[kmcg]

Toxigal - I think I could do this tiny backsplash myself, having watched and helped my brother do the kitchen. I think Glass Mosaic Tile, Mosaic Blends and Gradients, Custom Glass Tile Design from Hakatai has pdf installation instructions for their glass tiles. I think the process would be pretty similar if you're just looking to gauge the difficulty of the job.
Kathy

[C.B]

I just stumbled my way over here. That's a great kitchen! Those green tiles look perfect with Adel MB.

I have a few questions:
1. How do you like the double oven? Which do you use more often, the top or bottom?
2. I'm surprised the deco trim by the microwave wasn't mitered and/or covered with edge banding. Did I just see an interim picture on the Flickr site?
3. How do your kids like the built-in bench seating around the table? I want to do the same type of thing but my wife says there will be mayhem

[jgsearls]

Thanks CB.

To answer your questions:

1. How do you like the double oven? Which do you use more often, the top or bottom?

I like the double oven quite a bit. I was adamant that I didn't want to lose any cabinet space for a double oven but I really wanted one because we usually host the big family get togethers. I also knew that I wanted dual fuel which is why we got the Jenn Air model. At the time it was the only dual fuel - that may have changed in the 9 months since we got it.

I also like the center simmer burner.

We use the top oven the most. It's our toaster and toaster oven. It's also perfect for single batches of cookies or reheating pizza. Heating up a single casserole. Really useful.

The things that I don't like about this oven are:

• the cheapy knobs. They look great but they're plastic and that bugs me
• the control area at the back of the stove hangs out a bit over the cooktop. It's only a 3" space so my big Calphalon saute pans won't fit squarely over the flame when I try to move them back. I find myself looking wistfully at cooktops that don't have anything over the cooking surface. Not a big deal in the grand scheme.
• the burners in the oven are unsealed so it makes cleaning them a PITA. Probably a reflection of the price point but still...it would be nice to have an oven floor that's easier to clean.

2. I'm surprised the deco trim by the microwave wasn't mitered and/or covered with edge banding. Did I just see an interim picture on the Flickr site?

DUDE! You're not supposed to notice that! It's one of the many things on our list of wee things that need to get taken care of. Just haven't done it yet. Not sure if we'll miter the edges or not but it will get done. Ya know. In 2032.


3. How do your kids like the built-in bench seating around the table? I want to do the same type of thing but my wife says there will be mayhem

The kids love the bench seating. There's room enough for all three of them to sit on there so it's not been an issue of fighting to get on the bench. Plus, the novelty of the bench wore off pretty quickly. They also don't kick the doors as much as my husband swore that they would. That novelty also wore off pretty quickly.

I don't know if you saw that I'll be making modifications to it
Can I rest cabinets directly on the floor?

The height of the bench is really too much. Works great when the kids sit there but everyone else feels like they're giants when they sit. I'm going to use an extra cover panel and attach that to the base of the cabinets. The cabinets would then only be 1/2" off the floor. I'm also going to use another extra cover panel to make seat backs behind the bench for a more finished look. With a cushion I'm hoping we'll have a good height for the table.

Now...if only I could afford a Saarinen tulip table! And some Bertoia wire chairs

[Emmie9999]

Look what I found on the HGTV website this evening:

House Hunters
Episode HNT-2211

New England Nest Needed
Jenn and Brian Searls jumped at the chance to move back to New England, where family and friends live, when their Pennsylvania pharmaceutical company offered them a transfer. The family of five is bunking down with Jenn's parents until they find a place to call their own. They loved their former Pennsylvania Colonial home and enjoyed several remodeling projects while there. This time around they are hoping to find a four-bedroom, 2.5-bath house that's already updated with modern stainless-steel appliances, an eat-in kitchen and an open floor plan. They like the area of of Hamden, Conn., because it's close to their new offices as well as their extended families. Real estate agent Marilee Herrera-Peterson signs on to help with the search.

GUESTS:
Marilee Herrera-Peterson
Real Estate Agent, E. Drake Real Estate
E-mail: marilee@edrakehome.com

The date it will be on is still a mystery.....

[GardenOfDarwin]

Oh, cool! Jen, do you know when? I'll have to plan a trip to a household with a TV when it's going to air! Too bad neither my mother nor my mother in law know how to use a VCR.

Susan

[jgsearls]

Aaacckkk...I'm dreading this. And also completely surprised at the news that I worked for a pharmaceutical company

I think it's going to air in July sometime. I'm hoping to be out of the country then

[GardenOfDarwin]

Why are you dreading? You're not a pharmacist? Neither is your husband? LOL...that's funny. Fill us in!

Susan

[jgsearls]

Because I don't want to look like a putz on national tv. i also know that I'm going to be as much of a ding dong as the people that I hate on house Hunters. It all seemed very abstract last year when we taped it - didn't seem real.

Nope...neither one of us works for pharmaceuticals in any way. We both work in health care -- hubby's a database administrator/sr. informatics director and I'm a project manager within the Ancillaries Division of a large physician practice.

[DesignDiva]

**Mod Note**

I pruned off the off-topic conversation regarding sleep hygiene to a thread of its own in chats

Good Sleep Hygiene

[laurie]

AAH The SHAME!! Sorry about that Jenn. Got so caught up in your line of work.

Looking forward to hearing more about your tv stardom!!

L