I was too embarrassed to admit I changed my mind again, but now that you mention it, I ended up ordering only from Hole's and Vesey's. My mother-in-law was coming to visit this weekend, so she picked up the order for me and brought it here. It looks good to me, but I've never planted any bulbs before, so it may just look good because I love flowers. I don't know how many of them are hardy here, no matter what I get I'm zone stretching . . . I say 2b, but that's with the US system, I'm actually 1b. It just makes me feel better. Anyway, I'll try anything hardy to zone 4, although I prefer if its stated hardiness is zone 3. I could grow about 15 plants total if I went with zone 2, and approximately 4 (considered ornamental) if I went with my true zone. Oh well. Sorry, tangent. Ontnative: My Hole's order looked pretty good. I don't know if you like to order online or look at pictures in online catalogues, but their website is not completely functional. If you know what you want or want to find pictures elsewhere, I would say ordering from them over the phone is worthwhile. Their prices were lower than Botanus for nearly all of the bulbs, and they are the same size: most of the tulips are rated as 12+ cm bulbs which is the same size as Botanus lists for their tulip bulbs online. Not that I'm down on Botanus, I loved their selection, I just needed to save the money, and I didn't have to pay shipping with Hole's because of my kindly MIL delivery driver. My only complaint is that they included too few of one type of bulb and still charged me for it, but I imagine they will fix it quickly when I call them. I'll let you know, if you want. Also, ljpother, you may have tons of experience and already know this, but I just learned it. Bulbs are sized by circumference, not diameter. I was very confused that my 12+ cm bulbs looked to be about 4 cm across. I'm a terrible estimator of size, but not that bad. Then I read that it's circumference, and it all became much more clear. Just in case you (or someone else reading this) didn't know. It could be a pretty big shock . . .

O.K. without reading everybody's post, I hope I'm not saying the same thing. Here's my thoughts. With a simple shaker style, I'd forget the toekick on the side of the sink run, maybe put finished panel on end of that, if you do it on the island, but do not bring the panel down to the floor like your inspirational pic. It'll be a dust catcher & you'll hate trying to get in there to clean it all the time. & I think it just doesn't look right. Also ... I'd to toelick all the way around the island w/ endpanels, but forget the feet. I think your shaker style is simple & the feet wouldn't fit in, plus they just might look like an afterthought. Good Luck Here is a link that might be useful: granite countertops

I am looking to install about a dozen or so "XX" dual slider windows in tandem. Basically, I plan on putting one window on top of another. This is similar to what the company "Soundproof Windows" does, except I'm ordering standard windows and having my contractor install two in tandem. Hopefully Oberon can chime in on this one. I did hire an acoustical engineer... however he is not aware of the STC rating for these unique XX dual slider windows. Basically, it's a horizontal slider where both windows (left and right) slide independently. I need these because I have planter boxes directly outside the windows and I want access to the entire section from inside the house. The planter boxes are not accessible from the outside because they are either two or three stories up (homes are three stories tall). Does anyone know if the XX dual slider is appropriate in achieving a high STC rating? My goal is 50 STC with these two windows in tandem: First window (outside) Dual pane 1/4" lam, 5/8" air space, 1/8" plate glass Second window (inside) Single pane 3/16" lam Note that there is about 2 1/2" of airspace between the two sliding windows. So technically, when both windows are closed, I have created a "triple pane" window with a 5/8" airspace and a 2 1/2" airspace. And 3 varying window thicknesses - 1/8", 3/16" and 1/4". Total mass in glass is 9/16" and this doesn't include the two laminate films between two panes which I assume add about 1/8" more. And the reason why I need a ridiculously high 50 STC is because these are bedrooms and the property is located right next to a highway. Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks again to everyone for the input. It's been very helpful as we're trying to get through this situation. I apologize in advance for the length of this response...but I'm using paragraphs! So that should help. Like I said in the original post, we considered this a modest addition/remodel. We had been working with an architect to design a much larger addition, but in the end decided to go a much simpler way, and just to incorporate an existing sunporch into our main living space, renovate the kitchen in its existing space, and add a master bathroom. The contractor is responsible for the project through drywalling--we're separately subcontracting the flooring, finishing/baseboards, and kitchen cabinets/countertops. The contractor was recommended by a good friend who recently had him complete a similar if not larger project, and he has done multiple projects for that friend's family members. So we didn't do as much due diligence as we should have. With that being the case, the contract is pretty simple, which I'm learning is a big mistake, and the "specifications" are pretty sparse. No window schedule, no elevation drawings. It was written by the contractor after our discussions with him, and he is the one who provided the model numbers (where they exist) for the windows. We told him we wanted Andersen windows (because that is what my husband's parents have and recommended) that matched our house. From that, he "specified" "Install 6068 french door with two 2 ft side-lites. Install two Andersen 3052 double hung windows in addition over existing foundation. Install one window in bath addition and new kitchen window. Size to be determined." As far as the last two windows, when we asked what we wanted, I sent him pictures found on Google images (which included grilles). I didn't realize he'd ordered anything, because there weren't discussions about windows. For those debating the legalities of this situation, I mentioned we've met with an attorney who specializes in construction law, and that the law is in our favor on this. This is apparently especially the case because we have an open floor plan and the spaces are not architecturally distinct from the rest of the house--there are windows and doors with grilles in each room that is being added/renovated. That being said, I'm VERY pregnant (and, as an aside, not of the personality to use that as a sword) and want this project completed. We're trying to get the project moving forward while getting the windows and doors that we want, and have offered to share the cost of what is at the very least a mutual mistake. I've twice tried to get the contractor to meet us at the lumber yard to look at brochures and nail down an order, once before the holidays so we could get the order placed and the project moving, and once again today. He agreed to a meeting this morning, and canceled it a couple of hours ago. We were able to finally get a meeting with a rep from the lumber yard who was moderately helpful (I say only moderately because now I've been talking with other window suppliers so I know better what options you have to choose for these windows). We're expecting a quote on new windows and doors from him (and also a separate supplier) tomorrow. We also learned from the rep that our contractor either lied to us, or at best misunderstood what the lumber yard told him, and that Andersen will take back the french doors but none of the windows. The contractor first said that Andersen wouldn't take back anything, and then said they will only take back unopened boxes. While dealing with the windows and doors issue, my husband measured the window openings to make sure we are ordering the right products, and one of the windows is too wide for the opening. He also discovered that the contractor is creating some sort of modified cathedral ceiling or tray ceiling in the sunporch space (which is blocked from our living area by a temporary wall and boarded up because the project stalled, so we haven't been able to really inspect the work, not that I would've recognized that anyways). This was never discussed, and is unwanted. We are adding the sunporch space to our existing living room, and expect it to be a seamless (as possible) transition. Besides knocking down the wall I mentioned above, the contractor substituted a lesser rated insulation, and tried to install wood siding instead of Hardi-plank siding, both of which were included in the specifications. I'm still undecided about how best to proceed, because I no longer particularly like or trust the contractor. We haven't paid for the windows and doors, and haven't paid him for any work that he hasn't completed. We've paid for all of the work performed so far. I'm worried that there are problems we're not catching, and that even with agreeing to share some of the loss on the wrong windows, he will cut corners in the remainder of the project to re-coop his portion of the "shared" loss. He's been pressuring us to allow him to insulate and drywall the spaces, even though there aren't windows and doors in place, and it's cold and there's been a fair number of days of rain (and rain remains in the forecast). I suspect that's because the contract calls for another draw at the beginning of insulation and drywall, although he's asking for a larger draw than is allotted in the contract. (Which I obviously wouldn't agree to.) It makes me nervous that he won't agree to an in-person meeting. I was planning to use tomorrow's meeting as a barometer of how to proceed, and if we couldn't come to an agreement, to basically walk away and find another contractor to finish the job. I guess there's a "third" side to this story, but we've worked hard to be reasonable and flexible with this project. I know things don't always go perfectly as expected. But it feels like instead of meeting us halfway and trying to come up with a solution (on ANY of the issues I've mentioned), I'm constantly met with either hotheaded responses that I assume are meant to back me down, or evasiveness and stonewalling. Certainly a customer isn't supposed to simply be a doormat to be considered reasonable?