I think I'd turn the office's door towards the foyer. It'd be more private that way. Secondary bedrooms look good, but both of their baths could use work: One has only a minimal vanity/sink -- no space for storage. This bathroom has no storage space -- no space for a hamper, barely space for a trash can. The other is trying to house two sinks in a too-small vanity; you really need at least 6' for two sinks to fit comfortably. I'd say make the mud room another 2' wider . . . so you can have shelves, lockers, or something else on the wall shared with the pantry. The storage would be very useful in that spot. Do you have a door from the mudroom /pantry area straight into the entryway? I can't quite tell, but I think you ought to have a door through that way. You don't want to be forced to circle through the kitchen if you want to enter the house and come straight towards the bedrooms. Note, too, that without such a door, you'd have to carry laundry through the kitchen and down the mudroom hall -- you're going to want a more direct route. Does the breezeway serve any function other than joining the house and the garage? I mean, I've seen some breezeways that also hold a couple chairs for reading . . . or whatever. The kitchen is large, but it's too choppy --- your work areas are divided from one another by walkways. I would want a pass-through between the kitchen and the pantry. If you're picking up lots of cans, or if you're moving lots of home canned goods into the pantry, you're not going to want to walk around that corner multiple times. Nice dining room and nice great room. Your plumbing is really spread across the whole house. This will be very expensive to install, and more plumbing lines = more opportunity for leaks in the future. You have three doors leading out to the back porch -- and two of them are within a few feet of one another. I'd cut out one of these. If you keep the one in the dining room, I'd consider making it a slider (take a look at the new sliders -- they're nothing like their 1970s counterparts) because a slider wouldn't interfere with the dining room table placement. Front porches usually end up being "just for show". As a result, I'd eliminate the steps on the sides. I can't imagine they'll be used much, and I'd save that money. This post was edited by MrsPete on Mon, Nov 3, 14 at 23:17

I've read that Pennsylvania House which was a La-Z-Boy company has been sold. La-Z-Boy sold the name to a Chinese furniture maker but the new owner did not buy the current designs or inventory of products. Therefore, La-Z-Boy Corporation is liquidating all inventory which would explain the low price. However, my understanding is that La-Z-Boy has been making Pennsylvania House furniture in China for some time so the quality may not be the same as was once associated with that name. The new owner plans to create new groups of furniture which will begin being sold under the Pennsylvania House name next year. Kinda sad to me.

Something made in the 1950's isn't an antique...it's just "used furniture". A ball park figure might be 30% of what a new one would cost. They used to say 30% of original price, the inflation has upped the price considerably....and furniture made then was mostly solid....wood drawer bpottoms and solid wood backs....so the in creased selling price reflects the good quality construction. Linda C

First and foremost, check to see if they are registered with the state, as home improvement contractors must be registered as of 1-1-06. If not....they are operating illegally...if so, report them, and move on to a contractor who is operating legally. If they are...ask for at least 3 references...check themÂ..and try to see if you can look at the work they have done. Last but not least...make sure you have a contract that protects your interests. NJ law requires that certain things are included in the contract. Here is a link, and an excerpt: "...for the purpose of compliance with the Act and N.J.A.C. 13:45A-17, effective December 31, 2005, the Division of Consumer Affairs will consider a contractor registered for the purpose of obtaining a construction permit from a municipality when the contractor has, prior to December 31, 2005: 1) filed with the Division a completed application, including the disclosure statement and all documents required to be filed with the application, which has not been denied, 2) the required minimum $500,000 per occurrence commercial general liability insurance policy in full force and effect, and 3) paid the registration fee and, when applying for a construction permit, provides the appropriate municipal official with a certification attesting to the fact that a completed application for registration has been filed with the Division by December 31, 2005, which as of the date of the certification has not been denied by the Division. Certification forms will be made available by the Division to municipal officials so that they may provide them to home improvement contractors. In addition, contractors will be provided with an advisory that is to be given to the consumer prior to signing of a contract for home improvement services to make the consumer aware of the contractor's registration status and compliance with the Act..." I saw four companies registered with similar names...but not the exact name. Check for yourself...and good luck. Here is a link that might be useful: NJ Home Improvement Contractor Page