One day after I’ve won the lottery I will be able to remodel my kitchen. When that lovely day arrives, I plan to whip out these pages from the Fall 2008 issue of “Kitchen Makeovers,” published by Better Homes and Gardens, so that I can make my kitchen look somewhat like this (minus the stray dog hairs that appear in the pics courtesy of my scanner, seriously, how does dog hair get into a scanner?):

(Click the thumbnails to see larger images.)

I love the maple cabinets with the darker floors. My kitchen doesn’t get a lot of natural light, so it’s not unusual to go in there at noon and have to flip the light switch. I fear darker cabinets would make the kitchen cave-like, and I’ve seen maple with a lovely golden finish that helps to lighten/brighten the area that it’s in. I’m not keen on the pumpkin and yellow wall colors - I’m currently thinking more of a turquoise or light green - and prefer a less rusty-looking counter top. 

Input, internets! Share your remodeling horror or love stories, I love ‘em, especially when they include pictures.