Hi everyone. I've been trying to get paying work done (I freelance), but I've had more ideas bouncing around my head. I'm liking what we all came up with for the island/table configuration. But, I really want to move the wall. I think it just opens up many options for the kitchen. I talked to the engineer today and am setting up an appt for him to evaluate next week. I also talked to a framer that a full-service firm who didn't want my small job referred me to. He does nothing but framing for builders and remodelers. He told me "realistically anywhere from $1500 to $3k" and he knows about pouring new footers if needed and building temp support walls on all 3 floors while the new support is being built. IF it is under $5k altogether to move the walls, then I'll do it. Our cabinets will come in at under $5k, so I figure for the $10k lots of folks in our neighborhood spend on cabinets at Home Depot, I'm getting the layout I really want. So here is my latest plan (number 472 I think ;-) Janet--I got you some landing space for the ovens! Which is now also a beverage center outside the main work space, so I think that is good placement for kids to grab something and for adults at parties. All my wine glasses can go in the cab above. The micro is there as well. The micro might be better inside my L space, but this way, it's pretty convenient to getting heated stuff to the table. And we use it mostly for steaming veggies or heating up leftovers, so things usually go from micro to table. Plus there is more storage space with that unit. I appreciate the feedback on the corner, but I like this cabinet versus the 36" lazy Susan (which I think should be renamed the "go-getter Susan" ;-). I don't like the piano hinge door on the Susan cab--I can see my kids banging it around and scratching up the cabinets around it will get banged up too. That IKEA corner unit has a door and it is just two half moon shelves that swing out. It may not hold as much, but I found it pretty handy to use. Plus, it gives me a drawer right there by the cooktop which the Susan doesn't have. Another thing I realized is that the DR door shouldn't be centered on the wall--it needs to stay near where it is now. Even though I think it looks more aesthetically pleasing to be centered, that door is a direct pathway into the kitchen and we don't need to be maneuvering around the dining room table. LavenderLass--you may have missed this in my earlier verbose posts, but I already have most of the appliances in the basement. They were a great deal from a fancy appliance store that went out of business. So, it's putting the cart before the horse, but I'm trying to work it all in. Thank you for helping me out on the window--I'm definitely going to find out the costs on that one. It would look much more upscale. I'll check in after I've met with the engineer and get more precise bids on the wall. Keep your fingers crossed. Thanks to everyone for your encouragement and suggestions so far. Susan Layout number 472: View of the DR wall for this plan:

LOL! Thank you. Yes, pretty much all of them, except the climbers, Hugonis, Roxburghii and the Ausins (which aren't worth the effort in this climate) are now moved to new homes. Engineered soil requires mechanical digging to excavte a hole. Refill it with the native, unamended soil and plant on top of the uncompacted mound. It will settle with time and the "bucket" you've created will eventually collect water. The difference is, that is all very much inorganic sub soil which often has ground water in it. Inorganic material doesn't sour when submerged under water. The deeper tap and anchor roots of pretty much any plant is suited to finding that kind of water and making good use of it. The feeder roots remain in the upper inches which are initially above grade but which will settle with time to about the soil grade level, and will spread out in the upper layer of "top soil" always installed over the engineered soil. That's the issue with planting trees in the stuff. The builders place a thin (often much less than a foot) of "top soil" (read "dirt") over the engineered soil bed then plant in excavated holes which the roots can't penetrate due to lack of air space and drainage. The tree roots grow to the surface where there is oxygen and where they splay out under the turf, resulting in surface roots running in all directions. Some tree and shrubs generate them naturally, such as liquid amber and pepper trees. When planted in engineered soil, their bad traits are exacerbated to the extreme. I plan to have them mechanically removed and the soil excavated to create a bed of loosened sub soil. All organics will go on top of that layer where they will break down and condtion the loosened sub soil as they digest. White Birch? Nope. Hateful things. Not that they aren't "pretty", but they are much prettier where they are suited, meaning where there isn't aridity, alkalinity and saltiness and where there aren't drying winds and extreme sun and heat. They like cooler, damper climates where their foliage doesn't fry easily, much like avocados and Japanese Maples do. Birches generate a tremendously thick, dense, fibrous root mass under the turf, very much like a carpet backing. I've dealt with many people who love the look of the birches and who virtually always want pansies planted around their trunks to flush out the "Connecticut in the desert" look they desire. Try it once. It doesn't succeed here. The only way to accomplish it is to create a planter around the trunks using large stones; lay in a heavy plastic liner and fill it with potting soil. The stones hold it in place and hide the edges of the plastic from view and support the soil. Do NOT puncture the plastic sheeting or the tree roots will inflitrate the potting soil in a matter of weeks, destroying the whole project. Then plant the annuals you want in the potting soil. IF you're lucky, it will take a year for the tree roots to grow up between the stones and the plastic liner before they infiltrate the soil in it and kill the annuals. I've repeated that process around the same birch trees for the past eight or so years and it has worked as long as there are no drainage holes to give access to the tree roots. When you replant, you often have to rip it all apart and surgically remove the tree root infested root ball, cutting it away from the ground, then replacing the stones and a new liner with new soil and new plants. Because the surface of the makeshift planter is wide enough and it isn't deep, any water that fills the bottom of the liner is either utilized by the annuals, or evaporates quickly enough to prevent it from souring. I have seen that birch root mass literally expand, pushing Schedule 40 PVC sprinkler lines to the point of shattering. Their roots are perfect for stabilizing creek banks, nearly eliminating erosion. They aren't good to deal with in any area you hope to be able to actually PLANT anything in. If the trees are young, without a great deal of spread yet, you can establish beds of agapanthus or other invasive types and they can do battle quite effectively with the tree roots. A friend has that combination around the front of his home where they have successfully growth together for over thirty years. But once the trees are established and those bloody roots have generated their characteristic mass, you are NOT getting a shovel into the ground from outside their drip zones anywhere near the trunks. Hateful things. Kim

Sorry for such a long time without a responds. Three things happened that have changed my situation. First, my boss has announced his departure. With his leave, I have been offered a contract to keep my position until the beginning of 2018, where we will review from there. It is my opinion that I will be moving away from CT in 2018. Next, CT's 3rd largest employer just announced they are leaving the state for MA. CT is now suggesting we raise taxes to recover the amount leaving. This includes 13 cents per gallon gas and a property tax increase. Quote from the webpage the cheat sheet, " A recent report from the Department of Revenue Services shows Connecticut taxpayers pay more in local property taxes than any other taxes, including income taxes." The other thing was a shooting right by a high school in Newtown (I have no idea if it made national news). No one was hurt, but we are expecting to see another slump in our market. I have been advised than to wait until after the election to do any major remodel to have a better gauge on the market. I appreciate all the help, and once I get some security with my future plans, I am sure I will be back on.

If you pay them they will never come back to fix this. Doubtful the warranty would cover what you described. I understand your frustration. You signed off on the fixtures you picked and then they went and installed the wrong thing. That is their fault not yours. In today's building world no one wants to admit they have made a mistake or take the time and pay the money to redo what they got wrong especially at the very end of a project. If you absolutely can't live without your modern shower fixtures then I would contact a construction lawyer. However a $5000 fix might turn into $8000 when you start paying attorney fees. If they agree to fix it make sure it is in writing and includes pictures of what they will replace.