I like this method because it is fool proof and because the pictures will stay alligned indefinitely. First, I cut out paper templates for each pic. I use brown postal paper.Then I arrange my pics on the floor to get a basic idea of what would look good. Then I hang my paper templates on the wall attaching each template with painter's tape on each corner. I move the templates around until it looks just right. You can precisely measure spacing or not, it just depends on what sort of look you prefer. It is necessary however, that you sort of use a level on each template--you'll have another chance for leveling more precisely when you attach the pic to the wall. I attached 3M velcro strips to the back of each pic according to 3M's directions. Be careful that the strips will not show from the sides when walking down the hall. If your frames are wide enough, the strip should be placed in the shadows. If frames are thinner and one side is more visible than the others, I might put two strips on a less visible side, along with one on the top and one on the bottom--just don't shortchange your strips. I also always place strips so that the picture hangs flat rather than tilted (top and bottom rather than just at the top) even if 3M suggests that only one strip is needed per the weight of the pic. Before hanging, I tear a section of each template away where the strip will attach the pic to the wall, but I leave major portions of the template in place to guide me on where to hang the pic. I press the frame in place per 3M's directions with a small level on top of the pic frame while at the same time aligning the frame with the template. When the project is complete, I carefully lift each pic frame part way from the wall, so that I can slide and/or tear the paper template away from behind the pic without losing the precise placement of the pic on the wall. I reattach the frame to the wall again by repressing in place. Here is a link that might be useful: 3M Command Strips This post was edited by theresa2 on Thu, Aug 28, 14 at 21:59

I would put the cooktop on the wall that faces the long side of the island, a prep sink on the island, and the cleanup sink and DW where the cooktop was. This is because you have enough room to more clearly separate the prep, cook and cleanup spaces, so you should - why wouldn't you? :) Also, if you really cook, you spend most of your time prepping so that is what the island space should be so you can look out at your space, and it should be spacious, so that is why I moved the cooktop to face the long side of the island. I would then move the fridge or the ovens to the cooktop wall to free up counter space by the sink. To make the sink wall prettier, I would do something like a mirror above. I'll link some examples. You could also hang artwork instead!

That was kind of my fear with the counter runs. As it is, I'm the only one in the household who ever clears a counter of clutter or wipes one down! My thoughts around the area between the fridge and pantry centered on storage for glasses and dinnerware near the fridge, the peninsula seating, and the table. The pantry was placed there for access to cereal, pet food, school lunch prep, snacks, and so on as the FR is beyond the kitchen seating area and is used quite a bit. I agree about the corner cabinet. It is bulky and crowds the corner. I currently have a blind corner cabinet in my kitchen (wall cabinets) and it doesn't bother me at all. Opened cereal is what you see when you open the door an I manage to hide the new umopened boxes in the blind corner! I have another question if you don't mind...This plan shows 30'' cabinets which is the reason there are so many in the plan- they don't hold a lot. I hesitated with a 36'' height because I didn't want them to abut the ceiling especially with concerns about how level it might be. Do you think it would work anyway, if I dropped them 1/2 an inch or so an topped with molding? I really don't want space to collect dust or install a soffit there. Thanks again for your help. Buehl, Bmorepanic, boxerpups, and friends- feel free to join in and lighten the burden I've placed on poor rhome! ;)

To be honest Sunny, while I could recommend further on specifics, for better or worse, it sounds like we're down to the "where do I put the towel rack?" stage, you already know pretty much what you want and any more "big idea" discussion would be pointless. And that's entirely ok. More often than not when I do these "pen to paper" exercises I do them for the lurkers rather than the OP anyway. And for the lurkers, at least one of my three points above has been addressed, that of house area. For a house with basically 4 bedrooms and the support spaces here, 2100SF is plenty. That number might represent a challenge to achieve but that's what a good residential designer does. The other two points, that of maximizing views and circulation remain largely untouched. Two bedrooms are looking elsewhere (one onto what I think will be a largely unused covered patio) and parts of the circulation paths look like the white squares in a crossword puzzle. In concluding, let me get back to Sunny....I guess in a larger sense what I was trying to illustrate is your house has no soul. Sure it has all the pieces (place for piano CHECK......screened porch.....CHECK.......pantry.....CHECK......place for hutch.....CHECK.......walk in closet.....CHECK....etc.) but add all those pieces up and the sum does not make for an inspiring whole. And inspiring wholes do not cost a dime more to build than uninspiring wholes. Designing a skyscraper, where there's a lobby floor with 50 identical floors above is in many ways an easier task than coming up with a well designed small house. Let me reference some threads you might find helpful before you spend a healthy six figures of your hard earned money in an endeavor with no "do-overs" (and again, I'm keeping lurkers in mind here). Read up on what makes good design. First here's a great list of book suggestions: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3281434/book-suggestions?n=10 Second, here's a bunch of great suggestions from others here on what makes good design: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3285825/what-makes-a-house-have-good-design?n=39 (And Sunny, if you thought some of my comments above might have been a tough read, note #31 in my post here). And third, get someone local of talent to sit down with you for a highly interactive "brainstorming session" on the design of your house. And this doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming. Just look at the idea I drew above.......which took an hour. I do these all the time and call them "design charrettes". And don't think I have a horse in your race as I only do these locally, face to face, and I'm plenty busy with the locals anyway (some I even reference here!). In lieu of doing another big retype here's a coupla threads that explain those: Not my first post here but the photo heavy one further down. In the charrette photo that's me pen in hand with the builder flanked by the owners (and from the photo you can see I'm a piano player too). http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3178541/question-for-architectrunnerguy-or-others?n=24 And a colleague of mine wrote the process up in his blog http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/design-in-a-day/ And again Sunny, the best of luck with your build.