Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: 16x11 Master Bath & Closet Layout options

I am in the idea stage for re-doing the idiotic footprint of the powder room/master bathroom/closet in this house. Probably won't start anything until next year as I just want to get through the inevitably fast holiday season first!

Do you think it is weird to go through either room to get to the other? One of the scenarios will have to do.

I know it sounds trite, but I REALLY want to thank all of you for your help. Buehl was particularly helpful in tweaking the design. Rhome410, steph2000, breezygirl, and many others were there for me during my backsplash angst. I had already chosen my windows before I saw PPS7's kitchen, but seeing hers helped me feel comfortable with the decision. Her kitchen also inspired my island design. I can't name everyone that inspired me, but know that I appreciate your input.

I was going for a calm kitchen with easy-care contertops. My husband was going for "happy." When I told him about the sweeby test, he responded by writing this:

MY KITCHEN MISSION STATEMENT

"I want my kitchen to be tranquil, soothing, calm and happy. It should be cozy and bright, too.

"The perfect backsplash for my kitchen will not add an element of romance or whimsy but it might have a fish tile in it. Even a bear tile would be nice, as long as it's not within striking distance of the fish.

My perfect countertop will be level and divert attention from the mess my kids have made in the living room. When friends see it they will remark, 'Have you lost weight?' and 'You're looking quite dashing today!'

But most of all, my ideal kitchen will make my wife happy. Every time she sees it she'll smile at both the design and with fond memories of the process she used to create it. My ideal kitchen will perfectly match my wife's kitchen mission statement, even if it doesn't quite match mine."

Isn't he cute? I'm not sure if I have fond memories of the process - it's more of a fog. I was trying to make a million decisions about the entire house, so some details fell through the cracks. I don't know who picked out the crown moulding, but it wasn't me. I told the KD I wanted something simple, and sometime later this was installed. At least it's 10 feet off the ground! But I still smile when I see the backsplash, and I feel like the space is happy. Oh, and it works great as a kitchen. I just tested out the lunch-making, breakfast-eating, homework-finishing morning rush for the last week and it came through for me!

On to the details:

Cabinets: Locally-made Amish painted white (it's their standard white)

Countertops: Leathered Kodiak Brown granite

Backsplash: Sunflower mosaic in ming green marble from Saltillo Imports (purchased from Caledonia Tile in Indianapolis) and AKDO 3/4" x 3/4" mosaic in ming green light (it's supposed to be all light, but there seems to be dark in there)

Floors: White oak stained with Minwax Provincial and finished with satin polyurethane

Walls: Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray

Knobs and pulls: Restoration Hardware Lugarno knob in satin nickel and Restoration Hardware Asbury pull in satin nickel

Faucets: Brizo Solna (loved the hidden pullout spray) standard and bar-size

Sinks: Silgranit precis super single bowl and large bowl

Stools: West Elm rustic counter stool (thanks PPS7!)

Pendants: Kichler 2665OZ in olde bronze

Refrigerator: Samsung RF266 in platinum

Dishwashwer: Bosch SHX68R55UC in stainless

Range: GE Cafe Electric

Hood: Zephyr Breeze with baffle filters

Lighting: All-Pro 5" LED recessed lights, LED under-cabinet lights, and LED puck lights.

And here are the pictures (finally!)

You can see more of Katieob's kitchen (now, I believe, her former kitchen) at her account:

Here is a link that might be useful: Katieob's kitchen and house photos

Instead of "all but backsplash", my major unfinished item is the cabinet doors. But it's so convenient to have open shelving everywhere, I'm really not in a big hurry. I found a local cabinet shop that will make all the doors in a paint-grade Shaker style for under $1000, so when I get the time to measure, paint, drill, and hang all those big doors, I've got my plan in place. Also, I have the matching Thermador venthood, but we have to run ductwork and electrical for it, so that will be done with the attic renovation.

For a little background, this 1924 brick bungalow farmhouse had been in the same family for three generations before we bought it about a year ago. The whole house had been badly neglected and abused by a relation of the heir, but it had lots of potential. The first room I saw was the kitchen, and it sold me on the house (well, second only to the charming exterior and country setting). But the 10 foot ceilings with cabinets all the way to the top finalized the infatuation. The kitchen as I saw it was done in the '50's, but no one in the family could remember what it looked like before that (I'm guessing it was truly an unfitted kitchen, as we saw no evidence of a cabinet footprint).

We wanted to work with the house's assets (from a preservation mode as well as a cost savings standpoint), so I aimed for a vintage look that had been updated through the decades. Everything was DIY with the exception of adding a gas line and some small electrical and plumbing changes to move the fridge location. We're living in and working on major restoration throughout the house, so I had to keep it simple and stick to my $2,500 budget ($5,500 total if you include the used appliances we bought on Craigslist before we closed on the house).

Here are the details:

- Cabinets: original cabs, painted BM Vellum with ADVANCE paint (new doors to be purchased later)
- Counters: Formica Basalt Slate
- Backsplash: beadboard panels from Home Depot painted BM Linen White
- Appliances: Thermador 30" dual fuel range and vent hood (not yet installed); SubZero 700 series fridge; Kitchenaid dishdrawers
- Sink: Ikea Domsjo double basin sink
- Faucet: Kraus 1602 Pre-Rinse Commercial faucet
- Pulls: Belwith Studio pulls (discontinued Venetian Bronze finish from eBay, spray painted in Rustoleum Carbon Mist)
- Island: clearance JCPenney foyer table, topped with butcherblock remnant
- Lighting: 4 light chandelier from Overstock; undercabinet waterproof LED strip lights (SMD5050) from HitLights
- Paint: BM Bennington Gray walls, BM Linen White trim and ceiling
- Floors: original quartersawn heart pine floors; sanded and finished with four coats of Original Waterlox
- Windowseat: original 1920's seed box found in the attic
- Breakfast bar: Ikea EKBY desk (added Craigslist brackets and painted everything BM Vellum), with JCPenney clearance saddle stools

Before purchase (the previous resident left it trashed):

After:

Breakfast bar:

Seedbox windowseat:

Sink view before and after:

Range view before and after:

Dishwasher view before and after:

Fridge view before and after:

Floor (after stripping three layers of vinyl tile and lino; and after sanding and Waterlox); and yes, the color does seem to match our dog!