Gracie- I'll have to look into dark wood seats. That's a good idea. I'm pretty sure dh will be against it (who knew they could have such strong opinions about things like this?) but if I get a furry brown lid cover I'm sure he'd be willing to agree to wood. I've been looking at faucets as well. I'm torn between a single lever (easier for kids to get warm water) and double lever (potentially easier for kids to reach since the levers are lower but they are also further away so maybe they aren't easier to reach.) decorpas- I have 3 girls under 6. One loves pink, one loves brown, and one hasn't declared a color yet. Luckily pink and brown work quite well together. I always think it'd be great to paint strips, but once I get one color down I'm no longer quite as motivated. I am planning to add some colors on the door, though. (Sorry about the double post- its a bit comical since it let me double post my previous message but it is rejecting this message since I've already posted.)

Lavender, what a great photo! I am considering getting a wood countertop from Ikea as a DIY project. I saw the man from HGTV I hate my kitchen show install a wood countertop over a Kohler sink and think we could do this. As for beadboard, we are still considering it although our kitchen is very small and we were told it may overwhelm the space. I am afraid it may not work as a BS because of the water near the sink and our cooking habits. I do love it too so once the kitchen is done, I may find a way to get it into the dining room. 1929, I have the same concern about the depth of the screw and thickness of the cab doors. I believe DH said you can cut the screw down but what about the threads? Do you have the doorknob style (octagon-ish shape) or the one where you can see the metal smack in the center? I really like both a lot but am leading towards the one with the visible metal in the center since I have the old glass doorknobs throughout the house. We are finally getting into the fun part. Some of these decisions along the way have been dreadful for me!

Carol, My cab choice evolved. I, like so many of this forum, was dead set on a white kitchen. But I have 3 under the age of 7 and the kitchen wouldnt stand a chance. Then I went to a creamy, beige as a compromise to my white. Then I found the gray stain. I could still use other colors with it. I love the stain over the painted look too. Sorry, Im trying to buy you into the gray stain look. Yes, the rangetop goes into the island, and I have a second seating island thats curved and transitions into the living room...hopefully it comes in by Friday. Thanks for the interest!

I called a friend last night who had used this cabinet guy before. Her cabinets were done before she even started looking for knobs, then he came back and installed them. I think what he's telling me is that he needs to temporarily attach the drawer front to the box by drilling a hole where the hardware screw would go, so that he can trim any fronts, if necessary. That's why he wants to know whether I'm using knobs or pulls (1 hole or 2) and, if 2, the space between the screws. Then there's the distinct possibility that because he has a huge job starting the day after he finishes mine, he wants to drill all the holes, then send a worker back to just screw in the hardware. I don't like him pushing for an instant answer on something as expensive as hardware so this morning I'm going to push back. For those of you with custom cabinets, did your fronts have to be trimmed/adjusted on site? When were the knob/pull holes drilled?