Comments on small things: - I don't have any opinion about whether your bedroom should be just off the kitchen, but I can tell you that a child's bedroom should not be in this position! We were a "sit in the kitchen" family, and I had the bedroom just off the kitchen. I overheard MANY things that were really none of my business, for example, I remember being terrified after a smoke alarm salesman came to our house to talk to my parents (yes, when they first came out, they were sold door to door), and I really shouldn't have heard all the details about why my parents were divorcing. - Width of the door isn't the only consideration. A larger door is heavier and larger, and it is more difficult for an elderly or infirm person to open (because the person has to reach 4" farther to reach the door and allow it to swing open); we're a short family, and our arms aren't that long. A larger door also requires a greater "swing area", meaning that in a small house furniture placement may be hindered, and you might like to use those few extra inches for slightly larger kitchen cabinets or slightly larger bookshelves. If you are ever confined to a wheelchair full time, you'll probably buy an electric wheelchair, which is more narrow than a traditional push-it chair (because electric chairs are "driven" with a joystick on the arm, and you don't need to allow space for your hands beside the wheels); I had a student in such a wheelchair this semester, and she could scoot through small spaces -- but she couldn't fit under a standard-height table! Additionally, if you go with smaller doors now and later find that you need the extra few inches, you can always switch your doors to swing-away hinges later. And since you want both accessibility and budget-friendly choices, be sure you choose standard-sized doors; I think it's 34" that isn't standard (?). Note, too, that these arguments don't apply to pocket doors. Okay, after reading on in the thread, I see the above thoughts on 36" doors had already been covered. -- Since you mentioned wheelchairs, I'll toss this out: My grandmother didn't have any type of accident or disease, but as she approached 100 she became more fragile. She was never confined to a wheelchair (few people are actually in wheelchairs ALL THE TIME); rather, she went through the typical old-age progression: First she started using a walker only when she left the house ... then she started using the walker inside the house too ... and in the last two years of her life she started using a wheelchair outside the house but used the walker inside the house. Until the last 2-3 days of her life, she never used the wheelchair in the house. She never had any problem with any doors (and I know the ones in my house -- she lived with me for a time), and I know the doors in my house are 32". What WAS a problem was not having a place to store the walker (and later the wheelchair) when she wasn't using it! Finally we bought a second walker, so she used the blue one INSIDE the house, and she was able to take the one step down to the garage, where her pink walker was waiting by the door. When she started using the wheelchair outside the house, we'd help her up the ramp and into the house, then after she was seated in her favorite recliner, one of us would have to take the wheelchair back out to be stored in the garage ... and then she she was ready to go out again, someone had to bring it back in the house for her. We were always moving something because we had no place to store the things! As a result, for the house we're building, I'm planning a spot (in the utility room) near the garage entry that will hold a 36" chest of drawers in a little alcove ... but in the future, if we need to house a wheelchair inside the house, we can remove the chest and use that alcove as a wheelchair storage spot. Regardless, the walker-and-wheelchair and/or doors weren't what gave my grandmother the most trouble. The #1 thing that gave her trouble was the shower; she had trouble lifting her foot over the threshhold (though it only about 6") and a larger shower with a larger, more comfortable stool would've been good. The #2 problem for her was being able to carry her laundry and reach into the machine. #3 was probably changes in flooring (even a 1/2" difference between tile and hardwood could trip her). Oh, and she wouldn't go to one relative's house because she couldn't get into the toilet-in-a-closet. In contrast, the household detail that gave her the most joy was probably the big bay window by the table where she always sat. It let in so much light and she could enjoy the lovely back yard. Honestly, aging-in-place is a common topic on this board, but most people are discussing the wrong things. The discussion goes way beyond wider doorways and walkways; I definitely learned a great deal from being my grandmother's caretaker. - I don't know how large a shower kids "need", but my girls have a tub-sized shower in their bathroom, and we all LOVE it. (I say tub-sized because we recently had the old tub pulled out and replaced with a tiled shower.) My only regret about their shower is that I wish we'd had two niches build (or an extra-long niche); they aren't particularly high-maintenance, but a big squirt bottle of shampoo and another of conditioner plus a bottle of squirt soap ... well, it's all full, so they have to keep shaving cream and body wash on the floor. It would've required only a tiny bit more effort and money to have had more storage. The shower in my bathroom is 3'x4', and it's comfortable; however, I'm planning to make the one in my new house 8" wider. Why? Because I want to install grab bars on both sides, and I don't want to make the usable space any less than 3' wide. - Dormers may not be necessary, but I think they'll add significantly to the quality of light in the upstairs. I'd do my best to include them.

This last winter was a cold winter pretty much everywhere in the US. It could just be a fluke. Remember that out door ambient temps are the direct load of a structure. Did you insulate the first floor too? Your mind could be playing tricks on you.... because now the 2nd floor is much warmer, the other conclusion is that heat rises and because you sealed up the 2nd floor and insulated it retains the heat.

Ok, so done with tightening up the rooms. Just new window trims need to go on now in my son's room (office is complete). We feel a big difference in humidity with it hovering between 38-40% now in all four rooms on the 2nd floor and around 37% on the 1st floor. Not waking up in the night parched or with dry mouths any more! Temperature wise, we got the Acurite montors as you suggested Sophie Wheeler. The temperature in the master (South East corner) with the highest insulation is 21C, the one on the same side (South West corner) but with only 4" blown in cellulose (old plaster walls) 20C, the one one next to that in the NW corner 19C, and in the office (North East corner) 20C (also, newer insulation R21 and all joints between siding boards sealed). The NW corner doesn't get much direct sun at all but plenty of light though. Would you say thats about the normal range of variation? We could go nuts and smack on foam board and drywall layer on top of the old lime and lathe walls but would rather not.

You have: WARM travertine tile on the first floor. You have DARK warm wood cabinets. You have WARM countertops. The LAST thing you want sitting next to that BEAUTIFUL WARM coloured stone is gray. No gray. Nothing in your home says "I need gray to make it perfect". Nothing. Your furniture will change. Your area rugs will change. Your wall colours will change. They will all change inside of 15 years. But your PERMANENT stone or tile floors will STAY. If you must use a tile next to stone, I suggest working in the same tones. You can go darker or you can go lighter but stay inside the SAME TONES as the travertine. If you REALLY MUST HAVE GRAY - then rip out the travertine and start again. Gray and peach stone/tile do not like to play nicely together. It screams out, "I didn't want to pay to do it properly." I would recommend finding MORE travertine in a different sized tile and add it in at an angle (diagonal install). You can find a stone that is either a little darker or a little lighter. You can then add a decorative boarder to the rooms where you are installing it so that it looks like you did it on purpose. This is a great way to add more of the high-end stone to a space that already has high-end stone. But please do not add gray in with peach. They just don't like each other. Flooring snobs, like myself can see it right away. We KNOW when something has been done piece meal. We also know when someone did the piece meal NICELY vs. someone who did it without a thought to the overall look of the floor. Compliment the stone you are keeping. Let your area rugs turn the space gray. That trend is quickly dying. It makes sense to throw out a rug in 3 years. It doesn't make sense to rip out a tile floor in 3 years.