aaah ! makes sense now - hey any one can grow parsley, basil or thyme ! you can buy them in pots in the supermarket when (and if) you kill them !!! my husband thinks I have green fingers because our herbs always look great !!! little does he know I replace them monthly !!! lol !! and a sprig looks great on tinned soup, that you can then claim you cooked from scratch too !!!

Nothing is impossible :) Heat resistant tiles are available ,look at these for instance http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/heat-resistant-ceramic-tiles.html

Lovely, much better than the 3D plan. V glad you kept your patterned floor tiles, I really like them. It's all come together very attractively. The only thing I'd change and this is just because I'm a colour freak is the pendants - I'd probably have made those red and orange or something. But congrats really, it looks great.

Hi amfork, I went ahead & put the hob on my island & am delighted I did. I find it really is so much nicer looking out at the kids/my husband & being able to chat to them while I prepare meals as opposed to facing the wall with my back turned on everyone. I put a 4 ring induction hob on the island & put a 5 ring gas hob on counter facing wall. I did this as I have a large extended family & we frequently have get togethers. It’s great for catering for big events. However, I use the 4 ring induction hob on a daily basis. Hope this helps! Best of luck with your project, Claire