Not too early at all! We started with a floor plan Jan 2008, and made many, many changes to it with the builder's designer (a very patient guy!!). Everytime we made changes, we kind of sat with the changes for a few weeks and 'lived' in the house on paper (if that makes sense). We found that having the time helped us greatly to think everything single detail out. We also made selections for fixtures, flooring, cabinets, and got price quotes from various sources. Only then (in November) did we sign a formal contract. With our current home which we also custom built, we signed a contract too quickly and then once the build started, we incurred numerous costly change orders. We did not realize that we had signed on a very low bid for the home, with inadequate allowances for almost everything. This time, we were well armed with what it would actually cost for all items. That way, we could discuss/negotiate with the builder before we signed on a realistic price for the home. So far, (we broke ground in nov.), there have been no plan changes or other finish changes (that would constitute a change order plus upcharge). So, spend the time....if the builder truly wants your business, he should be more than willing to be patient with you. And only after you are 100 % happy with the floor plan and all the various selections should you send it out for bids. Good luck!

Mrs. Smith, Thank you. This stone was just right for our tastes - simple lines enhanced by the patterns in natural materials. It is Azul do Mar, an accurate name because it looks very similar to a photo we took of the ocean off Point Lobos. Blues and greens mixed with the white of the wave tops and some little reddish brown spots like the bits of seaweed or an otter popping its head up. It is a quartzite and very similar in properties to Azul Macaubas. Both come from Brazil. Azul Macaubas usually has more white with streaks of aqua blue - more like the sky than the ocean. They are often sold as "granite" as are any other hard stones. It is very very hard - harder than granite because it is composed mainly of quartz, but the impurities give it its color. It is very low porosity - our fabricator insisted on sealing it because he seals everything, but in the tests we did on our sample before sealing, nothing stained it. We have been using it for 5 years and have not resealed. Our fabricator said it took longer on his machines because it is so hard. Nothing short of a diamond is going to scratch it. I've never had anything that is as easy to clean. A wipe with a damp towel usually does the job even if my family has allowed a spot of wine or tomato sauce to dry on. The downsides: Like most blue stones, it is more expensive - we paid about $54 a square foot for the slabs. It isn't very common - only two yards around us had it. Supposedly, it usually comes in smaller slabs but either that isn't accurate or we were extremely lucky. The first slabs we saw were 67 by 54 inches, then at Bedrosians we found ones large enough to do our island with one slab but our L would have needed 2 seams. Bedrosians checked their other stores and found 124 x 64 inch slabs which allowed us to do our L with one seam.

mtnrdredux your house is absolutely absolutely amazing! It makes me want to sell my new-built one and go and buy yours! That window seat with the arched stained glass window is a work of art! And your fireplaces and floors!! I also love your style and ALL of your furniture. You aren't too far from us, so if you have a moving sale, please really let me know and I'll come and buy some of your furniture. That's so cool you got married at the house too and what a beautiful setting to do it. My fiance and I are planning on getting married at our new house as well. I'm sure your new home must be magical for you to leave such a lovely home! Thanks for the book ideas- there are a bunch of really cool ones! I definitely have more books than shelves. We've got a quasi-two story library with a library ladder and books to the ceiling :) We've been buying those readers digest books at estate sales, the leather bound condensed books. And old law books. I kept a few of my old law books from law school but they are nowhere near as nice as your husband's collection! beckysharp it is the sun blinding effect that I'm afraid of with the windows that is making me think I'll want to do at least shutters on some of the windows. macybaby, the swag of the chandelier is definitely a good idea. Then I could do the ceiling medallion I want to do as well. fori, I agree 48" seems a bit big for a table. That's why I'm hoping I'll be OK w/ space. That was the size I saw on the first three tables I looked at to get an idea of dimensions when I was talking to my cabinet maker, so I'm not sure why they were all so large!

@Andrea C Nothing about the windows, or any part of this idea, is set. The utility of the prep sink being on the island is that it forms a triangle with storage (fridge and pantry) and stove, while providing a work/landing surface (island counter space) between. Using just the clean up sink would mean running around the island from storage/prep whenever I need the sink. @Lisa Dipiro That was a big part of my questions: what is the practical benefit of putting a prep sink between the work/prep counter space and the stove? Your idea, a la Design #2, would mean I'd need to maneuver around the sink to get from my prep zone (island counter space) to the stove. I don't understand why it's desirable to have prep sinks immediately near a cooktop. It would also mean my family would walk around me while I'm working on the long side of the island and plant themselves in front of the prep sink, right between me and the stove. Also, there was my note about squaring the fridge and prep sink together. If you have experience with a fridge being opposite a sink and how that's worked out and not been a problem, I'd love to hear. @vinmarks I'm not stuck on anything at the moment. This is a rough idea stage, but every idea is going to have its pros and cons. There is no perfect solution for everything. That said, I'm mostly curious if the placement of a Design #1 prep sink and fridge would possibly cause problems I can't see, because the cons(?) I listed there are more about what I keep seeing come up in kitchen designs rather than what bothers me, i.e. is the fridge too far into the kitchen and is it truly a problem to have a prep sink closer to the outside perimeter then close to the stove? Your idea doesn't really answer that question, because I also see pretty much everyone who's considering that same design still say they want their prep sinks close to their stove, wherever that is. I like being able to transition straight from my workspace to the stove. @Buehl I think I'm not understanding you right? Based on what you've written, it sounds like you're suggesting the first design below, which would make the island one huge barrier between the fridge and stove! Even if you meant to move the fridge to the same wall as the range, as with the second pic below, with the wall ovens elsewhere, that would just direct my family's flow further into the same space as mine, because everything they linger around (MW, toaster) would have to be directly next to the stove as I'm working, and both sinks would be directly in the deepest/base part of the kitchen work area.