I tried recently and could not find one that was simple and would work the way I wanted it to. I ended up with online graph paper and making my mockup using the "paint" program. I would fill each box with the fill tool for color and made each square 1 inch. Since my tiles are all bigger than 1 inch, I would erase the lines and leave an outline for each tile. Not the fastest method, but it worked.

Power and heat on again last night! Today I sorted through all the stuff removed from the shelves at the top of the basement steps. Everything was freshly painted last weekend and looks so much better, thanks to DH. Still need to do some organizing of the area -- drilling holes for all the computer stuff, wires and chargers, printer, etc. And more nails and hooks on the wall to hang all the stuff we use often -- vacuum cleaner, cleaning supplies, cat litter stuff. It's such a small area, but serves multiple functions. The Sunbeam Mixmaster is back in its home in the cabinet. Isn't it funny that once I seriously considered parting with it, now I'm thrilled all over again to have it! Instead, I have pulled out all the vintage crockery, pottery and casserole dishes and will make an attempt to use items in other rooms, as you suggested. I already put pens and pencils in a small pitcher (after putting a piece of cork in the bottom to protect from ink) so it's no longer hogging cabinet space, and I get to see it when I use our new mini office. I have done a small evaluation of how we cook day-today, for smaller gatherings, and for a couple of large annual parties. I think these large events are what make me think I need lots of prep and serving dishes/bowls, but the truth is I don't need everything. My main concern is that I have to have enough prep bowls so that I can just throw them in the dishwasher and not have to worry about washing them so I can serve food. Also, I'm going to get a casserole dish with a lid that's just a little larger than anything I have right now, maybe something that can go from stovetop to oven. The one thing Alton Brown's book made me realize is how little I know about the science of cooking, which is something I've always liked about his TV show. I inherited or haphazardly bought my kitchen stuff (often second-hand) without any thought to why certain types of materials or designs are efficient or ideal for certain tasks. I'm looking forward to reading more and determining the kinds of tools, pots, and small appliances that may be more helpful than my current mish mash of stuff. I think it will be fun to have things I enjoy using and will gladly part with stuff I've been hanging on to for no other reason than that I've hung on to them for this long. I'll post some pics when I get finished with my projects. Thanks again for everyone's suggestions. You've been really helpful. Tina

We had some hiccups. This is week 2 of the project, demo was last Wednesday. However, this is only day 5 of work although it should be day 10 of work. I had deliveries scheduled and nobody was on site for several days. I had a palette delivered yesterday and the GC took about an hour to arrive to collect it from the sidewalk. We had a previously scheduled onsite meeting to go over questions so I presumed the crew would be there all day. Luckily, we live in a gated community and the property manager allowed me leave the palette in front of the building. He says we are still on schedule despite them not working for 5 of the 10 days. The crew is there today doing electrical work. The architect is coming by in a few days to inspect.

Update: The pyrolave is a match. We will meet with the carpenter in 2 weeks. We are planning to repaint the cabinets. They are 20 years old now so as much as it pains me to paint over something that is working I think it will make everything more cohesive and it's probably "time" to paint the cabinets. We are considering BM Edgecomb Gray which seems to work with the countertops. The actual limited painted kitchen walls are currently BM Navajo White. I think that will still work. I may have to repaint trim and the ceiling. From what I have found on line it sounds like BM Dove White is a good choice. It's all northern exposure. I am leaning toward a stained island but using pyrolave for all the countertops. I am also considering a painted island. I think the stain may warm up all that stone. Question now: We cannot match exactly the marble tile and we are putting in one little section of open shelves in place of the hutch (over the new counter). Should we just have a painted wall behind the shelves or try to get some sort of matching tile to the kitchen tile across the room? Or should we use the countertop pyrolave as a small back splash? Do we paint the coffered ceiling beams to match the cabinets?