- Changing from your existing masonry fireplace to the linear gas fireplace in the photo you posted a link to would likely be fairly expensive, as it would require removing/modifying the masonry of your existing fireplace, but there are other approaches you might consider. One of the keys to modern is minimalism. You might try keeping the appearance as uncluttered as possible - perhaps by removing an existing mantel or stripping away other elements to leave only the most essential parts. If it is a wood burning fireplace, the building code requires that you leave non-combustible hearth protection in front of the fireplace, but you might be able to change the hearth material to make it more modern (pink wall with hearth flush on floor). The other thing you might consider is changing over to a modern gas burner, with glass media or stones (first photo, with black mantel). There are gas inserts that are beautiful as well last photo with stone wall), but the investment goes up when you get into a full system with firebox, surround, venting etc. If you have a photo of your current situation, we might be able to tailor our suggestions to be more helpful.

It seems to be Teak, which is a quite expensive wood. Lots of Yachts and Boats are made of Teak and it is used widely on decks, so, I still dont understand what your question is? What you are saying, is that because of the electrical and AC Vent, you need to drop the ceiling? Do you have straight walls/ceiling? can the wood be attached to the existing ceiling? The Carpenter installing the wood, could just lower the AC Vent and what kind of electrical are you talking about? The ceiling can lights?

I would go with the second plan, more or less. Having a fridge right next to the wall seems like a bad idea to me, and I personally can't stand ranges/cooktops on islands--I like the hood venting straight outside. But I would want more countertop to the left of the fridge--when I take food out of the fridge I would want to plop it right onto the counter, and it looks like there's not enough room as it is.

Hi, From your Question, I understand that you are looking to integrate a built-in DW and MW in an existing modular kitchen in your home or a new one you have ordered from a kitchen cabinet manufacturer. In either case, your first phone call should be to your kitchen supplier who fitted / will be fitting the kitchen cabinets. Here's WHY? The kitchen cabinet supplier will confirm the size of appliance required as per the kitchen design. They must have made suitable provisions in the cabinets to accommodate these equipments inside cabinets. The cabinets for DW and MW are different from the rest, since the DW sits directly on the floor while MW needs an escape vent at the back for hot air. 2. You need to confirm whether there exists 15 amp power points at appropriate places for each equipment. 3. For built-in DW, a water inlet and outlet at correct positions are required. The kitchen vendor and/or the built-in DW supplier will visit your home and do PDI to mark the exact location of electrical / plumbing points. It will be useful if the kitchen vendor and plumber / electrician are at hand during this PDI, so as to check and discuss relevant issues on the spot and give their confirmations ( or alternatives ) and close this essential issue to the satisfaction of all concerned. Usually, the actual spot is marked on the wall itself and a line drawing showing kitchen cabinets with exact electrical / plumbing positions marked clearly on it, are shared with relevant agencies to eliminate mistakes, if any. Any corrections reg electrical / plumbing will be expensive and time consuming once the cabinet and countertops are fitted. The appliances are typically installed at the end of the project, when all other works are done and almost all agencies ( read workers ) engaged in the premises have left. So, any mismatch between the initial discussion and actual execution comes to light too late in the day !! To avoid this scenario, ask the built-in equipment supplier to visit once more and verify if their requirements are met. Oftentimes, appliance cos. take refuge in such 'non-compliant' provisions and avoid delivering on committed guarantee / warranty, in case of issues at a later date. It's better to go through this cycle once initially, and get everything right in one go. It is also worth noting here that the positions of electrical / plumbing points vary with brands and models, so once you freeze the brand and model, it is advisable not to change the decision thereafter. However, if your kitchen cabinet maker is a pro and experienced, you may just leave it to him and sit back. A good company / professional will take care of all this. Most of the points mentioned above come with a steep learning curve and are not in any book. They don't teach this in any professional design / architecture course. Once all above is sorted....just check out prominent brands in your city / region. Some names that have stood the test of time are SIEMENS / HAFELE / KAFF / ELICA. All of them have a reasonably good service set up which will get top 'selection criteria' in my book. Also, most of them have enough machines out in the field and that means they are likely to have common spares etc with them, when needed down the years. It is a good idea to buy appliances from a single brand as that saves you the trouble of calling different companies for each appliance. Regarding specific model selection....most machines have all the basic features that are commonly used. A MW may have 58 ( so to speak ) pre settings that you may never use unless you are a Chef. Ask your wife and/or leave this to the family member who will spend most time in kitchen. MW with grill / convection features is a good choice and all above brands have them. Hope this answers your Question, and apologize for a loooong reply. But it's better to know relevant issues and decide. Thanks and good luck :)