The kitchen was a TRIAL. We had to strip off the old linoleum that has been on the floor for at least 40 years. Back in the old days flooring was glued down with a type of 'tar glue', and the only way to get to the bottom if it was heat. Can y0u imagine how long it took to use a heat gun and putty knife one board at a time? I bet Joel, Whitney and Dad can tell you how long and how discouraging it was. The tar glue is gone, but the black color that did not come up gives a stressed wood look. I love the way the black brings out the natural grain of the wood. Whitney chose the wall color, green bottom and yellow top. We are still using the red accents that have always graced my kitchens. I am glad Whitney has a good eye for color combination, my brain could not grasp the vision of what we were doing so I must admit I was pleasantly surprised when it all came together.