I would not let anyone talk you into leaving that maple where it is. I'm overstating the point to make it so please don't be offended - but it looks ridiculous there. It would be one thing if it were rendered insignificant by other mature trees in the yard, but as it is your major tree, to have it two feet from the foundation is simply absurd. And if your neighbours complain about your insensitivity, ask how much they'd like to contribute to the replacement of your foundation, which will be losing its battle with the tree shortly, or if they're up for going up the ladder to do your quarterly eaves-cleaning (the brain wards are full of people who have fallen off their ladders cleaning their eaves). And offer to buy them a maple just like it (get it identified on the maple forum if you don't know what kind it is) to plant in their own yards. In particular given the work you are planning on the house, you can be entirely excused - the tree will be horridly in the way, and it may even die. A convenient excuse - use it! Do talk to them in advance if you know they feel strongly, but it's your yard, not theirs. Karin L PS, I do like your fake closed window. PPS, I have raised two kids in a house with old siding covered in old peeling paint (and then there is the inside). Neither one is precisely mentally handicapped. I think throwing siding away to protect them from lead is thoroughly misguided. Other reasons to throw it away may be valid, like rotting and the paint won't stay on it (though I quibble with that diagnosis). Not to say you shouldn't do what you have planned, but just to be clear on your reasons. PPPS, if you put the siding for free on craigslist, you might not have to take it to landfill.

I'm not fixated on anything. Just pointing out a fact. To paraphrase myself above I said if theses were represented as examples of what customers have done with their doors I wouldn't be commenting. Instead I'll comment on the facts and not what their perceived intention might be. Because this style door doesn't interest you (me either hence my comment "seen these looks since the eighties) doesn't change my opinion. The stained and most likely gazed doors around it are also not finishes you cannot get from them. "How do you know that someone purchasing from either Barker site aren't using a KD and professional installers? That seems like a leap." What would be the point to hire a KD and an installer? Doesn't this seriously defeat the purpose of the DIY concept. I have a different prospective. I my world there is nothing special that Barker does. They are just marketing to DIY people at retail prices. I know dozens of companies that I can outsource parts from. I'm having cabinet parts cut for me right now. My specs, any size, any material, any drilling and knotting or banding that I want. All at a fraction of what Barker charges. Same with doors. I'll say it again for some ordering from Barker is an OK option.

Venting to the outside is not generally a code requirement as far as I can tell *I am not an expert*. Where I live, even a recirculating hood isn't required, so long as you have a window that opens in the kitchen. Induction/electric ranges I haven't seen any requirements to vent to outside, but for gas, there seems to be a bit of a question... e.g. if you have a "commercial" style range vs. a "standard" gas range. So, the code requirements *might* be different for different heat sources where phamm lives. Grease/fumes notwithstanding, I was wondering just about the code requirements for outside vent, as well the safety issue with gas. If there were more stringent requirements for gas, and venting to the outdoors isn't feasible, a move to electric/induction might be worthwhile. I realize however that outside venting *may* provide better removal of odors/grease... although I think a lot of that depends on the distance to the outdoors as well as the capacity of the exhaust fan. For what it's worth, the best outdoor venting I had was the downdraft. I think it captures the grease/fumes/steam before it has any opportunity to disperse. And it was a lot quieter that the over-the-cooktop hood I had installed for a through-the-roof scenario. I have no problems using a recirculating hood now, as they have improved a lot, I prefer to do my cooking in the oven, and I don't use very much oil in cooking... but of course that is not the situation for everyone! When my current smoothtop electric cooktop dies, I am going to go with induction :) If you haven't watched the youtube videos of people putting newspapers/paper towels on the induction cooktop, deep frying food, then throwing the newspaper/paper towels away revealing a perfectly clean surface, you might want to!

I would add another window to that wall if you could . As for the hood height that is decided by the hood maker and BTW your contractor is not a designer so who designed the kitchen that is who will decide the backsplash. As much as I dislike open shelves in kitchens I think you need those or a window for balance on that wall . If you do that then I would tile the whole wall and behind the cooktop too no change in backsplash behind the cook top. Use large format glass tile with matching grout to keep it simple