Please do not change a thing about the fireplace itself, it is gorgeous, including the stone mantle. Your floors are gorgeous too -- warm, and the warm colors in the FP, oh my goodness what I'd give to have a FP in my kitchen like that. I agree with others that what you've got on it is too small and too much, also too horizontal. You need (a) vertical thrust (b) simplicity (c) largeness. On either (or both) side(s), what do you think about a large vertical oil painting (or canvas transfer of oil painting) -- NO GLASS, just a framed oil, leaned against the wall, flanked by a pair of large topiaries or candles or wood candelabre (something of a soft material, not metallic or glass, since you have a lot of "hard" going on there with all the brick and stone. I know this is simple, but simple is often good, especially when the fireplace makes such a grand statement all on its own -- so much so that you could practically leave it completely undecorated and it would say enough! The only thing that bothers me a teensy bit is the exposed black firebox and I'm wondering about a simple (but beefy) fireplace screen in front of it. But even so, the rest of the composition says so much that this little point doesn't matter much.

Lol, at the belly flop mental image! Ok, if I have to ask my DH or contractor to measure my armspan in relation to the kitchen project, they are really going to lose it, they already think I am crazy enough! I get it though, and its a totally practical concern. (Little Fishies, do you have irregularly long arms?!) My contractor did say he thinks they can frame it in to get it a bit less deep, the carpenter will know more. Justmake it, your window is beautiful. Your cabinets look great too. Are you going to have casing around the bump out? Are you putting uppers next to the bump out? I'm trying to decide how much room I need to leave next to where the bump out starts before I start a cabinet. I'm going to check that out on other posts showing these windows. Little Fishies thanks for posting that. When it comes time to order I'm sure it will be helpful. Thanks again!

Pipdog - Sorry, I missed your earlier post. That house was the inspiration for one of my neighbor's remodels! Interestingly, they painted everything white BUT the fireplace and put in similar light wood flooring. Their fireplace is on an outer wall, not in the center, so it doesn't really stick out. Palimpsest - LOL on the mullet. I admit, I did have a mullet haircut 5(?) years ago when they were back in style, and DH had the faux-hawk. But hair is temporary by its nature, and I like looking silly. :) I didn't mean to be dismissive of "whatever this is" but I honestly don't know what to call it. I'm a big fan of modernism, and I'm clueless when it comes to transitional decor. I understand modern design principles, but ask me which chair goes with which table in a transitional home and I'm at a loss. And I'm really not a preservationist. We are making significant changes. The siding is definitely not original (I'd argue better than the stucco). We're updating the kitchen and baths, removing walls, etc. And our furniture is definitely not period correct. The house I posted above with the metal sheets is from a Dwell home tour and dubbed the "Hyper Eichler" by the architect. He approached the update by considering what the architects / builder might have done if the materials and building technology of today was available back then. I think it stays true even with the numerous changes from the original finishes, and I try to keep this approach in mind. Marcolo - I don't know that wanting to paint a fireplace or making any non-standard MCM chalterations is necessarily due to a lack of appreciation or trend following. Most of my neighbors truly believe they appreciate the MCM nature of their homes and probably wouldn't know a current trend if it hit them in the face, but they make all kinds of changes that purists would cringe at: granite counters, shaker cabinets, atrium conversion, fireplace removal, wood flooring, etc etc etc. A lot of it is due to tweaking their homes for their lifestyle (fireplace in the way, needed sq footage from atrium), or something I often hear is the emphasis on natural materials (granite counters, wood floors) despite the fact they're replacing formica and VCT.

Dan, you sound like my DH (dear husband). He’s more interested in how things function, what they are made of and how they are put together. I’m grateful for that and our choices have been guided by his ability to research and comprehend : ) We have the Fisher Paykel DD24DHTI9N model, just the one. The top drawer is taller than the bottom. The dishwasher was the last appliance we chose, and for me, the most difficult. I was leaning toward Miele until I started reading issues with them here on GW/Houzz. Which lead me to Bosch. I could not commit as it was a bit smaller than our Kitchenaide, and I'd finally gone beyond the rabbit hole and was proceeding to Dante’s 9 circles of $ell. This will be lengthy, but I’ll take you through the thought process and why I love my FP. I had a large Kitchenaide DW prior. It’s just DH and I, but I cook a lot – and many of my items are large (stock pots, et al). And I can be messy. And I use more pots and pans than any normal person should, every single day. So a lot of handwashing, which we both hate. DH found the FP drawers first and my initial thought was NO! Finally, I packed 3 large boxes of pots, pans, dishes, glasses, and whatnots and took them to the appliance store. Loaded the FP, without folding tines, adjusting anything, or removing removable tines. I was pleasantly surprised (and apparently the only person to ever bring in their cookware and dishes to that appliance store, so they use me as an example when customers ask about the drawers). I measured everything as well. Home again I loaded the Kitchenaide, and it wouldn’t hold as much as the 2 DD’s. I’m not kidding, but then again, perhaps my items differ from others. The one rack I knew I would not use in either the Miele or Bosch were the top, 3rd silverware racks. I am not patient enough to place each utensil in a slot and didn’t want to just ‘lay them in’ as I knew any spoon left upright would have a puddle inside. I prefer baskets. Everything comes out nice and dry. I hate unloading the DW as well. Abhor it. As I used my pots/pans almost daily, they didn’t get loaded into the Kitchenaide, and by the time we did fill it with other items a week would pass, and it’d take me forever to unload the darn thing. Present Day: We load the FP daily with everything (yes, they are quiet!). I primarily use the upper drawer as it’s easier and larger, and as you have one, you know how lovely it is not to have to lean so far over to place and retrieve items. Since it’s a smaller daily load, it takes minutes to unload and put items away. We run the lower drawer once weekly to keep it ‘alive’. I love that the tines are completely adjustable, those that aren’t are easily removed to make way for large pots. EDITED TO CORRECT: All the tines are adjustable (narrow to wide spacing, and the other two rows fold down, and one row is also removable). My teppanyaki and large griddle fit snugly, but fit, and if there is flow-over into the bottom drawer, no problem, we just run that one too. Life is far better in our household with the FP Double DD’s. I’ve read, over and over, in trusted posts and sites, the FP’s won’t give you issues if you have them installed correctly. DH installed ours. Love the knock to pause feature (works at any point in the cycles), and I love the way they look – less dishwasher-y. In short, I love the DD's because the top drawer is so easy to load/unload (the bottom drawer is not hard to load), we put everything in them, daily, therefore less handwashing, faster unloading. I'm limber but my back is hugely appreciative for the top drawer. Cleaning and drying is wonderful, they are quiet, they are incredibly adjustable, and they don't look like a dishwasher. And you probably wish I'd only typed that last paragraph : ) Good luck with your choices!