Your kitchen is really beautiful! I love, love, love the color scheme and the "to die for" soapstone. Your island color is perfect, too. (Now, come on over to Home Dec and show us your B&W and pumpkin master!)

The views are incredible, but it must be really cold there right now!

Congratulations!
Cameron

Oh my, I didn't know what to look at first. I love the soapstone, I love the blue island. What a great idea. I love the school house lights. You did such a nice job turning your kitchen into a nice, heart warming space. Congratulations!

I also love your unique island and the most beautiful soapstone I have ever seen.
Congrats enjoy and appreciate every moment in your warm, cozy home.

I really appreciate your kind words! My vision for this kitchen was to have a functional space that fit the design and scale of the home. I wanted a fresh cottage look that would not soon be outdated. This forum provided inspiration, advice and encouragement that I would not have found anywhere else.

Bringing my bank of windows to counter level was the best idea I got here. It elongates and frames my farmhouse sink and really brings the outside view in. I sprang for Blumotion, dish drawers, full extension pot drawers, Super Susan and a cabinet for sheet pans on the recommendations of GW'ers. Love them!

I got the nudge I needed to go with (& mix!) soapstone from all the stoners here. It's my favorite thing about the kitchen! I learned about the best barstools I've ever sat in - Holland - from this site.

One thing I did not post was my walk-in pantry - a whole room with sturdy, built-in, wood shelving! It's the thing that makes every woman swoon every time I open the door to show it. So practical!

Thanks again, everyone! I'm compiling details to share.

Very nice! I really like it. Great view too :)

Soo nice! I suspect you've just sold a lot of that gorgeous soapstone. :)

Your soapstone is just stunning, as is your view!!! What a wonderful place to live and spend time!

It look beautiful! I love the soapstone, it looks soft, yet durable! Love it! In my next kitchen I'll take the plunge!

Christy

oh my gosh. I want to roll around on your floor!! That's my absolute favorite part.

Oh my. It is beautiful! Congratulations on a beautiful kitchen...and the rest of the home is gorgeous too!! Love the doggies.

Where did you get the school-house pendants? They are exactly what I'm looking for!

Beautiful!! Your floors are to die for! I love your soapstone. Which ss is it? Riley and Puck look right at home for sure. You have created a classic space that is a piece of heaven - it is "priceless"!!

I would like to know the name of the soapstone you selected also as we are getting ready to select our slabs in the next few days. Thanks. Your kitchen is lovely and a day at that lake house would be priceless I'm sure.

I did want to also ask. Is that soapstone tiles in the sunroom?

Wonderful!

Don't forget to submit your kitchen to StarPooh for the Finished Kitchens Blog!

Holy Toledo...that's gorgeous.

I'm really touched by all your kind words. Our place is so much about the feeling you get from being open to the beautiful surroundings that I was afraid it wouldn't translate well to photos. And anyone who has soapstone knows that at least 75% of its beauty is in the touch and feel of it. I can tell by your thoughtful comments, though, that you can see what I tried to achieve in the space.

Now, some specifics:

CABINETS - Omega/Dynasty, Maple, Marion Slab Doors
Perimeter cabinets, Pearl finish
Island cabinets, Denim glaze finish
From Brock's Plywood Sales

CABINET HARDWARE - Top Knobs, Somerset 3CC Cup Pull,& Somerset Flat Faced 1 1/4 Cabinet Knob, Brushed Satin Nickel
From Direct Door Hardware

FAUCET & SPRAY - American Standard Amarilis Heritage Gooseneck in Chrome
HANDLES - American Standard Iris Porcelain in Chrome
From Plumbers Surplus.com

BAR STOOLS - Holland 30" Contessa Swivel, Black Wrinkle metal, Maple seat in Black
From Envision Kitchen Design

LIGHTING - Schoolhouse Pendants,Rhone fixture w/Shiny Opal shade
Flushmount over sink,Thurman fixture, Shiny Opal shade
Sideboard sconces - Umpqua fixture w/extension, Crystal Clear shade
All Brushed Nickel finishes
From Rejuvenation Hardware

FLOORING - Old Growth Eastern White Pine, 6-18" widths, Plymouth Pumpkin Stain, Tung Oil & Tung Oil/Satin finish
From Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

APPLIANCES -Jenn-Air Pro-Style 30" Dual Fuel Slide-In Range
Zephyr 30" Breeze II Vent Hood
Bosch Integra 300 Series Dishwasher
Amana Side-by-Side Refrigerator
GE Countertop Microvwave Oven
All Stainless
From State Street Discount

Soapstone Farmhouse Sink,Perimeter Countertops, Hearth and bar-height on island done in "Original" soapstone
Soapstone on island at counter-height "Santa Rita" soapstone
From the Soapstone Works, www.thesoapstoneworks.com

I think that covers most of what I usually look for, but if I can offer any more info, let me know.

It's all fabulous -- although I have to say I like the dogs best! Did you sit in the stools before you ordered them? I want to make sure our stools are comfortable, and I'm not sure Holland stools are sold anywhere near me.

No, the tiles in the sunroom are not soapstone. They're slate blue w/brown ceramic tiles that pick up the blue from the island and the color of the wood floors. I have them in the breezeway, as well.

I do, however, have one more beautiful soapstone piece in the house. It's a vanity top in the laundry room lav. I'll try to get a good picture to post in the decorating forum.

brachl - I did get to "test drive" the stools before ordering because through their website I found a local distributor.

The OP that led me to them was something like "Looking for Barstools for Large Behinds" - who could resist checking that out even if that's not a particular problem?

I liked the clean lines, but I was most impressed by how sturdy they were. Especially for bar height stools, I was looking for ones that were comfortable and not at all tippy. Everyone seems to like where the back support hits. Their site says they're bolted with fasteners they use to build jets. I just know that they're heavy and feel very solid.

All that good stuff said, they were a bit pricey for my budget. In the end I felt that they were worth the investment both for safety, comfort and (hopefully) not having to replace them for a long time.

Thanks for the quick response. I have just completed the form on their website asking for the nearest dealers. I hope we use the stools a lot, so I want comfort. Your kitchen and sunroom (and views) are just wonderful -- enjoy!

Amck
Congratulation on completing such a lovely space - inside & out - it's really a wonderful looking setting both in and out - nice place to totally relax - that's how it reads

I just want to come over for Sun brunch -

Now.... can we see the rest?

All the best - Enjoy

Oh amck, it all looks so beautiful!!! Love the blue island and all the other touches of blue, too. I have major sunroom envy. I don't think I'd be able to tear myself away from those gorgeous views! And you know I LOVE the soapstone! : )

Wishing you many, many, many years of happy memory making in your lovely new kitchen! Smooches to your pooches, too!

Diana, a fellow Stoner : )

Please post the rest on kitchens, what the heck! DH and you should be very proud - you have done a great job.

Beautiful job!!! The Santa Rita soapstone on your island has to be one of the nicest pieces of soapstone I've ever seen. Everything works great together. Enjoy!!!

Your kitchen and the views are to die for. Congratulations on a job well done. The blue island, the soapstone, the views...all too beautiful for words.

Your kitchen is drop dead gorgeous! I have never seen soapstone with so much movement. It is stunning. I love it all - from the pups to the bunny by the window. And that view!! I have never heard of pumpkin pine floors. Very cool.

I bet you pinch yourself everytime you walk in there.

Congrats!

kitchenkelly, I do still pinch myself, especially when I wake up there and don't remember where I am - I can't believe it's ours and I can't believe it's DONE!

I have to say that yours is one of the kitchen pictures I have been dragging around in my little binder for months. When my GC questioned my request to pull my windows down to the countertop, I pulled your sink view out to show him what I was looking for.

I'm hoping to create a version of your banquette in the family room downstairs. We have the perfect nook area for it with the overhead pendant already in place.

While we've made it our own, our place has many little touches that have come from people here, like you, who've generously shared their finds and good ideas. Thanks!

That is nice of you to say. Thank you.

BTW, I just noticed your sconces. (I am a big sconce fan.) They are beautiful and I love the placement. I would have never thought of adding sconces in that area. Looks wonderful.

Couldn't help but notice that the kitchen with the white cabinets and your beautiful island with the blue and the dark soapstone mimic the colors of your amazing view! beautiful!

Kitchenkelly - I was so happy that Rejuvenation Hardware had sconces that could be customized with a longer projection from the wall. Lighting that dining area was a little tricky.

I chose a bar height counter in the kitchen, counter height in the dining area and a regular height table in the sunroom so that no matter where you sat, your view of the lake wouldn't be blocked by chair backs. I didn't want to block the kitchen view with a hanging light fixture, or have only overhead cans, over the dining table. I\And it would have crowded floor space in that area with standing lamps. The sconces project 9" from the wall and give a nice diffused light. I don't think they even charged extra for the modification.

Thanks for noting them. It was those little details that kept me up nights!

Hi amck ~

I received your email but had a tough time finding your thread. The forum is moving so fast these days! I'm bumping the thread so it won't scroll off before I can add your kitchen to the FKB.

Could you also please submit the FKB Categories Checklist?

Here is a link that might be useful: FKB Category Checklist

amck, do you know the measurements of your sink. Either interior or the exterior? TIA

Starpooh- Thank you for responding. I clicked the link, to the FKB Category Checklist,completed and submitted it. If there's anything else I need to do, please let me know!

eandhl - I don't have my measurements here, my binder is actually at the cottage. If it's not too late for you, I'll get them to you in a few days - interior & exterior.

Warm and cozy. I love it!

I was thinking of doing the eastern white pine floors from Carlisle and was concerned about how soft they are. Would you recommend them? I think eastern white pines are the most striking floors you can have. Especially one from Carlisle!

sand16 - I love my pine floors! A number of people, including my GC, questioned the choice but now he is a "believer" and has brought prospective customers to our place to see them.

We're within driving distance of Carlisle's NH facility and before taking the leap we scheduled an appt. w/ a rep to go over all our concerns. They have many woods from which to choose, but our rep, Peter, put Eastern pine in his own home where there are kids and dogs.

I can't say enough about the customer service - down to the delivery guy who handled each plank like it was a fine piece of furniture.

We've been in about a month and had stay-over company throughout the holiday including kids and our dogs. I have yet to see a scratch or ding. I know they will happen, but my attitude is similar to how I feel about my soapstone - it's SUPPOSED to develop a patina that will add to its charm. For a cottage I didn't want anything that would look ruined unless it remained pristine, so the pine was a fit for us. Wish you could see them in person - they're not shiny, but they have a glow from within.

Glad to hear such positive comments about Carlisle. I've been talking with them about white oak floors. Their closest facility is in CO, so I will have to rely on an 8" sample (something I don't like doing), if I go with them.

I do have some questions, though:
Were your floors installed before or after the kitchen cabinets? Did Carlisle do the installation? Were you afraid of cupping with the extra wide width, or is that not a problem with white pine?

Congratulations on such a warm and inviting kitchen and home. Love the view from the windows!

Thanks, napagirl, for the compliments!

Our cabinets were put in and the island was constructed before the floors were installed. Our GC & his carpenter installed the floors and my DH, who has done lots of woodworking as a hobby, did the finishing (staining & tung oil finishes.)

If I were to do it again, I would have Carlisle's people do the installation. My GC & his guy had intalled lots of prefinished wood flooring and unfinished wood floors that would later be sanded. At least with the Eastern pine, Carlisle hand finishes each plank and it shouldn't be sanded after installing in order to maintain that handcrafting. Much as they tried not to, our guys got glue on the some of the boards on the main level floor and sanding was required before the stain could take evenly. In the end, it came out well. But given the premium cost of these floors, I would just as soon leave it to people who work with them all the time. If I could rewind, I'd have their guys install and DH do the finishing. He took some vacation time to do it and enjoyed taking part in our house build, but if you don't have someone who is familiar w/ wood finishing & has the time, I would let their guys finish it, as well.

As far as cupping, I can only speak to the pine. We were able to visit the area where the pine planks are air dried outside (covered) for at least 9 weeks. It was pretty cool to see all of the wood stacked and tagged with dates. Then they delivered it to our site and stacked it on spacers so it could acclimate to our surroundings for 2 weeks before it was installed. All that is supposed to deter cupping, and we've had no problems. It's been in since August w/ high heat & humidity until now, with cold (thermostat's turned down to 55 when we're not there)& dry heat, and there's been no problem with cupping, shrinking, gaps, etc.

You brought back recent memories when you mentioned the sample. I still have my 8" square in my "house" tote bag which I dragged around for months, and it looks exactly like my finished floor does.

Hope this info helped -

My favorite thing is the brook - after that it is the beautiful soapstone! I was a granite only person - but not anymore!
I love the whole thing! I want to see the rest of it! It is charming.
I made the mistake of letting my GC talk me out of windows down to the counter. Next time I will be armed with your picture.
We have a lake house to do - maybe two (main house and guest). You have given me some great ideas. Thanks!

Thanks, amck, for the prompt and detailed response on your Carlisle pine floors!

I was surprised when you said the floor was glued down on the main level, is that because its a slab? ... or is it an engineered floor? I only looked at 3/4" oak and didn't think it could be glued.

We'll be doing the whole house, plus stairs to the 2d level, so Carlisle may be beyond our budget.
Hope not, as I do want the tung oil finish and was planning to do that part ourselves.
Thanks again for the nice comments on Carisle.

napagirl - Our main level is actually a second story as it's above a finished walk-out basement - so, not on a slab. The engineered flooring panels under the wood planks is AdvanTech.

As I remember, the Carlisle planks were nailed down and the glue was put in the groove of the tongue & groove. That's what the installation manual instructed, as did the customer service reps.

The glue was transparent and when the planks were put together the guys sometimes couldn't even tell that a few drops had squeezed up to the top side of the planks - until we began to apply stain... When DH spoke with one of Carlisle's installers about it(after this happened)he said he lightly goes over the seam with a rag moistened with mineral spirits to pick up any glue residue each time he connects the planks.

Carlisle was a big splurge for us. We did the upstairs and 2 U-shaped stairways and landings as well as the main floor. I cut as many bells & whistles from our budget as I could, and have delayed furnishing/decorating purchases in order to swing it. But the floors and the soapstone are the things that make my heart sing every time I walk in the house.

Good luck with your project!

How surprising ... I've never heard of putting glue on the T&G edge before nailing it down. I'd almost be afraid it could cause some boards to split if they shrunk very much.
Also, I'm not quite sure what you meant when you said "The engineered flooring panels under the wood planks is AdvanTech." Care to explain more?

Thanks for the good wishes on our project, I fear we'll need it!

napagirl - The glueing instructions came from the Carlisle installation manual, as well as from their rep my GC spoke with before he installed(not the same installer we talked to after, who gave the mineral spirits tip...). You raise a good question, and I don't know the answer. I was on the sidelines, but I'll ask DH tonight. He was more involved and maybe can answer.

In your previous post you asked if our planks were put on a slab, or were on engineered flooring. I was replying to that by letting you know that it was engineered flooring. The brand name of the flooring is AdvanTech. They have a website that gives specifics about the components of the product if you're interested. Just google "AdvanTech."

Hope that helps. I'll try to find out more about the reason for glueing.

congrats on your new kitchen, amck~what a great job!
I bet the first thing anyone does when they enter your kitchen is rub the countertops! I love the blue island; it's tone is visually calming and adds interest and warmth. Love your furry friends~being at the lake must be doggy heaven! Enjoy!Jeannie

Thanks, Jeannie! You're right about everyone gravitating to the countertop. I'm sure it will be even more of a draw in the hot summer months, because it always is so cool to the touch.
The pups have settled in nicely and looked so interested when I was taking pictures, I couldn't resist adding them to the posts. We'll find out this summer if they are swimmers!

amck,
Can you share where you found the ..........priceless plaque, or did you have it made?

amck,
Now I get it, "AdvanTech" is your subfloor. I just saw "engineered flooring" and immediately thought of the finished flooring ... duh. LOL!

Okay, yeah your lakehouse kitchen is nice, but I want to know where you got the rabbit? (just kiddin' - really do love the kitchen!)

annz - The "Priceless" plaque was the perfect gift at the perfect time. My BD is end of July and we had hit a discouraging phase of the build - sheetrocking was taking forever to dry because of the humidity, and driving 1 1/2 hrs. round trip after work to check on progress, and seeing little, was a bummer.
We walked in one evening to find the plaque had been left leaning on the stove by one of my best friends with a birthday card. It helped put things in perspective, and it just seems to have found its spot there. She got it at a gift shop in Wolfeboro, NH. Can't reach her just now, but I will track down the name for you.

jill h - My rabbit came from TJ Maxx, 3 years ago. I had just lost my beloved little beagle that we'd had for 15 years. I spied this little rabbit and noticed that it had the same look in the eyes that my dog had and had to buy it. I've seen rabbits on our road and tracks near our brook. The rabbit by the window seems to be a good fit with the windowscape. Glad you like it! I think I've seen some from that same artist's line at TJ's around Easter in the years since I bought mine. Now, and in the coming few weeks might a be a time you could find one.

eandhl - My sink measurements are:
Outside - 18 3/8" x 29 15/16"
Inside - 16 3/16" x 27 3/4"

napagirl - I am redfaced about information I posted above regarding glueing the groove on the T&G. When I was posting my reply to you above I asked DH how the planks were glued during installation. When he said "in the groove", I thought he meant the T&G groove.
You raised such a good point about that potentially causing problems, I checked w/ him again and he said he was talking about the groove on the underside of the plank. Sorry for the misinformation. I was trying to help, but I think from here out, unless I've actually DIY'd, I'll refer flooring intall questions to the experts!

Hi -- I just found this thread. Your kitchen is lovely! I especially love the schoolhouse pendants above the island. Lighting above my island-to-be is something I'm struggling with, especially with 8-ft. ceilings. Looks like your ceilings are 8-ft. too. Can you tell me how long your light fixture is? It looks perfect. I see Rejuv. allows you to special-order length, which is great, but I don't know how long! Thanks so much! Tamara