I showed some african violets in the spring. I think about 12-13. I didn't make the the top few, but I did pull off a few best in class. This summer I've been badly neglecting them - I am struggling with several other passions/challenges and the violets/ indoor plants are getting the short end of my time. I am at the point realizing I have more plants than I have space for but not sure which ones I want to part with. I'll have to shave down drastically to keep sane. I'm also feeling like I'm constantly fighting an uphill struggle trying to maintain the African violets and a few Streptocarpus in an environment that is hostile to them - too much light + too much heat. Light - to give an idea: Coleus grown indoors will show most of their flashy colors under the lights. (the yellow/green and pink/yellow/green tricolors, some darker ones keep their purple too.) By the window - a little faded, but still okay. Further away, they will reach for the lights. I obviously need the artificial lighting, but not sure how to regulate it for the violets. They are getting pretty bleached and curling/ pushing their leaves down/ away from the lights. I'm still having issues with them drying up too fast. I can try to resolve the light or take a few near the wall/ac but the other is just as damaging. Also I suspect they really resent the tap water and the mineral buildup that ensues rapidly. That said there are a few successes or partial successes I made over the winter - summer. One of them was I successfully sprouted geraniums from seed - speedy mix. They bloomed later than the bedding plants I bought,and still not as big. But still I did it. I am currently starting a 2nd gen from seeds I harvested from my bedding geraniums. We'll see how those survive. I hope they make it over the winter. So far they tolerate the frequent dry spells much better than the AVs. So far, I do not see the rotting issues with the seed started geraniums. I also suspect the overly bright T8 lights are what help. I successfully rooted some rex begonia leaf cuttings in water and got some pups off the stem. (now separated and waiting to see if they thrive on their own.) If rex begonia leaves thrived under the lights/ near my window, perhaps if I tried again with geranium cuttings they might grow too. I'll try that with a tricolor one.

Christine, we used pulls from that collection - the 731 and 732 in ORB (which for Schaub is more like a matte dark brown - almost black). They are expensive and I'm sure there are nice pulls that are more economical, but 6 years later we are still happy with the decision. The look and feel of the pulls was just right for what we wanted and our budget was able to accommodate the price. Amerock has a very nice brass bin pull that we considered, but it only comes in a smaller size similar to the Schaub 730 and we found the larger 731 more comfortable to use - plus with the samples next to each other mounted on one of our old drawers, we really liked the Schaub more.

Can you hear the gasps from here? Your kitchen is WOW! You have done a stellar job and clearly you don't need our help -- your taste is amazing. Amazing. I keep scrolling back up to look at your photos. Even though I just wrote you don't need our help I'll still say: -Yes, I absolutely agree with you about the 6" pulls. They look beautiful with your cabinetry (they make perfect sense, like peanut butter and jelly!) -- they're elegant and "fit" the frame of your drawer, both in terms of aesthetics and function. I think you'll really appreciate having the pulls for your drawers centered; that's a comfort thing. But in terms of how it looks, I wrote it before and I'll write it again: WOW! -The glass knobs looks perfect, and I'm so excited you found the other source for the 1.25" knob! -Your countertop and backsplash materials are fabulous. Thank you so much for including a photo of them so we can all see your vision. You are doing great! -About the cup pulls: I think once everything is in place (and by this I mean the cabinets / appliances in) your gifted eye will tell you if, given the layout of your room, the cup pulls will make sense. I happen to love the idea to, as you wrote, change it up a bit. That cabinetry serves a different function and will have different things on it (meaning: not food prep), so I think to the eye having different pulls will make sense. Would you do them in the polished nickel as well? Speaking of polished nickel, I want to tell you how easy it is to keep clean. I know there have been other posts talking about it's better to get brushed nickel because it won't show the fingerprints, etc. Well, I have two toddlers under age four, plus my husband and I are a bit messy as well (ahem), and you have to really, really look for the smudges / fingerprints. Honestly, the polished nickel does NOT show everything -- actually, hardly anything! The only times I've actually wiped them down is when I've taken photos of something in the kitchen for here on GW, and that's always been a preventive, just in case the peanut butter hands show up in the photos .... I am so relieved I went with the polished nickel because I think it makes the room sing. Your kitchen is beautiful! Thank you so much, jen, for the pictures. Loved seeing them. Loved them!

Folks, This may be one of those situations where images on a website cannot do justice to the physical tone of being in the room. I recognize that looking at the pictures on the website make all of my choices look like a motley collection of clowns. And then there is my sweeby mission statement about "cool" kitchens that I still stand by. To explain this in the context of my kitchen, let me share how it feels to be in the kitchen. Our home is in northern California near San Francisco which is quite a bit different from general image of sunny LA or San Diego. It is said that Mark Twain once said that "the coldest winter I have ever spent was a summer in San Francisco". The marine influence here means that it is common to have 70 to 75 degrees in middle of summer. When the east coast was broiling this summer, we had 68-72 degree days. Then there is my house which is adobe.. This means the super thick bricks have to warm up first before the air inside the house begins to warm up.. It is usually a good 10 degrees cooler inside than outside. We in fact put in heated floors just for this reason. Then there is quality of light.. The banquette on the end of the galley is east facing but quite heavily shaded and the light is filtered and cool. The side of the galley with the doors and windows that opens to the courtyard is south facing but has a very deep eaves (around 7 ft) so the light here is very filtered as well. The only bright light source is the two new skylights. It is hard to show the quality of light with photos taken with my iPad. Then my "clown" choices... If I use light colors in the room, they do not actually lighten the room.. They just seem pale and flat. But stronger, brighter colors almost seem to glow and IMHO do not look garish or loud but rather brighten the space. If look at colors used in regions of the world where brick and clay is used for construction, they also use stronger hues and multiple colors..like encaustic moorish tiles and bright colorful Mexican kitchens.. I feel that if the stage is cleared for one prima donna clown (a la the hood) and the rest sort of disappears in a forgettable background chorus.. the. end resut is very lopsided. Having a few strong elements I think balances and makes the end result better.. The trick here is whether they are harmonious or competing. I am striving for harmony but with stronger colors.. I know color is a very very personal choice and I am not defending my choices but rather I felt I should contribute to this dialogue on color in the context of my darker kitchen with very filtered light. Many of the lovely kitchens here are blessed with lovely counter height windows and bright sunlight.. But a kitchen like mine is different and brighter colors may be an appropriate palette.. Anyways.. Just want to share my thinking ..