I don't think buehl suggested anyone with a shoebox sized kitchen is really agitating for an island. She is saying, if I read her right, that you may not want or be able to follow all the rules all the time, but they are still invaluable as an analytical tool. Let's step back a sec. What is the one, fundamental question that everyone who comes to the KF is asking? Whether they are sketching layouts or comparing marble to granite or choosing flooring material or wondering how to put a DW at the end of a cab run? Despite all the different issues discussed here, they all boil down to the same fundamental question: "What consequence?" If I do this, what consequence will it have? If my aisle is too narrow, will we be fine and only rarely collide in my situation, or will I constantly have an uncomfortably close encounter with my MIL's backside? Will I be angry when I cook, and cook less? Will detritus pile up at my back door and make me look like a cat lady? Will I drop boiling pasta water on my Maltese, or constantly scream at my children to take the lemonade off the countertop? What will happen if I buy a Shaw's sink? What consequence am I facing if I make this choice? I find that Americans are increasingly unable to understand one fundamental, basic point about the universe. You get to choose what you do. You do not get to choose what the consequences are. If you plan for only 9" of prep space in your whole kitchen, you do not get to choose to roll out dough for a large pizza every day. If you want to cut lemons on your marble, it will not remain pristine and like new forever. It's not up to you. It's up to reality. You have no say. You just obey. So before you decide, you better find out what the consequences are, because they're automatic and you can't change them. That's where the rules come in handy. They tell you what the consequences are. Obey the aisle rules, and you'll pretty much never bump into anybody. It won't be an issue, or something you ever even think about again. You certainly can, and often must, choose a narrower aisle than the rules decree. But there will be consequences. The consequence can be anything from the occasional, not-a-big-deal step-aside to a pot of boiling bolognese on a ruined cocktail dress. In your kitchen, you may be OK with accepting the consequence of mild traffic jams, because it is the lesser of two evils. You are doing it so you can escape other consequences that are less desirable to you, such as never seeing your dinner guests until dessert, or having no place to put hot pans, or simply walking too far to get what you need. Everyone is free to make their own decisions. But everyone has to accept the consequences. The rules just help us tell them, in advance, what the consequences are.

You asked for the number of cabinets so here goes: On the sink wall starting at the corner you need a 36" corner cabinet, a 36" sink base, the dishwasher, a 9" tray base and then the fridge. On the range wall you can figure on the 36" corner cabinet, a 24" 4-drawer base for utensils and maybe plastic bags and wraps; a 36" 3-drawer base for pots and pans; a 24" desk space and a 21" drawer base for office-type storage. A pendant light over the desk area would be nice. In the island I'd put a 30" drawer base or cabinet with pull-out trays and the cabinet for the microwave. Pendants over this, too. On the pantry: select your cabinet style and price the pantry options in that style. Since this is an open floorplan, you want everything to match. Compare that to the price for a pantry closet your contractor would build, including shelves and specific storage places for things like potatoes etc. Having said all that, it's not going to help you figure out your price. Like Cook's Kitchen said, get with a local kitchen designer, even if you have to start at Lowe's. You'll get a basic kitchen design and some pictures that will reveal what the limitations and possibilities are. Don't go with the first quote you get, shop around. Most KDs won't go by another designer's measurements; they'll want to get in the house and take their own. Comparing different designs will be like comparing apples to oranges. Select the one that gives you what you want for a price you can afford. I've been in your shoes before and I'm planning my own kitchen remodel right now, even though it's a year off at least. Good luck!

Similar to mine also -- in my small house I have Behr Navajo White on the walls (in living, dining, upper hall and one bedroom) which is a soft yellow or yellow-beige, depending on the room and time of day; one bedroom is a Glidden soft sage green; another is a deeper, more caramel-y yellow. I have sage green curtains in the living and dining and a terracotta- ish (tends more coral -- has more pink than a terracotta pot), yellow and tan rug; The sofa is a greenish brown or brownish green. The floors are natural red oak. The colors all produce a warm but calm effect and since they aren't really vivid, they read fairly neutral and flow together. I have other small color accents as well -- in artwork, lamp, pillows. For major colors I think the 4 that I have are the max that can work --IMO. I've not read Maria Killam but have seen multiple positive mentions here, so I would check out her blog for sure.

First, I don't see any particular issue with the contents of the soil in that picture you linked - twigs and bits of woody materials are perfectly fine in soil. If you don't like it for aesthetic reasons, that's up to you. Second: since the organic part of the 'frankenmix' you mention doesn't bother me, my simple suggestion would be to buy the frankenmix and whatever closer-to-pure loam or soil without organic content and mix to your target ratio. In more general terms - depends what you're using this for; from what I've seen here comments warning against too-high organic fraction in particular mention using it in yard to 'level' the ground. And that doesn't work well because it will subside considerably over time and not evenly and won't actually level things out (if the ground isn't level to begin with, adding compost will just make it look level to the eye temporarily). But I think you're using this for some raised garden beds/planters? Personally, in that context, I'd be fine with a fairly high organic content; use whatever you want. Sure, the soil would settle and subside as the organic content decomposed more - but if you're going to be adding compost/soil/mulch in future years, does it matter that much? Just keep adding to taste. Note that even for compost/mulch you add later that's 100 percent organic matter, not all will decompose to nothing - and certainly not in any relevant timeframe; some will get bound up - agglomerate - with soil particles, some turns into stable organic compounds that don't decompose much, etc. This is more true of some organic compounds esp lignins than others. And if the extent to which it subsides/decomposes and hence how much you have to add each year annoys you, add more mineral soil. There are a whole lot of caveats for specific uses/plants and I'm not advocating going for 100% OM, and it may depend on what you're planting and a host of other factors. That said - I may be a bit of a heretic on this point here. I find that lots of plants will grow fine in a VERY organic-matter heavy mix, many will grow in 'soil' that's basically just compost. Of course, that doesn't mean it's 'optimal', I'm just saying it's not quite as bad as may sound. Opinion only: yes, 'good agricultural soils' may typically range from 5-15% organic matter, 10% a nice round number. But your planters are not 'agricultural soil' found in a field, it's soil you're making. And I think this "good agricultural soil" mixes up a descriptive and a prescriptive - good agricultural soil is the end result of a natural process that happens to be good to plant in; that's not the same as saying you must be in that range at all times (the prescriptive part). Put differently, my thinking is that in nature, good 'soil conditions' will tend to decompose OM to some equilibrium level (that 5-15%) that's replenished with normal plant growth. Conversely the only time "in nature" you'd find a much higher percentage of OM is in extremely bad conditions for soil life and decomposition - like a bog or muskeg where the prevailing conditions are wet and anaerobic and so the stuff can remain undecomposed for thousands of years. (And note, even there, some stuff grows - I've been in black spruce stands that are growing on pure swamp mush, the 'ground' you walk through is mostly intertwined roots; but it's not good soil for growing vegetables). Or in practical terms: if you load up your planters with a 50-50 soil/compost mix, that compost will decompose before long, and probably to that 5-15% range - and so you probably don't need to worry about targetting that precise range to start with (unless you have other compelling reasons to), it'll end up there on its own. Last plea: please don't use peat for your organic portion. Peat grows very slowly and just removing peat from bogs is pretty destructive of a natural habitat. (I also think peat sucks to grow in but just my opinion)