All the recommendations so far I'd agree you would be well advised to consider. Couple other thoughts. You might want to consider two washers. You could then look at a smaller front loader with a heater for diapers and things and a large top loader of your choice for the big bulky things. Depends on what the budget would be. But to not include a matching dryer, or at least a low cost functional dryer you might still be on budget. You could even start with one machine and add one down the road as family size increases and hopefully budget would permit. Lots of different options, even two identical or whatever. But you could be doing two loads at a time and with the large family, and with everything else you must have to do, it could cut down the laundry time. Run two loads and carry/hang two loads at a time. If budget permits, it could be a very good consideration for you. Another top loader that gets great reviews here is the GE Harmony. There's a version available that has a heater in it now too. Very few people report issues. FWIW, it's made by LG I'm told. It's a similar design to the F&P. Are you considering the Fisher & Paykal with or without the agitator? Dadoes is the resident F&P specialist here and could give you more detail if you have questions. There's also a lot of threads devoted to F&P and for that matter all of the aforementioned washers. Might be worth your time to peruse them for some ideas. The Cabrio also comes in agitator and washplate versions. They're different sizes too so be careful and double check model numbers and specs. The Whirlpool Cabrio, Maytag Bravos and Kenmore Oasis are all sibling machines. So compare prices and features, you may have more options if you go that route. For a dryer, I'm hooked on the Whirlpool 7.4+ cubic foot models. They're about as big as you can get in a consumer model, are downright cheap when you look at it ($300-$500) and are a proven reliable machine. The guideline usually is to get a dryer with double the capacity of the washer or more. I can't say for sure but if memory serves me correctly the matching Cabrio/Oasis/Bravos dryer is only about 7 cf and costs much more. BTW, kudos to you for using cloth diapers! Also for the clothesline. You sound like a sensible person. Good luck in finding the perfect laundry setup for your needs! Oh, one last thing on the Staber. It is an impressive machine. But I think it's a pretty spendy machine for the features you're getting. It's unique, yes. It's supposed to be very easy to work on, yes. But I think you might get a machine better suited to your needs by looking at other options. Although maybe is you had one Staber and one other??? Deciding on laundry machines shouldn't be so confusing!

That's a tough one. The most important thing is to choose a color that makes you feel good, so you'll want to spend time there. I wouldn't go too dark because it sounds like you've got just one window. Remember that since you don't have any furniture in the room, you'll see a lot more of the wall color than you normally would. You can get away with bolder colors if you have less area to cover. Also, consider the room orientation and the time of day that you'll use the room, and make sure that the color works well under those lighting conditions. (I didn't do this when I chose my dining room shades -- they look great in the morning light, but just OK at night when I'm most likely to use the room.) Since your artwork is predominately blue, why not try a lively blue that would work with it? I wouldn't choose one that's too electric, or your guests won't be able sleep. Also, unless you're certain you'll be staying put for a while, avoid colors that you'd have to paint over if you sell. Benjamin Moore "Brazilian Blue' looks like it could be a good compromise between invigorating and restful. (I haven't seen it in person, just photos.) Here is a link that might be useful: BM Brazilian Blue

I don't have an exercise room but I have dreams! (Right now our guest bedroom doubles as my gym.) My room would have one wall of mirrors. Maybe mirror tiles or 2-3 really large beveled edge mirrors. Walls would most likely be a warm gray color or possibly a soft blue-gray. A tv is a must have for me - wall mounted with an adjustable angle/swivel would be ideal. I'm not sure what I'd like on the walls. Either black and whites or possibly jazz it up with color artwork. The main focus, though, would be that it's an exercise room and it would look like it. Mats, weights, etc, could just be set aside or put in a cubby instead of trying to hide them in a closet. And my treadmill would look 'at home' instead of being an eyesore in our guest bedroom! :) Oh, and for space, the only tip I have is to make sure that there is clearance behind the treadmill for safety reasons. Good luck with your project! Please show pics of what you do!

I would recommend selecting a dedicated exercise "area" that is pleasant to be in. Of the options you mentioned, I like #2 for a few reasons. It puts the bike in a place you won't feel like you need to cover it. Having it near a window (or sliding glass doors in your case) gives the exercise place a positive pleasant feeling. I find myself much more motivated to exercise when I get natural light. I often get very warm while exercising and nothing is more pleasant than being able to open up a window (or a sliding glass door) and bring in a nice cross breeze. What I'm doing while exercising all depends on the exercise. But if I'm running on a treadmill or elliptical machine or on a bike, I enjoy watching TV. It helps distract me from the exercise and allows me to do an otherwise very unproductive thing (TV) while doing something productive. I love the idea of reading while exercising, but I tend to exercise too vigorously to be able to read (might fall off treadmill or bike or make myself very motion sick). If you hate to exercise, choose an activity that you truly do enjoy (maybe it's TV, or movies, or reading, or knitting, or talking on the phone) to help pass the time and make the activity more pleasant.