Can you put the sink on the wall where you currently show the fridge/dw, moving dw to the end where the fridge is. Then fridge down beside the pantry, stove pretty much where it is. And a small prep sink on the island close to fridge end. That would make the kitchen work better re. your stated goals re. 1 cooker/baker and 1 helper/cleaner. It would let you have the ice tea maker and vitamix between fridge and stove (with water handy at the prep sink behind), keeping snackers, tea drinkers, and smoothie makers out of your main cooking/baking space. And you could use the area between range and sink as your baking area with your kitchenaid mixer and bread machine, utilizing the depth of the corner counter depth for their regular storage while still having the usable countertop in front when needed. The breville might work in that run too. It would mean you couldn't reuse your corner sink base, but it looks like you have the other corner cab by the peninsula that you could repurpose for that space. Good luck!

I'm not sure I understand what you're looking for - if you could post a picture that might help. What about taking 3.5inch casing and cutting off one inch of the outside - and then butting the two cut edges together? Depending on where the cut ends up on the profile that might work?

"but in reading through posts here I gather that its the install that is key to a good window and not necessarily the product". You should do some more reading then. The quality of the window is most certainly important. The best installation in the world will not prevent a cheap window from warping and bowing, vinyl deteriation, glass seal failures, poor energy efficiency etc. Most Pro's on here will tell you the selection of a quality window combined with a good installation are both equally important. I would also avoid anecdotal recommendations and do some research on your own. There are many good companies out there and there are also many bad ones. Sometimes positive and negative information can also be regional. There are a few manufacturers in my area who's Reps aren't even allowed through my front door, who seem to enjoy a better reputation in other areas of the country. Some of the questions you need to ask and research is material and installation warranties. How long has a particular window been on the market, what type of glass is available and what are the energy efficiency ratings on it? Do you need double or triple pane glass? What type of spacer does the window have and is this the best type? How well will the manufacturer or installer respond if you have a warranty issue? BTW, don't assume that a large heavily advertized company will give you better service or respond appropriately just because they have a national reputation. OTOH, a some smaller company might be just as bad or not even be in business in 5 years. In many cases, you will do better with a company that sells and installs the window. You may pay a little bit more, but you are more likely to get a better quality installation by an installer who is an expert on that particular window than you would with the GC using his carpenter or drywall installer to "pop a few windows in". Many windows have peculiarties that only an expert is experienced enough to deal with properly. Additionally, when it comes to warranty claims, many manufacturers will automatically blame any issues on the installation. The last place you want to be is caught in the middle of that scenario. Make sure you get all labor warranties in writing and make sure the company offering them has a good reputation and has been in business at least 10 years. Please fell free to ask any questions that come up in your research.

We DIYd our fireplace/chimney removal. We are not particularly gifted in the ways of DIY either. We did a total gut renovation on the house and our structural engineer confirmed the chimney wasn't supporting the house in any way. The fireplace was pink and huge--maybe 4x7 footprint? Our house is single level with the chimney continuing to the basement. We rented a drop box for the brick and an impact chisel from home depot to remove them. My husband started on the roof and removed brick by brick dropping them down the chimney where I'd gather them in 5 gallon buckets to take to the drop box. In all it took us a weekend and probably $500 in rental fees. The roof was repaired as part of our GCs scope of work in the remodel, so I'm not sure how much that cost, but it was a very simple patch It seems to me that chimney and fireplace removal is totally unskilled labor if it isn't holding up the house. As such, it really shouldn't cost a lot.