joan mckniff's Profile

Great post! As a Foreign Service Officer I moved every 2 to 5 years, often to a new continent, always to a new country, culture, and housing: house, modern apartment, old fashioned apartment. I'm now retired in a condo. Each move, if done well, involved all of those steps plus re-purposing furniture. An old armoire bought in Mexico was just made for my bedroom there. In other moves served in bedroom, guest room and living room. Biggest surprise: it's in my kitchen now. Wood has mellowed to same tone/color as original wood cabinets. I want to have a Mediterranean feeling kitchen using ceramics from North Africa and Southern Europe and a furniture feel. Still a work in progress, but what a happy memory filled place.

I had never heard/thought of painting counter tops. Brilliant! Please let me know if I can paint laminate and how does the paint deal w seams and edges? Might I dream that it would hide them? Thanks so much.

I'm remodeling my kitchen to have an old fashioned Mediterranean feel to it: wood cabinets, tiles, including some brought home from Tunisia. I've donated my huge Betty Crocker range and use 2 burner induction cooktop and a convection/microwave oven. I'd like to put the con/micro in wooden armoire whose doors would be closed when not in use. Oven invisible. But I can't find out how much space it needs behind, above, and on each side. And is anyone of those more vent space urgent than the others? I'd be so grateful for info, leads, warnings! Thanks.

Heaven, full of magical touches, all saying life - the beach are beautiful. As a Floridian, loved RAID on bedside table; mine is on the floor, bedside.

a favorite place, visited several times when younger. your photos are beautiful. thanks for sharing them

I love Turkey and like this hotel but the rule about the tower is not stupid but rather to be sure everyone has a view by putting height restrictions on construction. Imagine your wonderful view from the dining room if the property owner in front build towers or multi storied hotel. Building it strikes me as selfish.

great article and comments. I've a question for the group. I bought my place 4 years ago with original 30 year laminate. I took no special care because I was sure I wanted "good" counter top. Well, the laminate remains perfect! But I've one huge, to me, problem. The front edge of counters has about 1" strip of laminate and there is a thin brown line/space on top and bottom and a perpendicular one at the two ends and 2 corners. I think it makes it look tacky. Any ideas on how I can keep org laminate and solve edge problem? would it be possible/cost effective to put a sort of reverse C wooden lip to match wooden cabinets? I plan to tile backsplash, including some bought in overseas. Thanks.