Buying either new or used window units will be about the same cost of operation. Putting one in each bedroom seems to be your answer. Normally in a portble situation, one would open a window put the unit in the open window, then close the window on top of the unit. Many units have adjustable sides to enclose the remaining open area. 5000 btu should be an average size for one room. If you have a lot of sun, then maybe 8000 btu. 120 sqft is not very much area to cool. Todays units found at the discount houses are disposable, and not normally repaired. The cost to repair is more than a new unit costs. Your prices are kinda high in my opinion. I don't know what you economic stratus is like, but in Dallas, the smaller units sell for between $150 to 200. An 8000 btu could cost as much as $400. It sounds like the existing unit is either too small or is not working correctly.

I JUST had crema bordeaux installed 2 days ago. The stone sample you have was one of the choices. But higher up in the numbers where I went, were the richer colors - the gray shows but so do the other colors. Put is this way, my stones are numbers 20 and 20. When I went backwards in the numbers I saw "your" color at around 12. My stone actually turned out to be quite neutral. I have put every color and pattern of odds and ends from my old kitchen and it all looks surprisingly GREAT. There is a lot of salmon, red-cinnamon and a rustic orangey-gold (very toned down - not bright or shiney, like a butternut colored cinammon gold, if that makes sense). My cabinets are very rustic and the slabs I chose really marry the prettiness of the stone (which is gorgeous)with the rusticness of my kitchen. Since the colors in the stone stand out a little more than your sample stone, the gray is basically the background. It is ever soooo pretty in my kitchen. EVERYONE, even the stone installers were amazed! You may want to ask around to see the darker or more colorful Crema. I would post pics but not quite there yet. Best of luck with your choice. Your pics look great by the way!! gng

jejvtr: I like the first link you showed, but the second one did not work. You are right the columns look similar. Perhaps you should leave them afterall, they are growing on me. It has a certain delicacy with the arched roof and you may change you mind also once the trim is painted different than the house color. Which is probably another reason my vote is for a non-white base color--to accentuate your lovely trimwork. I'm glad you are looking at other homes similar to yours for inspiration. When we were remodeling last year, I always kept a digital camera in my car and I would snap pics of features/colors/etc of houses I liked--usually while picking up or dropping off my kids from school or sports practices. I would try to drive a bit in the residential areas. Then when we were finalizing paint, I had my paint swatches with me and I would go up to houses which I liked and compare paint swatches. Once you and your DH find an inspiration pic I think this is helpful to narrow down to an actual color. You will always see things we don't, like lighting and how it works from various angles. What does DH think? Still white/red?

Thank tibbrix! They are a little wild. I love wood so I'm okay with them but they seem to inspire love or barely contained horror for others :-) Nosoccermom - am very interested in the glass. Is it too late because the hood is all ready in? Would glass just up to the hood look okay? Again, hood width or range width. Thanks peony4. I tried to do a mock-up with foil but got frustrated in the model making... The 36" seems huge, but then the 30" looks like I forgot a few inches. The counters are ridiculous, we had to replace our sewer line mid project and lost the counter funds. They are just now deteriorating around the sink. We put them in the bathroom as well, but those started to go last year. I could only be so careful with two children. This is them closer up. I really thought we'd only have them 6 months tops!