For your project to succeed (fiscally and functionally) you need a talented architect and perhaps a structural engineer. What exists between tear down and do nothing? A world of possibilities. I am a preservation carpenter. I am privileged to have worked with some wonderful homeowners (and many less than!). When they are really committed to the project, wonderful things can happen. In this example, and architect had been retained, but facts on the ground presented themselves as we tore into the building that actually made it more desirable to abandon the 1920's remodeling to an "open concept" and replace the walls as they had been built in 1817. The structure of the house had been severely compromised by the "opening up" of the rooms. Who'da think? There was a 7" sag in this poplar summer-beam. It is the attic floor. It got a steel I-beam dividing it into two half-spans. The second floor framing was all sistered, and four steel columns support the deck. The first floor framing was entirely replaced, and eight footings for posts to support it were added in the basement. A new ledger was bolted to the masonry walls front and rear. The end result: This work also added three new full baths, reframed the entire roof (from beneath, as the standing seam metal roofs were only 10 years old). No kitchen work (except paint, new disposal, some plumbing repairs to tie in to the rest of the house, as that was completely new). The finishes included some very nice touches; Central A/C, keeping the old hot-water radiators; Original windows kept, weatherstripped with spring bronze and new locks; millwork to match original profiles; the old first floor boards all were carefully taken up, re-milled, and re-installed with some new reclaimed heart pine worked in. The second and attic floors were retained in place and just cleaned and waxed. We were able to pull this house back from the brink, literally. It was collapsing in the very center. All this was accomplished for 1/3 the cost of the house. That made good economic sense for the homeowners (and the historic tax credit doesn't hurt either). The house is in a village that is entirely a National Historic _Lamdmark_ district. And the work had to be approved for its authenticity and appropriateness. So even this level of gutting/restoration to an authentic prior appearance _can be done_ if it's carried out by thoughtful and skilled people. Banish the thought from your head that "it can't be that bad" because it probably is worse. Casey Here is a link that might be useful: Photobucket of this house, others

After not having a dishwasher for the first 28years of my life and spending 30+ minutes a day doing dishes (I cook a lot), I have been using my new dishwasher for 2 months and hope to never go without one again!! I am slightly confused about people's comments about the water/ice dispensers in fridges. Most of the standard fridge/freezers we looked at came w/ the dispensers, I feel like saying you don't want them would limit your options and/or cause you to buy a more expensive fridge (like the counter depth ones). Assuming you are getting a new one instead of an older one on craigslist etc. We did a lot of fancy custom things in our kitchen, but since we did a lot DIY we saved a lot of money. Some of the money saving choices we made were vinyl flooring (love this for comfort anyway), partially making our own cabinets, installing everything ourselves, getting a common granite (uba tuba), tiling our backsplash ourselves, and our island pendant lights. Some of our splurges were appliances (mainly- our 48" capital range), cabinet hardware, and lots of drawers, backsplash tile (although the tile we chose was reasonable, it was still more expensive than a painted wall), and stone underneath the island seating. I love seeing the choices different people make while still meeting their budget goals! :-)

I also use recipes interchangeably and haven't found a recipe that doesn't work both in the bread machine and by hand, as I only use the machine for kneading and then shape and bake in the oven. Everything from Grandma's old Farmhouse White to cinnamon rolls to whole wheat and rye loaves, they all work fine both by hand and in the machine. I agree that you need some more liquid/water in that hard to handle dough. I always check the machine and add more liquid if needed, I'd rather have a bit too much than not enough, I can always knead in a bit more flour if necessary. As plllog mentioned, you can add vital wheat gluten to the rye loaves for a bit more "oomph", rye flour is lower in gluten than wheat flour is. Bread is actually very forgiving, and I mess with it at whim. I want big holes I add more water, a dense loaf needs more flour, a tender loaf wants some milk and eggs, and I go by the way the dough "feels" more than anything. The only thing I've been unsuccessful at is a 100% whole wheat loaf with my own home ground flour. The results were consistent, they were all horrible. I finally just stopped, nothing helped that stuff and although I still grind wheat for flour, I use some of my own flour and some King Arthur flour for a passable loaf. Annie

Jterri; I see your point, but let me save you some posts! ... not happening. First, I would only use a black hood if it matched my black enamel range. The range is pretty shiny, with lots of nickel and brass trim and I can't see pairing it with something dull. Second, more importantly, this entire exercise began with a decision to lighten the room by lightening the counters, and possibly the island. So I wouldn't add a 6' wide dark box, since that would run counter to my goal. And I certainly would not paint the walls dark! I might darken the muntins but only a few shades. I do think that repeating some of the black in accessories is not a bad idea, once my counters are lighter. Can't see black on top of my old dark cherry counter.