See above on models #'s for air handler / stat: will include below: What size zone in living area? Guessing 1500 in the area this one zone will cover. All companies were in agreement with a 2 ton system. For a 2 ton, that is some very frisky pricing.: These quotes were almost $1100 below another HVAC company. Do you think this is high? Can you give the model number of the air handler quoted? Trane 7 series (TAM7AOA24H21SB) What does the quote include and complete scope of work involved? New ductwork? Air filter cabinet? What Mdl thermostat quoted? All work included, Trane 802 stat quoted. Will look into american standard. But just quotes from two companies on trane products so far. Thanks

I also like your 11/17 plan best, Mabel, although I haven't fallen in love with anything yet. You have a good size space, but because of the doorways all layouts have the kitchen scrunched up a bit. It'd be nice to unscrunch it somehow. Certainly no or minimal upper cabinets will help. In any case, I feel pretty sure that I would choose to keep the workspace opened up to the sitting room and breakfast nook so we could just get up and stroll into the kitchen and back. Regarding storage, I did my kitchen without uppers and would do it all over again. FWIW, it seems to me your initial layouts have pretty decent storage space, especially with the pantry there, and a basement or other closet for whatever only gets pulled out 2 or 3 times a year. Just musing. It sounds as if you like your pantry, but, if it's not a shed with a low ceiling, have you considered running the counter right on back into that space, gaining another more than 3 feet for...ovens, refrigerator...? That would definitely unscrunch that side of the room as it would simply keep going back there. I like that most of that corner would still not be on sight. A little mystery is good. Shallow storage could cover the opposite pantry wall. I have had 12" deep wall storage in 2 houses now and really like it. From this side of the screen, I'm liking having the refrigerator in the pantry more and more as I think about it. :). It would create a good work flow clockwise down the counter, with the island no longer a barrier. A negative, of course, would be having it that far from the dining room, but the breakfast area would have a straight line to it without crossing the stove area. Visually, getting the "elephant" out of the room would also be a very nice plus, furthering the open feeling of no uppers. That corner by the sitting room doorway could instead by occupied by a charming built in cabinet, bookcase, antique chest, extra dining chair... The ovens, of course, could go there, with the island to set on. Have you considered setting an extra oven into the island, itself, though, or? My one oven is set under the counter to the left of my stovetop, so the counter above is its landing spot. (Also, this isn't Maine. It's Georgia, and never having to work in front of it is a very good thing.) From another messy cook, talking about a sink on view in a peninsula or wherever, our sink was going just to the right of the main view line down the house. So I chose a single bowl sink 29" long and 9-1/2" deep after verifying that everything from a normal meal can disappear right into it, pots and pans included, with room to spare.

do the urns have drain holes in them ????? i would find a few plastic pots that fit into the cement ... and cycle the various pots in and out of the urns.. all season ... i would also look for 3 plants per pot ... one that trails down.. one the is vertical.. and one regular one .... what i would buy.. is based on what is locally available ... and speaking of which.. where are you.. sun intensity varies between the far north.. and the far south ... ken

Mine also have drain holes but the pot-in-pot method is just so much easier. Also easier to plant. I take the plastic pots to my potting bench and do all the planting. Then just transport the pots into the urns. It did take me a while to find two plastic pots that were the right size. So I do completely empty them and store them in the garage in the winter to try to prolong their life. Here's a picture of mine. This picture is straight down and you can see the plastic pot. But once the flowers fill in you don't see it at all from the side / front of the house vantage. Please come back and give us an update! I like to see other people's containers. I'll post a new pic of mine in a month as I hope for big progress!