Why the complete horror at the idea of vertical blinds? I knew they weren't as popular as they used to be, but they certainly make sense in a lot of applications. We have a floor-to-ceiling 12'+ wide window in our living room and *need* privacy. We've had vertical blinds for the last 25 years or more. The current set is soft off-white and stacks pretty slim. Generally the panes are rotated open rather than fully pulled aside, but it's nice on occasion, like after a snowfall, to have them wide open. They're not completely opaque so they let in some soft light even when completely closed; our previous set, fabric backed by rigid plastic, was better at blocking light, but we didn't really need a blackout feature in that room. When closed they're flat and not intrusive, just a plain backdrop. I've no immediate plans to replace them but have wondered idly what I would choose. I'm not sure any kind of horizontal blind comes that big, and I know from experience with a smaller window that wooden blinds can be VERY heavy in big sizes. We could get side-by-side cellular shades but from what I've seen it can be difficult to get them to align without being crooked. We also have a couch in front of that window so it would be difficult to raise and lower separate sections unless there was a remote control. The current vertical blind is all one piece with controls in a convenient place. Pleated traditional draperies can look nice but are VERY expensive, and perhaps too formal for our mixed contemporary style (though I know that's debatable). The previous owners had beautiful custom-made lined draperies and I'm sure they paid a fortune, but by the time we moved in the linings were completely sun-rotted. I don't get many ideas from magazines because they generally show big windows as bare, but that's not an option in a neighborhood with close-set houses like ours. I also hate the black hole look of bare windows at night. I'd love to hear some suggestions for treating such a big window.

Personally, I do not like them. I had them on my large sliding door from my family room to my back yard. The ones I had were decent: fairly heavy and covered in some sort of woven material. However, they were frustrating and (in my opinion) ugly/dated. We have a large dog and she goes in and out through that door. They were forever getting shut in the door, or spun around and tangled so they would not close. They were always dirty from the dog and people going in and out through them. Visually, they did not add anything to the room. I replaced the vertical blinds with machine washable grommet drapes. I actually selected outdoor drapes because they are supposed to be stain resistant and easy to care for. The grommet drapes are easy to slide back and forth on the rod, so they are very easy to open and close; much easier than the vertical blinds. They can go in the washing machine and dryer so the few times my dog has been able to get something yucky on them, I have been able to easily take them down and throw them in the washer. They are thick enough to provide light control, privacy, and keep the heat/cool in during the winter and summer. The grommets allow the drapes to fold up tightly when pulled back away from the window to let in all of the light.

Thanks, everyone, for so many more very helpful suggestions and insights! Kren, thank you for all your suggestions, you've convinced me that it makes most sense to try to preserve the kitchen's current simple look. The houses's architect did make furnishings; some of these were shown at a display that I unfortunately missed; in photos, though, the furniture appeared a bit extreme. A wooden chair, for example, had a zig-zag support structure in place of legs. The emphasis seemed to be on douglas fir and redwood, as materials. Anyway, we're not going to be purchasing furniture any time soon, but your ideas sounded great! Mlchoisser, we had considered refacing the cabs a while back. Many of the cabinet interiors were okay; but some of the drawers have taken a beating over the years. The thing is, though, we can't reface because we're also planning to push one wall back, so its cabs will be demolished. The other issue would be matching new materials with the current oak cabs. (which raises a new issue, just realized: there is oak paneling throughout the living room, very visible from the kitchen) Buehl, the dynasty doors are excellent, i agree! And the door style you selected is so great! It's just that there's something about schuler's very matte look that grabs me. There's probably no difference in the finishes, in reality, but I don't dare start looking at dynasty doors again! Laurie, your cabinets are beautiful! It's such a relief to hear of your very positive experience! Daki, this weekend I'll upload some photos. It's encouraging to hear you say rustic and mid century modern can be combined. Bluekite, thank you for posting that link! That's very helpful!

Hmmm.... I didn't expect the strong backlash to the pebbles. As far as the stove being the star, eh... I'm not really trying to have that be the case. The reason for those cut outs is the view to our little river and really it seems THAT is the star no matter what is in the house. It's hard not to look at water, you know? Maybe as the kitchen is framed up more and IF I can talk DH into a solatube (it's a dark kitchen without that) then at that point I can put the various samples up in the real lighting and make a determination. It's hard to work off the image entirely as the cabinets aren't the right color nor the woodwork. Okay. I'll be bringing this thread back in a new form after we make a bit more progress. Thank you all for weighing in. Even if I haven't gotten it nailed down yet, I feel closer to the final result. One thing though for sure, I really like the tile behind the stove no matter what ultimately surrounds it. So that's a good thing. Here is the view today out the windows fwiw: