Wow, your kitchen is so beautiful. I love love LOVE your attention to details; I hope you don't mind, but I printed out a picture of your refrigerator panels to show my cabinet designer. So wonderful...hope you are still loving your kitchen! I also am glad to read your thoughts about the pull-out pantry shelves. In our kitchen layout, we had a long column of cabinetry leftover next to the built-in fridge, and I opted to do a tall pantry there with two pull-outs. Now I'm wondering if it would be better to leave those as simply cabinets?? Have the pull-outs grown on you over time? At any rate, I think your kitchen is outstanding. Thanks so much for sharing. jencjudd

My countertops are laminate. The color is Basalt Slate. When I recently did my kitchen renovation I looked at granite, soapstone and ceasarstone and went with laminate because of cost, durability and looks. The cabinets are Charlottesville maple in cream from Home Depot. Thanks for the compliments. And thank for not pointing out that I spelled chalkboard and chalk wrong FIVE TIMES! I must have chaulk on my mind these days. Too much renovating, I guess. Dianne

Things are coming along. I think you have to choose between the scrolly lamp and the candlestick trio, as one side needs something more weighty. Personally, I would keep the candlesticks (as they could be used in many ways) and find a lamp with more weight. The little wall hutch looks very nice, and the whole space is feeling warm and welcoming. If you have a Hobby Lobby in your area, check for their weekly sales on frames, etc. If you can get a standard size frame (a simple black one would work), one size up from the current art piece, you can have a mat cut for almost nothing, in your choice of the instock matting colors. I certainly understand the waiting for funds thing, but just wanted to give you a heads-up on a relatively inexpensive alternative. The frame you have now seems very nice -consider having a piece of mirror cut for it and using it either horizontally or vertically. As for a name for the pheasant, what was your granny's name? Perhaps you can adapt that in some way?

nancy_east -- thanks for your nice words! How exciting about your kitchen -- this will be fun to watch develop! The widest walkway we have is 36 1/2" (countertop to countertop), with it going down to 34 1/2" where our apron front sink "jumps" out. From our cooktop to the widest point of the bowed island countertop is 35 3/4". The only times (or rather, areas) our aisles feel tight are when the dishwasher door is open and there's only 12" of clearance (between the open door and the island cabinetry). But so far, no barked shins! We're careful and aware. The other area is our refrigerator (which is 30" wide, all refrigerator so it's a wide door): when it's open the only one who can sidle by (and then it's just barely) is our two year-old. But neither of those conditions are permanent (meaning, the dishwasher is mostly closed and the refrigerator door is mostly closed as well). While 36" for an aisle isn't "ideal," for us it's working out fine. Our only alternative would've been to give up the island and that wasn't an option! We need the storage space. Your aisles will work out fine; if it there's an impediment in the 36" aisle (like a dishwasher), then you all will learn the same careful two-step we and many others have as well! Good luck with your kitchen-in-progress! (and whole house, too!)