Dlm, what a nasty old lady! When we lived outside of Rockford, our back yard was a forest preserve. I had just finished putting in five gardens, to awake one morning and find that almost everything had been destroyed by the deer. I was quite distraught. DH, in his misguided attempt to calm me down, was coming up with all sorts of ideas to *help* with the deer problem. When I settled down, I did a lot of research and replanted with specimens that weren't as tasty to them. Allium, interspersed among a lot to others, helped a bunch as they hate their smell. I left their favorite cut leaf sumac for them to nibble on. :) I can't quite wrap my head around people who want to live in a natural surrounding but aren't willing to make a place for nature. The neighborhood we live in now has all of these man-made lakes and as a result, geese. They have changed their migratory habits and don't even leave for the winter. Someone must have complained as there was a crew out working the other day and when they left, there was a warning sign posted that some sort of aquatic deterrent had been applied. I just don't get it.

L: thank you for your thoughts! i think contemplating tasks is a very important step. i totally hear what you're saying about a landing zone near the oven, and thus understand your reconfiguration. i think it makes a lot of sense. i also liked this configuration because when i think of coming into the kitchen (entrance -> storage, as you stated), which is from that side (see picture), i can quickly set everything down on the island and put it all easily in the pantry and fridge. i think you and Ginny20 bring up the good point of what's around here, because that might lend itself to other configurations. i've included an image below. the left hand side of the image is south, and that's where all the light is coming in from two very big windows in the great room, which is just down a short set of stairs (open concept). to the right of the image (north) is a bedroom, and going further back my bathroom, laundry and guest room. on the west side (where the fridge is now) there is a condo hallway. to the east side there is another unit. you'll notice in this pic i've shown an area which i've labelled desk area. one kitchen designer strongly encouraged me to put some wall units there, but i really really don't want to. i want a work desk there. the light is fantastic in the great room and the kitchen, but as you go farther back into the unit (it goes a ways) it gets quite dark. i so love light and so i only want to be back there for sleep and for bathroom, laundry, guest room etc.. it's important for me to have a nice desk space to sit and work on stuff in this sunny area, and that's the current placement idea. another idea is to use the wall that's on the hallway run. i don't like this idea because i like the long long hallway that leads from the entrance (not shown) all the way through the kitchen down to the great room. but another designer suggested putting something on that wall. perhaps.. one thing i am scared of is my kitchen taking over. it's central in the space, and hence it should be redone and really make a statement. but i don't want it to encroach, though me and some designers have different opinions on what is encroachment, and what is tolerable. o

I'm glad you like it. Personally my first few layout threads on GW where a G shape kitchen like you posted and I got some nice comments. However, no one pointed out that I had room for the island and I'm lucky that it came to me (my eureka moments are few and far between lol). So, I try to point it out for others that do have the room just in case they like it. Some people say islands are trendy, but if you truly have room, you can't beat them for the dual benefits of workspace and traffic flow. I think the island kitchen would be better for multiple cooks than the peninsula because of the traffic flow issue. The only point of contention is that someone prepping at the cleanup sink - which would be Kid#2 because it's the tertiary cleanup area - would have to walk by people at the island to get to the fridge. I don't consider that a big deal with a 48" aisle. Technically with both layouts you have 4 potential prep areas - ether side of prep sink, and either side of cleanup sink. If you prefer, move the prep sink towards the center of the island a bit more, but as it is it can be accessed by the left and bottom sides of the island anyway. As for room: My kitchen is 12'7" left to right, and I have the exact same setup (minus any pantry cabinets) and slightly narrower aisle widths - it's perfect, believe me. I also have my DR in the same spot yours will be and I find it very nice. Here is the math on it :) 14' = 168" -25.5" for perimeter cabinets (24" cabinets plus 1.5" standard overhang) -48" aisle between range and island (recommended minimum width for multiple cooks) [mine is 47"] -40.5" island (1.5" overhang, 24" cabinets, 15" seating overhang) -12" pantry cabinetry (or 15" if you want to squeeze the aisles) =42" left for the aisle between island and french doors. This is a bit tight but it's only this narrow where the pantry and island line up - then it's 54" between the island and french doors, which is where at least the majority of traffic will be passing (recommended minimum is 44") [my seating aisle also has doors behind it, and is 48"] PS: I made your cleanup sink aisle 48" but mine is 36" since there's not so much going on up there. I had it at 42" actually then pulled my freestanding island in closer after a month or so. You may consider if you want to shrink that aisle and add the inches to the island.

Thanks, all! Since all my commercial pots came unglazed inside, I did wonder. I will go ahead and glaze this one inside. Steve, I’d be interested to know how your experiments work out. Long ago, when I first got a deck and started putting annuals out on it, I decoratively painted a lot of clay pots to get something attractive without spending much money. Then when moisture coming from inside lifted off the paint, and salt came through to the outside, they looked terrible. Now on the deck all the pots are either plain clay or the lightweight foam kind in a clay look-alike color. But I have part shade back there, so watering is not a huge chore. In the front I have a large multi-level paver patio. That’s where all the glazed pots are. It gets more sun and heat in the morning to early afternoon. If I had plain clay there I’d be watering twice a day. I have never grown a perennial in a pot until last year. I moved a mini I’ve had for ~ 5 years, Peanut, that had always looked scruffy and holey. It was either throw it out in disgust, or try a pot. It tripled in size in the pot and flourished. I am overwintering that outside, in the shade under the eaves and under a juniper. It is a plastic pot. It is turned on its side with wire mesh wired over it to keep my aggressive squirrels out. I’ll see if it makes it. This gave me the idea to try more minis in pots. I’d see them better, and some just might prefer it. I can move the pot around if they end up needing more shade. Ken, wet clay is very heavy. It will be much lighter after drying and firing. So once it has soil in it, it might be about the same as it is now. I have a wheeled plant stand I use when hauling my big pots in and out.