After: An open, colorful kitchen

For the island top, I ordered a 3- by 5-foot chopping block of sustainably harvested Oregon madrone from a supply store in Portland.

We chose maple for the island base, which was given a red stained base, then painted flat black and sanded to reveal the red.

After much debate, we decided to paint the dining room and kitchen the same color -- a dusty olive green -- to enhance the rooms' relationship and open flow.