HI!! Well, the move went well. so far we've changed the hardware to a nice stainless simple pull. new stainless fridge and dishwasher and microwave. we haven't painted yet but that will be soon!! i love this place and have been busy with all the gardening here....Hosta business ( i have over 750 different varieties!! who would have thought there were so many different hostas?!?!...) I'm getting ready to open up for business in 2013 and have been very busy splitting and planting over 600 hostas so far....SO needless to say, the kitchen reno's are on the back burner for a little while. Amazing though, what 2 new light fixtures, as well as hardware and appliances can do. I still don't love the floor, but that's ok...I'm still thinking of painting the cabinets "china white". the natural coloured maple is growing on me! LOL it's actually not as orange as the pictures show. I will post some pictures soon. in the mean time, check out and "like" my facebook page i created for my hostas...Look up "windmill woods hostas" if you would like to "creep" the outside of my new place. LOL PICTURES TO COME SOON!!

Beverett- planning the greenhouse to become another seating/sun room just off the dining room, I would think ahead how you would coordinate the 2 spaces. The garden outside the windows on the wood side of the room shows a lovely green landscape. The view thru those 3 windows looks like a painting. Think about using some of the green and gold shades, line and shapes of nature on a neutral background in a pattern of faux silk Grommet drapery panels. Your future sitting room could follow colors now in the dining room in lighter tonal values. The drapery panels pattern colors could be used in varying tones in pillows and upholstery in the sitting room. The future sitting room can be informal. Dining chairs with soft green suede chair seats (coordinating withe the drapery colors) would be nice with the wood and glass table you like. A rectangular neutral wool and jute rug bound in the purple tone of the wall color would pull the room together. This flow of color and style would flow nicely into the seating area using lighter color values of the dining room. Your dining room room can be more formal with silver candlesticks and a silver bowl on the dining table filled with flowers and objects for various seasons. Above all, your dining room and future sitting area should coordinate color wise! Good luck -- I would love to see the finished room/s.

I also have a fifties ranch with the original kitchen that has an archway to the dining room, a window at the sink, a door to the outside, a door to a bedroom and a door to the basement. No pics yet, but remodel is going to be difficult with all of those openings. Oven/Stove, sink, dishwasher and fridge are all on one side of the kitchen in a row and one tiny closet in the only available corner is the pantry. I grabbed my friend's cabinets and will paint them to save money, but rearranging appliances to get more space is going to be a challenge. Suggestions appreciated. Won't be starting redo for a year so just trying to think it through now. I'm out of state right now, so no photo.

First, paint is cheap, and it's easy to 're-do, so I always choose a paint color last. I start with the stuff that I'll be stuck with for a while, either because of labor or expense. Here, I'd start by choosing a backsplash tile that you absolutely love. You can get a lot of bang for your buck here, because you're not doing that much area. There are a lot more color option for backsplashes than for counters. Once you have the tile chosen, pick a counter that will coordinate (not match) the tile, and preferably go with the existing cabinet color. I think once you replace the backsplash and counter, add some nice hardware to the cabinets, and replace the lighting, you won't mind the cabinets. Then choose your paint color - because if you do a wall and hate it, it's easy to 're-do. I like Formica for counters. It's cheap enough that if I get tired of it in 5 years, it's no big deal. If you can find a pre-fab pattern you like in the store, you'll save a lot. It's a cinch to install, and frfranklyits way more environmentally conscious - granite mining is not a green process, and it is not an unlimited resource. Check eBay for deals on hardware - I once outfitted my entire kitchen with brushed nickel pulls and hinges for $35 total. Also check Restoration hardware for idea - they have amazing stuff.