earth_pal, I would appreciate a chance to ask you about your kiln installation. You don't have an email link on GW, but could you possibly send me an email via my GW email link? Alternatively, I'm going to start a thread in the pottery forum in the next day, in case you ever check in there. davidro1, I've sent you an email. Thanks. riverspots, I've looked at the total BTU output because that matters for venting and heating up the room. I see your point that the temperature of each adjacent combustible object matters for ignition. Those temps won't get anywhere near that high as there will be nothing combustible within at least a couple of feet (other than my legs). The nearest cabinet will be appx 24'' away. If I did put a ''landing space'' counter next to the range, it would be a small steel filler table. For reference, ignition temp of wood is >420F and of grease/oil is appx 700F. brickton, growlery's point that smooth surfaces are easier to keep grease-free makes a lot of sense to me. The brick would work for a woodstove, but (from the research I've done) you still need concrete board/fire board and an air gap behind that.

I'm open to streamlining some of my dishes, mugs, etc. However, my immediate concern is about the fridge, and how goofy it might look sticking out on the new wall. My current fridge is 32" deep. I paid $800 in 2006. I really want to get a much bigger one with the freezer on the bottom and the french doors on the top. I feel like I got my money's worth out of it, and will find a good home for it. I will have to masking-tape out the counter & fridge. I really want more freezer space (that's why I'm open to getting a new fridge). I even considered a small separate freezer but the smaller ones are not automatic-defrost, and I don't want to empty it twice a year, and deal with the water (not having a drain). As mentioned above, maybe a fridge that doesn't extend too much beyond the counter might be better, but I'm not sure how much more freezer space that will give me. I need to research how much capacity my current one is for reference. I looked through it's manual but don't see it referenced. I also need to use the ikea configurator and fully populate the space, and see how much room I want to allocate to trash in the corner. Thanks again for everyone's interest and great ideas! This forum has really been invaluable ! Mike

Yes, I painted my interiors white six years ago and they are still beautiful. I refinished the outsides still on the walls (that was the hardest part), removed the shelving and painted the insides with white semi-gloss latex, then painted the shelves and covered them in white contact paper. We had to have new doors made because I sanded through the veneer. Oops! I had to talk myself into painting the interior, but I'm very glad I did. Maintenance is a breeze, and they always look clean. Plus, it was surprisingly easy to do, once I got started. Some awkward angles, but no edging to worry about. You'll be glad you did it, especially since your exteriors will be painted. I salute you for building your own! Sherry

Oh thank you aliris19. I just thought of some thing on my project. Those 6 by 6 tiles are 1/4 inch thick so I needed the thinner mirror behind the glass bits to bring them up to the proper height. If I were using regular 1/8 stained glass I would also use the 1/8 inch mirror against 1/4 inch tiles. I know my work is kind of insane says she smiling. It is not for the faint of heart. I suppose some day I will be known not only as the crazy cat lady but the crazy glass lady too. Good thing we have a strong foundation on this place. Oldbat2be I did not mean to take over your thread. Sorry. I will go now. FYI It is fun being an old bat I have had experience. :^)