Ah, what a difference a day makes!! I feel so much better after meeting with the cabinet guy this morning. My husband, our builder, and I were with him for over 2 hours and we got so much accomplished!!! Remember I'm new at this, so I apologize if I seem to be jumping all over the place with my ideas and questions. I'm just trying to get as much information as humanly possible so that I get the kitchen I really want. I posted my "before" pictures over on the Gallery. I've lived with - and hated - a full breakfast room of knotty pine for the last 15 years. I'm trying to be very careful to figure out what I MUST have (my non-negotiables) and what I can put on the table to bargain with (my negotiables.) Basically, this guy was able to understand exactly what I was going for, and he had wonderful suggestions. (My builder told me we would love him!) Bottom line is I'm now getting 2 different cabinet colors (Sage Colourtone with coffee glaze, and Chesapeake with no glaze) and an island (which I didn't think would fit.) I didn't want to go with 2 different colors strictly on the cabinets. Having the island makes all the difference in the world for me. He also figured out a way to incorporate a bookshelf type unit in a very awkward short-walled corner that we were concerned about. Really, I'm so excited to see the plans he comes up with. He knows the budget we're working with, so I've just got the fingers crossed that nothing we did will really raise the price. (I was very open with him about the things that I can let go of and what I can't...you know, that negotiable and non-negotiable thing again.) After looking at the pictures on the soffit threads, I feel better about that. We're not even sure if we have to have the soffits or not. Won't know until he guts the room. I think the farmhouse sinks are more money than I want to spend. I like the look, but it's not something I can't live without. And the island will definitely be one height. Well, I feel like these issues are settled, but I'm pretty darn sure there will be many, many, many more to come!! Thanks. (BTW - my husband told me he has never seen me glued to my laptop as much as I have been this week. Thanks goodness the school break is over on Monday and I'll be back at work. I don't this this type of obsession is healthy!!!) Here is a link that might be useful: 2 cabinet colors

I would keep the peninsula, but I would not put uppers over it. Place a base unit with a lazy Susan/pullout in the corner and have the rest of the peninsula be made of base cabinets with drawers. Do not hang any upper cabinets that will interfere with sitting at the peninsula, which you will do more often once the tv goes on that wall. For the base cabinets in other parts of the kitchen, use as many drawers as you can as I find drawers store more stuff than just doors, especially if I have to bend down. If you still need those upper cabinets with a functional corner base and drawer bases, then there is a chance you might have too much stuff :)

My peninsula is staying the same size. I'll be removing approx. 15 sq. ft. of solid visual blockage above it, so I can't imagine the pendants will be perceived as in the way. I agree with jillandmatt that they'll be a bit like a cute pair of earrings, an accessory that adds light to the peninsula. suzannesl, my peninsula is just 5 ft. long, so it may be that two pendants will suffice. I just have a desire for three, but if three is one too many, I'll go with two. I'm considering one of these shapes (not sure of glass color). Possibly hanging from a rail.

Thank you, everyone, for taking a look. :) I'll try to answer all of your inquiries to help with the advice. I'm attaching a photo of the room on the other side of the diagonal wall. If you shoot through the small door in the kitchen you hit the dining room. If you go left it's the living room. I'm probably going to leave the diagonal wall as it makes the living room less boxy. I've swapped all the flooring to wood-look, hand-scraped tile. I wanted hardwood but wanted bullet proof tile for my dog. The picture shows the installation. I haven't finished the kitchen floor but all of the other rooms are done. I'm adding 4" baseboard molding and painting it Farrow and Ball's All White. I'm looking for a beach, light blue with depth for the kitchen/family room. The cabinets are maple and in good shape. It makes it hard to donate/toss them. The family that had the house before me took the refrigerator and the microwave did not work so I purchased Kitchenaid counter-depth appliance in stainless. My Mom felt the built in oven was too small and so I purchased a down draft oven to replace the cook top. I already have to do some electrical there to move the extra wattage. My Dad is an electrical engineer so he can help with that. I would probably put the sink in the island and so I would have to move the plumbing. The good news is that I can almost stand up in the crawl space so hopefully that will make it a little easier. Because of the changes I'm already going to have to replace some of the cabinets... The granite. It's kind of pink/salmon with black and it is on every cabinet surface throughout the house. :0 I would like to swap this with Carrera marble and tile the black splash. I'm hoping the original granite can also be donated. I really want a timeless classic look. I priced inset cabinets (including the island) I think through the cabinet joint and they came in at around $15k. I think they were MDF and I really wanted wood. I haven't decided on a sink. I was concerned that farmhouse sinks were trendy but they seem to be staying around. :) The house theme is modern cape cod. So for the island option it would probably cost $22k. I priced cabinets at Home Depot (non-inset) and they came in around $5k. So less expensive cabinets would bring me in at $12k. If I leave the layout, paint the cabinets, order the replacement ones I need, swap the counter top and backsplash it would probably be around $7k. It's a pretty big difference in dollars. I also don't know if at some point if I would rent the house out. I don't know how bad a kitchen would take a hit. That's about it for now. Thank you again and please let me know if you have any other suggestions. :)