Thanks for all the feedback and for sharing photos of such lovely homes! I've been looking at photos online (branching out from Houzz helped a lot, thanks for the push to do that!) and I think that given we are building in the woods in Minnesota, and that we casual people building a casual home, the Foursquare/Prairie style is a better fit for us than Georgian. I can be a little rigid in my thinking, but the people living in Minnesota during the Georgian era were Native Americans, and they weren't building Georgian homes, and so I'd feel silly trying to build an authentic Georgian home here. I know our house isn't square, but any of the styles would need some adjustment because we are limited to using vinyl siding (if we have an extra $10-15k, it's going towards a screened porch, not hardiplank or brick). My husband has been modeling his vision for how our house should look. I'm sharing it here with some trepidation-- its not traditional, and we're aware of that. I am the less visionary of the two of us, so it's taken me a while to come around to his ideas. The colors of the siding aren't right here-- a downside of the software he's using is that we can't adjust the hue. The green will be greyer than it appears. We haven't gotten an elevation yet from our architect. Renovator8-- why do you say the roof should be steeper? Our builder's standard roof is 5/12, so I know that pitch does ok with our local snow load, but I'm not sure what else factors in with roof design. I don't want to go a lot steeper because there's a development near us with lots of very steep hipped roofs and the houses are all roof (in that case it doesn't help that the development is in a narrow gully, so I always approach the homes from above). Houseofsticks- I posted our floorplan here: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg101210455016.html The blueprints are toward the end of the discussion. I've been trying to keep our elevation relatively simple because I feel like the more details we add, the more there is to mess up. If I had an extra million dollars, I'd love to build an authentic shingle style house with a tower, etc... but since I don't I'm trying to focus on keeping things simple and making sure that what we do build is done in a way that works.

Try Flicker.com and in the search field type "Laundry Room". You should find a lot of inspiration there. Here's a direct link. Here is a link that might be useful: Flicker - Laundry Room

I assume you've done the obvious google image search? I only post that because you didn't mention it. They've improved it to be able to refine search results. Here is a link that might be useful: google image search for reading nook

Here are a few that I gathered following my mother's passing: Afterglow Author Unknown I'd like the memory of me to be a happy one. I'd like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done. I'd like to leave an echo, whispering down the way, of happy times, and laughing times, of bright and sunny days. I'd like the tears of those who grieve to dry before the sun, with happy memories that I leave, when life is done. ----------------------------------- Fill not your hearts with pain and sorrow but remember me in every tomorrow Remember the joy, the laughter, and the smiles I've only gone to rest for a little while Although my leaving causes pain and grief my going has eased my hurt and given me relief So dry your eyes and remember me not as I am now, but as I used to be Because, I will remember you all and look on with a smile Understand, in your hearts I've only gone to rest a little while As long as I have the love of each of you I can live my life in the hearts of all of you ------------------------------ Miss me but let me go When I come to the end of the road And the sun has set for me I want no rites in a gloom-filled room. Why cry for a soul set free? Miss me a little--but not too long And not with your head bowed low. Remember the love that we once shared, Miss me--but let me go. For this is a journey that we all must take And each must go alone. It's all a part of the Master's plan, A step on the road to home. When you are lonely and sick of heart Go to the friends we know And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds. Miss Me--But Let me Go! ---------------------------- Those we love don't go away, They walk beside us everyday, Unseen, unheard, but always near, Still loved, still missed, so very dear.