karenpfister what is the wall paint color?

sandrakking I would love to know where to get this pendant fixture.

ThankU.ca That really sounds great! one thing to try with coloring the alder is a die as opposed to pigment stain what I think is happening is that in order to get the color right your having to use a heavy coat of the stain witch is basically a diluted paint where as a die will in fact be absorbed by the wood enhancing the grain instead of resting on the surface and in the open pores obscuring the wood.

With the scale of your project it sounds like the added expense of using walnut will be worth it and I think it will also tie in better considering the Walnut butcher block.

I hope we can see pictures soon!
Martin
www.thanku.ca

Teton Heritage Builders @rogerc We no longer have the spec sheets from our cabinet builder on this particular project. However, our project manager for The Bear Trap remembers the kitchen cabinets to be made from Mahogany. And as @Gary Finley says, the stain choice may be the crux component of the aesthetics for your space assuming you can get the correct grain profile. Happy building!