I own several Hooker furniture bookcases and an armoire (2001) as well as a Riverside bedroom set (2003). Both have been moved several times and I have no complaints about either one! I should also note that the Riverside bedroom set was used in a rental property. I think both have held up very well over the years.

Do you have a 2-D aerial view of the plan? It's hard to give advice just from the renderings because space is distorted. But this is a really disfunctional kitchen plan. -The corner where the pantry used to be looks funky because of that cabinet that abruptly ends. -The prep sink on the island will only be useful if it is on the fridge side of the island. But that doesn't work if you will have stools there. The stools should be on the other side, but there might not be room. -The trash compactor should be in the prep space, not the cleaning space (unless you will also have a regular trash in the prep zone? I need a 2-D plan to comment further.

Thanks for the kind words. I agree that your house is going to be great. The truss you posted does not "cantilever" since its supported at each end; it just doesn't have a continuous bottom chord. Because of the tall porch, the elevation is a bit deceptive. I now realize that this house will have a large footprint so if a porch is under the span of the roof, its possible a truss is the only way the roof can be framed without the use of very deep engineered rafters and/or intermediate supports and foundations. Such framing options would depend greatly on the floor plan. I would be looking for ways to allow skylight shafts to fit between the trusses. Maybe its as simple as doubling up trusses either side of a skylight.

I also live in the Northeast and I know what your saying. It looks like a beautiful classic home, but yes, it could use a few things to freshen it up. You have beautiful millwork, and floors, but the floors read yellow/orange to me. I would refinish the floors to something more classic. In the Northeast, many classic colonials have floors stained darker and richer. I have red oak floors, and am changing them from the color you have, to dark walnut mixed with a small amount of Ebony to counteract the red tones. I've already done my bedroom, and bath and am now doing the rest of the house. If your floors are white oak, you may not need the Ebony. In terms of your stairs, I think they're beautiful. The only thing I would do is stain the railing and the stair treads dark to match the floors, but paint the risers white. I would NEVER replace the ballusters, just keep them white and as they are. A runner would also cozy up the stairs. Make sure if you carpet the stairs you ask the installers to waterfall them. Paint is another thing you may want to update. The color appears to have a yellow cast to it, which again reads 1980-90's. I've been there too. Chose a light color that you love and goes with your furniture, but still has enough contrast to make your millwork shine. Yes, everyone will tell you to paint gray, but it's not for everybody and is actually waning in popularity where I am. However, there are some nice proven colors to consider. Ben. Moore White Sands (OC-10), is a lovely neutral beige/sand color that contrasts nicely with white trim and is warm and inviting. A popular warmer gray is BM classic gray (more of a greige tone). BM Revere Pewter may also work. All these need to be tested in your light. In terms of your fireplace, the picture is not close enough for me to determine what if anything should be done. It looks like New England Fieldstone, which can be very pretty. From what I can see, your fireplace is very large and the mantle looks skimpy in comparison, and a bit too far away from the firebox. Again, a better photo of the whole family room would be helpful.