Sorry all - I let this thread slip through the cracks while I've been busy or else concentrating on other things! Profrip - The middle of the room pendant that i have now isn't meant to be anything too permanent. I do love that disc/flying saucer look - whether it's turn of century or 1950's diner. I guess it reminds me of the funky huge red one my mom had in our bright yellow and red and orange Matisse-inspired kitchen in the 1970's! But that particular pendant in my kitchen was cheap and too modern (not that I mind inexpensive)! So am I correct to assume then that the general idea is that if you have a pendant or two above the sink, it's generally good to have recessed in the center of the room or else the opposite? Generally speaking? I wish I knew how long I'll keep that pot hanger in the center of the room above the island. I know most people don't do that now but it IS very convenient. I thought I could get rid of it and get the wall pot hanger style to put next to my stove, thereby freeing up the center of the room more...but if I move the stove where I might move it, there will no longer be a wall just to the side of it as there is now...in which case the pot hanger would have to go on the wall behind the counter to the right of the stove which I imagine would mean I'd have to reach over a ways? Plus another convenience of it being in the center of the room is that it's close to the sink for filling w/ water. Those w/ pot-filling faucets wouldn't have to worry about that, obviously, but I don't have one! Where did they put pots in 1913 I wonder? On an open shelf? On a wall hanger? I know a few hundred years ago they went over the island. It sounds like talking to a real lighting person would be a good idea for your space. Have you done that since you last posted here? Thank you for the warm welcome to NYC! :) I somehow believe you that New Yorkers would be perfectly nice to strangers. Well, what do I know! I love your description of your earliest memories of it. Someday...I'm determined...someday! As for that last link you posted: I think those lights are kid of strange! The row of them in the background is just a bit odd to me - but there are some things I really like about that kitchen. EVERY SINGLE TIME I see wooden counters I drool. I love the look of American cherry but it's too soft, and all the hard woods I could find were either too light to me or else too red - or else too stripy - or both. The nice brown woods w/ just a hint of red/orange, e.g. Pacific Madrone, are too stripy.

Wow, lots of great feedback! Cookcarpenter, yes I am going with the Bluestar RNB in brick red. I agree with all of you who said that white does not necessarily fit into a higher end kitchen, I am just trying to find another solution other than SS. I am not sure if I like the idea of a black refrigerator and dishwasher, I would prefer SS over black. Paneled might be okay. Cpartist, great pictures! Thank you for posting them. Hehehe, maybe that is what I need to start drinking to get through this house project. ;-) Lots to think about. Thank you everyone!

You won't need a curb, or much of one. with all that extra depth even if you make it flush. You have room to slope it properly. i would build a knee wall to just above doorknob height and put fixed glass above that and a swinging door in the rest of the opening. And offset the controls so they can be reached easily from outside.

Ditto what Fori said. The two faucets that will be in very close proximity at the main sink really need to have similar looks. They don't need to be the same brand, but should "go" with each other and definitely share the same finish. On the other hand, prep sinks are typically at quite a distance from the main sink, so one can get away with having a totally different faucet shape and I've seen kitchens where the prep faucets had different finishes from the main faucets, and yet they looked just right. I think for this to work, it depends on the overall kitchen design, counters, cabinets, everything. We decided against a prep sink, so we were spared that decision, but for us, finding a water dispenser to go with the L-shaped Grohe Minta I had my heart set on, was an incredibly frustrating experience. I spent hours online, trying to find a dispenser with a similar design, but all I could find was a chinese made faucet that was sold under different brand names. I couldn't even find out if that faucet was lead free, nor of course, was it certified to be installed in the US. So we almost gave up on using the Grohe, when at some point I realized that instead of a water dispenser, we could just as well install a lead free bathroom faucet of a similar shape to the Grohe. All we had to do is connect both cold and hot water intake hoses to the filter system. This lets cold drinking water flow at every handle position. So glad we did, as I absolutely love the understated look of the Grohe Minta and how it handles. I'm also really happy that we installed both faucets with the handles turned to the front. It makes it easy to turn them on and off with either the left or right hand, which both DH and I find to be really useful.