BudFox2's Profile

Look at the screw heads inside the cabinet. Are they drywall screws (black, flat head) or wood screws (stainless steel, maybe dipped in a color) or tapcons (blue)? Drywall screws are another hint that someone didn't know what they were doing/taking shortcuts, and don't have the shear strength of wood screws (for studs) or tapcons (for masonary). If I saw drywall screws I would take the books down.

One school of thought says that wood chips from recently felled trees/bushes will suck all the nitrogen out of your soil as they decompose, so they should be composted before you use them. The other school says don't worry about it. If you do get these chipped, I would use them around established plants in low-visibility areas.

In the old days, paints with higher sheen were easier to clean, but advances in paint technology has made this rule of thumb obsolete. As Martha said, you can now get washable (maybe even scrubbable?) matte paint. Talk to the veterans at a real paint store and I bet they will sign off on a matte finish.

If you get down and look at the floor, are there "microbevels" at the edge of each board? If so, the floor was likely factory finished, leaving gaps where food can collect and liquid can seep through. In this case, you could apply another coat of poly and not worry about it. Otherwise... poly is plastic, so I wouldn't worry about it.

I'm a bachelor who just redid a kitchen that looks a little like Josh's. But here's what I did differently: Honed granite, which looks like soapstone. Cork floor, a little easier on the feet. In my eyes, that moves it away from the "model apartment" look.

What sniplet said... couldn't have said it better

I crossed my fingers and ordered the Summit FF1325SSIM (24" wide!) from CompactAppliance.com without having seen it in person. A few months after the kitchen is done, I am satisfied. When it first arrived, I could not believe how loud it was... so much so that I called for service. The repairman pointed out that the coils are hanging off the back unlike most of what you'll find in the appliance stores today. That said, if your kitchen is as small as mine is I would still recommend it over a standard size and less counter.