I really like where this is going so far. I would actually keep the cabinet over the sink now, but to help create a focal point, I would use glass doors. I think that will add a little lightness to the space. People can be afraid of glass, because they want whatever they put in that cabinet to look nice, but you could go with a textured or even a simple design on the glass and you won't see the contents. Also see if they can place an under cabinet light over the sink, it'll be a little dark over there and you'll miss the task light if you don't have it. If you want a seamless look you can go with engineered wood, but just make sure when it's installed the boards are tight, you don't want to have a gap and then have a diswasher overflow or spill and have the liquid get between the boards. I'm in favor of your decision for tile, just make sure to put tile under the appliances and cabinetry, that way if you ever decide to change out cabinetry in the future, you don't have to worry about replacing or fixing the floor. Depending on what kind of tile you settle on, natural stone or porcelain ceramic it could affect the flooring support. Natural stone is heavy and they have to re-inforce the fooring to handle the weight, this can sometimes raise the level of the flooring, be careful about that cabinet over the fridge, just go a little shorter, if the floor is raised that could affect the fridge fit in that section. For color on the floor, you can go with a light color, grey or even beige something similar to a travertine, that will contrast with the dark cabinet and look sharp. What are you doing for the counter-top? If possible I would have a little overhang to that peninsula and that way, there's some leg room if you place seating on the other side. If you're doing a solid surface and going with very little colors in the counter, you can bring in a little color with the backsplash and even some personality and color with the pendant lighting. Looking good so far!

It’s 35 yrs old. The previous owner didn’t make any repairs for the 15 yrs they owned it. So, we’re taking our time to make it right. Still need to redo the front & back porches. Will start with these projects after we finish up with the damage we got from the hurricane. We lost a number of trees and one large branch went through the roof and took out a small porch.

Assuming you've found the best professional to work with, I echo what etyoung and richmondel stated -- have everything not only picked out, but ordered and delivered (right down to your knobs & pulls), prior to your renovation. A major kitchen reno we did 4 years ago was promised in 6-8 weeks, and we finished in 6, which our contractor attributed to the fact that he had everything at his fingertips, which gave him a lot of flexibility in scheduling the various trades. The second piece of advice echoes what cfollowell said about not pitching a hissy fit: anticipate that not everything will go exactly as planned and be flexible and reasonable about it. Sometimes after walls are opened, you find out you cannot do exactly what you envisioned. There is always a solution, but finding one that accommodates the tradesman while staying within your budget sometimes requires homeowners to adjust their designs and ideas. They really appreciate being able to stay on schedule because usually there's another client waiting in the wings who has been promised a start date. Major changes to a design sets them back; look for ways to solve problems which stay within the budget and time frame of the job as quoted. Again, all of the advice offered by everyone here assumes you're working with a quality contractor or tradesman. We're in Week 3 of a 4-week bath reno right now. My contractor told me yesterday (working on a Saturday to get the job done by Thanksgiving as promised) it's really easy to go the extra mile when he's working with a nice homeowner. :-)

Well, since you're going to the trouble of making a cover, then I would do it like this: Use lime green vinyl and make a double sided rectangular "rug" for it to sit on (year round). It only has to be about 6 inches larger than the base. Sew strips, or one large strip all the way around, of heavy duty velcro to the underside of the rug Make your cover to the floor and add velcro strips to the inside around the bottom edge. In the winters, fold your rug up underneath (has to go underneath) and velcro to the inside of the cover. This will keep the snow and moisture off the legs and, by folding it up inside of the cover, it will make a kind of envelope that the snow cannot get into.