Boy, I hope you are wrong about that, The Elux Speed oven being discontinued. It does say that on the AJMadison site, but if you goggle Electrolux Icon, it still shows on the Electrolux Icon site. There are still plenty of stores that have them, too. I've had mine for over 8 years now, and except for a screw coming loose for the handle, It has been trouble free. It is our most used appliance. It however can NOT be mounted below counter. The Miele Speed oven does broil, and the Elux does not, as the heaters in the Elux speed oven are covered with slotted holes. It is however much easier to operate than the Miele, pretty "intuitive", and it has fully automatic modes, if you choose to use it that way!!!j Example, choose baked potatoes, it asks "how many", you answer, it sets up the preheat time and temp,it sets the ratio of nuking to convection baking, it sets the cooking time. It beeps when the preheat is done, and the display says install the food. To use it as a microwave, just enter the time and push start, which even lites up green. You have to pay extra for the automatic version in the Miele, Chef "something or other as I recall". Well, I sure hope you are wrong about it being discontinued, I sure like mine and would not know what to do without it ~~~~maybe "Head for the Old Folks Home!!!! Gary

Wow, that is shaping up nicely. I'm loving your stately use of gray! This is making me wish for my planned gray Ikea kitchen. Can I ask what color paint you used? It seems to harmonize well with the cabinets, and I'm looking for color matches...

isn't that some sort of code violation? no egress from the basement? but to answer your question, of course white would work. So would wood or any other color. It just depends on the overall look you wish to achieve. Decent lighting will mitigate the lack of sunlight.

i had a kitchenette in my basement in my prior house. I put in a 24" sink with a cutting board top. i went with an apartment size 24" fridge. I feel you get more for your money with a full size fridge than undercounter models. I think undercounter models look nicer for an entertainment space though since it feels less kitcheny. Do you need an oven? if not, you could go with a a cooktop and won't have issues putting it at the end of your cabinet run, plus have storage space underneath the cooktop for pots and pans. Or you can forgo a stove and get an induction burner that you can put away in a cabinet and take out for the few times it is needed. A induction burner, plus an air fryer toaster oven, an instapot, and a microwave are awesome replacements to a stove, IMO and can all be stowed away when not in use. a single dishwasher drawer is also nice to have, or you can get an 18" dishwasher also.