Ideally, the loudest noise should be the blade tip turbulence from the blower fan blades. This can be reduced at the cook station where space permits by using a remote blower and in-line silencer. The second loudest noise should be hiss from turbulence around the baffles. This cannot be helped, but may vary with baffle design. Unfortunately, in some cases the loudest noise is from an unbalanced motor-fan assembly, and/or insufficient isolation of motor vibration from the house and from the ducting. This type of noise can be easily carried via the ducts. (Of course, a blower in the hood is not isolated at all except by its mounts, and needs to be well balanced. Duct noise proper due to turbulence in the ducts (and here I will include interior hood turbulence at all sectional area transitions), when the duct is properly sized for air speeds in the 1000 - 2000 ft/min range, can compete with, but shouldn't dominate the baffle noise unless the duct path is particularly tortuous. Where one is stuck with a particular motor-fan assembly that appears unbalanced, use of an industrial balancing shop to correct the problem may be appropriate. kas

Fish tacos with a creamy cilantro sauce? A chowder? We make chicken taco salad w/ leftover chicken. I bet that tuna would be good. Drape a flour tortilla over some crumpled tinfoil and bake 10 min. for bowl. Fill w/lettuce, vegies, beans, meat, cheese...whatever... and top w/ salsa and sour cream.

I agree that it's the orangy-gold-yellowy paint that seems to be throwing everything off. I wonder what a warm blue might do for the room? It may be a bit tricky to get the right shade - you need enough warmth for the cabinets, but your counter reads slightly cooler. With the garnets that are in your counter, you could pick up the reddish-wine color and use that as an accent...that can work well with a blue. Usually with colors it seems like it's more about getting the right undertones rather than the right color family. You've got oak cabinets - I'm assuming they aren't going anywhere for a while, so you need to make peace with them. I think that with the right paint color, you can make the cabinets and the granite work. There is always the gel-stain option and if changing them I'd probably look that route. I don't think that painting the oak is a good idea since it tends to look like...painted oak. And that's a look that I really don't care for. You mentioned that the ceiling is changing - does that mean that you're putting in some can lighting as well as the pendants? I like the linear tiles...but not with your cabinets. Their style is more contemporary/transitional than what I think your cabinets can muster...the cabinets have a much more traditional look so you might do better with something a bit more classic in the tile line.

Karin, If you are still reading, I just purchased 3 Optimara Natalie, they look like Rebel's Night Breezes, only a smaller shape. The flower is very dark blue-violet with a frilled picot edge. We are in the process of moving. "Everyone" who comes to help wants to filch a leaf off of Rebel's Night Breezes. (Maybe because it is blooming its fool head off.) I also picked up another blooming MyDelight. So, the helpers can have their own version and my plant can keep her leaves. The plant store also had a batch of traditional solid purple pansies in various shades, and many bi-colors in shades of pink, mauve, maroon. Our new house has a spare room to use all for plants and be able to close the door. The back yard is large enough to add a greenhouse, perhaps someday. This is a happy upgrade for my plants. I thought they were having to go into adoption or foster care, but now they can continue to lounge around like lazy teenagers, eating, sleeping until noon, but not willing to bloom. Joanne