Here's a closer pic I took this morning to show you the height above counter. From counter to sill bottom is 5 3/4". Top of the sill to the bottom of the outlet cover is a about 5 3/16". If I had known then what I know now, I would have ordered taller windows. When the window guy was here we talked about how the windows would be trimmed. I hadn't thought much about that as we were re-trimming the whole house so nothing to match for these new windows. My brain just couldn't get that far ahead of the process to consider even where to go to look at decent trim. So, to be safe we factored in 3" for trim. Come trim install time, my sweet carpenter left off the bottom trim piece that would have helped fill that large gap between window and marble. He said usually the area is tiled under, not trimmed. (((sigh))) Bottom line is that if I had researched trim, I would have known there wouldn't be trim under the window sill so I could have had taller windows. Live and learn. I console myself that the windows couldn't have been noticeably taller anyway and that now the tile backsplash (maybe someday I'll get to that) will be featured a little more prominently.

We went the custom route in our kitchen and we have NO regrets. We were able to talk it through with our guy and create the size WE needed, depths of the cabinets not standard because he could do what we want. As to the finish, ours used a clearcoat conversion finish, which as I understand is the industry standard. He buys his doors and drawer fronts from a mill that only sells to contractors and they are excellent quality. We were working with red birch and my husband had certain things he did not want in the grain pattern, so our contractor gave the mill his requirements and told them he'd send any doors back that didn't meet the criteria. Will Kraftmaid do that for you? I would suggest you look at my link to my nearly finished kitchen to see pix of most of the following: 1. microwave wall entirely custom 2. See the deep drawer with the Dutch oven and large metal strainer/bowl? It is 23" long. I had the space and didn't want to waste it. 2. All top drawers are a 5" deep box because I hate super shallow ones. 3. I have a split front drawer for my silverware, the top part being a separate cutting board. (Most places have a cutting board that can't be opened solo. It's nested inside the drawer). And that couldn't have been done with a typical drawer box either. Moneywise, I didn't like the entry-level stove anyway, so we kept our old one. When the time comes, hopefully I will have rebounded from the kitchen costs and buy a better one than the entry-level models. Had we been short another $1200, we would have held off on buying the fridge and stayed with our contractor. Another money question: How does Kraftmaid handle change-orders and the pricing for that? I realized after our cabinets came that one of them was not what I'd expected at all. It was my fault, really. So we decided to do a change order and eat the cost. Our cabinetmaker wanted us to be happy and went above and beyond in getting the change done and being beyond fair in what he charged us for it. Here is a link that might be useful: nearly done U kitchen

I think consistency is important, especially in a small space. If most of the finishes are chrome (what's your hardware on the vanity, by the way?), by installing a light or lights that are ORB, you are drawing attention to them and you might want to think about that. Seems like from what I've seen on the shows where people are fixing up to sell, keeping things neutral is a good way to go. And just because you can see the two lights from the LR, doesn't mean they should match; the lav and the LR are very distinct spaces, after all. If you feel its too cold in there with all chrome, perhaps warm up the space with a nice pop of color in your hand towel, mat on the floor if you are so inclined, or other small accessory. Good luck!

We just installed a higher-end Bosch dishwasher in our kitchen that had actually been sitting, all packaged up and untouched, in our garage for 2 years. It offgasses HORRIBLY. I mean, the asphalt smell is OVERWHELMING. I have an indoor air-quality monitor at home, and the VOC readings are in the 500-1000ppb range, whereas <150ppb is considered good air quality. Let that sink in. I called Bosch, and they suggested running it a few times since the bitumen sound-deadening blanket needs to "cure." I asked her how it had not cured in the 2 years it's been sitting, and she indicated it needed to heat up, which makes sense. But for God's sake! The smell makes my throat tighten (I have asthma), and from what I know of petrochemicals, it's likely that it's not healthy for indoor air quality in the long run. I ran that baby 7 times, on high heat, hoping to get the smell to reduce. No luck. What's more, a glass vase I put inside to wash (the ONLY dish I put inside, because I had a feeling) came out stinking like asphalt, too. So, anyone have a non-bitumen wrapped stainless machine? I had asked Miele a few weeks ago, and they said that they do use a little of the bitumen soundproofing, but it does not heat up, and thence does not produce fumes. I may have to go that route, because this just cannot be healthy.