White Dove reads a bit gray in my light. Have you gotten some test pots and checked in your light? I know you're in a hurry, but i'm going to suggest that you slow down and take your time. My kitchen was icky when we bought it. I'm sooooo glad that we waited to do the reno. First, it gave us time to live in the house and see how it flowed and how we use it. I know I'd be unhappy with the kitchen now if we had done the reno when we first bought it. Secondly, there are so many things to learn here if you are a TKO like most of us. Take the time to come up with a good layout. That's the most important thing over all the pretty finishes and cool gadgets. Just my 2 cents!

This is a bit long. Hopefully I addressed everything - I will reread through the comments. Keep the critiques/suggestions coming - they help! Yes the house plan based from the log house needs work (our house won't be log)! I just really liked that it had most of the things we were looking for. 1) We do need a bigger great room. It's impossible to read the dimensions on the little 1st draft- it was changed to 18×18. Is this a good size? We want it to feel spacious without being cold - literally (because we live in Canada) and figuratively for the overall feel of the room. The reason we like the fireplace on that wall is that my husband has a wood fireplace in the master bedroom upstairs on his wish list. 2) Yes the foyer is very large and it bugs me a little. Whenever I rework the kitchen it seems to make it larger. I hate crammed entrances, but this entrance won't be used as much as the mudroom. What is a comfortable size? I'd like to put a bench in there as well. 3) The stairs in the kitchen go to the second floor. I liked the idea of walking straight in the door (mudroom) and up to our bedroom. Since we will be doing stairs (we currently live in a bungalow), I didn't want to make going to our bedroom an even bigger chore. The stairs by the guest room go to the basement. 4) I'm definitely thinking we will close that area in by the garage. Our house is going to be facing north (kitchen side). And the kitchen doesn't need to be darker than it has to be, especially with a covered veranda. I'm thinking an extra window in there would be nice, but I'm not sure how much light would filter from the windows on the south side. I had originally liked the kitchen facing north so that we would have at least one well-used room facing the front of our home, especially because we have small children and will for some years to come. 5) I like your idea lavender_lass. It's not something I ever thought of. I think because I'm in love with a u-shaped kitchen that I found it will be hard to change my mind. I like how the rooms become more secluded in the way you organized the plan. And having the kitchen moved to the south side is actually ideal. 6) I hate that bathroom/laundry upstairs. I want those rooms separated. I think there would be enough space to stick a bathroom between the bedrooms? Especially if we switched the kitchen to make it more long than wide. It just still seems like a lot of space sort out up there. An exercise room? 7) I don't like the upstairs master bath in the log plan - we haven't drafted it yet, but a large vanity is on my wish list. And also a closet that you can enter from 2 ways - bedroom and bathroom. Since the master is currently at the head of the stairs, I don't want our kids/guests see me running from bath to closet from the stairs/kids' rooms. 8) The garage is big. My husband can use the 3rd bay as a shop without us building one. I like the look of an angled garage and with the side part facing the front, I don't think it would appear as large. Our driveway will be coming from the master bedroom/guest/office side of the house. 9) The reason I had wanted a bathroom in the mudroom is because I like a bathroom close to the outside of the house - close to the deck and right when we get home through the garage. Originally I had thought it would be the bathroom we use the most, until the architect opened up the guest ensuite. Should we open it up or keep it an ensuite? 10) The architect switched the guest tub to the side in our first draft. At first I didn't like it because I liked the window in that bath. But if it saves us money with having all the water on one wall and gives us more room for a bigger vanity, it might be a good trade-off.

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.

1. Your builder may have an interior designer on staff that will help with all of the interior decisions. This, of course, comes with a pricetag (maybe not a line item, but it would be included). If your builder doesn't have one on staff, your best bet would be to hire someone. When we got bids on our house, we spec'd out generals: windows, floor type, cabinet type, shower material, counter material, etc. We didn't pick the EXACT material - those were included in an allowance. When it actually came to picking WHAT floor or cabinet style, we would have used the interior designer. 2. Your stairs are narrow. 3'0" is code minimum, but that is not comfortable, especially for stairs that will be used all the time. Ours are 40" and widen to 44". You'll be going up and down them a lot so you may want something a bit roomier. 3. I agree with others about all the 2 level rooms. I would close that up in an instant. 4. You walk into your master straight into a wall. Or a closet. Consider if that's the look you want. Plus I am not a fan of double doors. One will never get used. Where is your light switch? 5. You don't have room for a freestanding tub in your master bath. Toilet room is too small for an inswing door. 10' is a HUGE vanity. 6. You'll be hauling 3 kids' laundry upstairs to do it. Consider either adding a 2nd laundry space on the main level - and teaching your kids how to share laundry machines - and/or putting in an elevator. You will not have an entirely private level unless you plan on doing all of your kids' laundry forever. 7. Having the powder room right off the kitchen may make that bath really uncomfortable for guests to use. 8. Get rid of the pocket door into the shared bath and flip that bath around so the toilet is up against the closet. That bathroom is just about the worst of a jack and jill. Consider adding a tub/shower combo in that room for resale (anyone with kids under 5 or planned kids won't want to buy your house because they'll have to have their kids bathe in the master bath and truck up and down stairs with all that goes with that). 9. Any deck that you want to use for anything other than a couple chairs needs to be at least 10'. For dining, you need at least that width for a dining table. For comfortable living room type seating, 12'-14'. 10. Do you plan to watch TV in your living room? If so, consider flipping the living and dining room, and put the TV on the bar wall. And insulate that wall. 11. Kid in the middle bedroom gets screwed. Smallest room, no direct bathroom access, and toilets on both shared walls. 12. Reconsider pantry window. Typically food should be stored in a dark place. 13. Consider having seating on the edges of your island as well - this will make for easier conversation if you actually plan on eating there. 14. 3'-6" is pretty tight between a fridge and island. This probably doesn't include fridge handles or counter overhang, either. We have 4' between ours, and it only works because it's a french door fridge.