I'll make a comment on the size of the bins. When deciding on the size of each bin, one might consider the materials you will be composting. For example, if one expected to use a mix of sawdust and leaves as the 'browns', one might make the dimensions 3' by 3'. If one expected leaves to be the main 'browns', one might select 4' by 4' for bin size. If wood chips were expected to be the main 'brown' (without small filler stuff like sawdust), maybe a 5' by 5' size would be a good choice. My mesh bins are 5' by 8' by 2' high, and can reach 150F or more if the mix is optimal. The reason for the different sizes is due to air movement. Movement thru wood chips is easier than thru sawdust or very finely shredded leaves. The third number, height, can be less than the other two if the compost pile is sitting on the ground, which can also store heat. Since it is easier to turn a low pile, my compost piles have never been more than 2.5 feet high in recent years.

So instead of going back on GW last night, I got sucked into watching the Notebook (again). I have a love/hate relationship with that movie. I hate that I love it. Thank you for taking out the time to respond. I dream about kitchens at night and it really is wonderful to get some help. Microwave - looks like everyone agrees that a GE Spacesaver is the way to go. I agree. Now, where to place it? Should I keep the frig where I currently have it and put it next to there? Or should I have the frig where I have it in my proposed layout and keep it next to there (above the DW)? Someone told me I should keep the cabinet above the DW for dishes coming out of the DW. But it also makes sense to have the MW right next to the frig. Banquette - StacyLH - love the idea. That's what I thought of originally but changed my mind because a lot of people said it was uncomfortable. After reading the threads on them on GW, I guess the trick is to make sure to do the banquette right so it is comfortable. I will do another search on GW to see if there is any guidance on dimensions, material, etc. on it (I spent 30 minutes on it this morning but haven't had a chance to read all the threads on it). Stacylh, I actually love the photo you found of the banquette. It looks perfect my kitchen and it also looks comfortable. I also need to see if I can get DH on board with it.

I realize this would mean moving the connections, but we did it in our house, and the cable company charge was minimal, and because they were able to go through the crawl space, it was not a big deal. I agree that the armoire and the mirror on the other side are both fighting with the fireplace for attention. I would be inclined to move the armoire to the wall where the console table and round mirror are now. That area isn't really great for much else, because you have the doorway to the outside right there, so your traffic pattern has to stay open. That wall is large enough to handle the armoire flat against it, without overwhelming the wall space. It is hard to play with layouts, because depth and size can be hard to judge in a flat picture. I have a couple of options once the tv is moved. The first would be to place the couch on a diagonal from the fireplace to the window wall. I am not crazy about the couch against that half wall - it feels kind of like looking a someone who has on an overcoat and shorts - you don't really know what behind the couch because it is completely hidden, and takes away from the interest that the half-wall creates. Coffee table in front of the couch, and a great floor lamp behind it. The demilune cabinet might be nice on the wall to the right of the fireplace, with an art grouping over it and a small lamp. I would then put the two matching chairs on the half wall with a table between them and a lamp. The beige chair and ottoman could then be angled with the back of the chair to the corner where the small demilune cabinet is now. Move the console table and the arched mirror to the wall to the left of the doorway at the end of the room opposite the fireplace, which will balance the armoire on the other side. I did think about the option of filling in the half wall, and honestly I think that would be a great place for the tv. But that becomes a much more expensive alternative. What you could do there, rather than filling it in with a wall, is to put in a grid that creates a feeling of a window matching the opposite wall of windows. Putting the armoire up against that would work, as it would break up the view of the back of the armoire. One other alternative, tho I don't know how viable it is, would be to buy a flatscreen tv and have a lift installed in that half-wall, so that you could bring the tv up to watch when desired, and then lower it the rest of the time. Then the armoire could still go on that end wall, but the placement of the furniture in the room wouldn't have to be in relation to the piece. Once you rearrange the room, you may want to turn the rug 90 degrees to match the furniture layout. It is a lovely home - enjoy it, and don't let it drive you too crazy.

Wow I am having a hard time with some of these answers. The feedback is wonderful, but the harsh rants about my putting form over function and the garbage comment feel very uncalled for. LWO, you apparently did not even read my posts correctly and missed the fact that I am moving my kitchen OUT of my entry. If you are going to criticize, which is, after all, what I asked for, please realize that you know nothing about me and ask before you rip apart motivations you do not understand. I have no romantic notions about ranges in islands. I have lived in houses with wall ranges and island ranges, with young children, and know that for MY lifestyle, an island range would be ideal. This is based on PRACTICAL considerations and experience, not TV or magazine imagery. Yes, I will have a 30" x 42" hood with a 1200 cfm blower. Regardless of percentages of prep vs. cooking, this is what works for me and is a key element of my design. I have no issues explaining why this is, as you all have valid points as to the drawbacks. LWO, you may have good considerations, but the way you worded them was very hostile and uncalled for. We have different opinions and habits and I expect mine to be treated respectfully too. Buehl, thank you so much for your thoughtful post. I would love to see a sketch if you have time! I see the point abut the space between sink and stove. Maybe I could put a small prep sink in the island like you suggested? I like that idea a lot. Maybe we could fit my main sink under the left window - do they make corner sinks? - and center my fridge between the windows. Or leave it to the left but put in cabs next to it, and then a stacked TO/MW? I am not sure that I have room to push that countertop further into the mudroom. As I planned it, the stacked W/D will be against the back wall, and I can't shove it directly again the mudroom sink as I need some cabinet space to store laundry detergent and cleaning supplies. That hampers me a little in the kitchen area. If I put my kitchen sink under the left window, could I put it right against the counter corner, or would that make it very uncomfortable to work at? Shannonplus2, I do understand that island cooking is not like on TV. But as it is, I cook on my island and look out to check on the kids frequently. The problem is that I have to step away from the stove to do this, since the kitchen right now is in that entry room! It's funny but most of the ideas you all have suggested, mirror my current kitchen layout which is a galley design as Lisa_a sketched above. This remodels coming about more because I need a mudroom and laundry room, plus all the kitchen cabs and appliances are dying or dead, and I don't really care for large rectangular islands, for some reason the L shaped ones work better for me (my mom has the big rectangle and it is too big a stretch across for a shorty like me, but so long that it's not as cozy to work together in the kitchen). So, I am trying to keep what I...