood colored flooring or a quiet, solid ceramic tile. Unless you are going for a very specific Scandinavian vibe, the lighter wood tones will look off in 10 years. The grey floors will be the butt of jokes at that point. Mid-tone will work with all sorts designs and will age well. Tip: When you go to put your selection board together, don't put it on a surface against a wall with a design. Your eye will pick up the colors of the floor and wall. When I get to final point, I take the elements outside in the natural light. You would be amazed at how things change in a more natural light.