well, you have asked for way more info that can be posted in one thread. I do suggest you research and learn as much as you can before digging. I will give you a few tips. 1) put in a bottom drain. Best thing you can do. Even better is an aerated bottom drain. 2) Have the bottom drain flow via gravity into a settling chamber, preferably a Vortex. This will remove solids before they get blended up by the pump. 3) dig it bigger then you think you want it, everybody always wishes they had made it bigger. 4) how many fish it will hold will depend on many factors, not just number of gallons. Normally 5 koi will do just fine in 1800 gallons. but size and quality of filtration is a big factor. A poorly designed pond with 1800 gallons that has a tiny pump and filter will not hold 5 koi, but with a large filter and a larger pump you can get 15 koi in there. the better the pond is designed the larger a load it can handle. also consider how much time you want to spend working on the pond. the larger the load, the more work it will be.

Whether you do a sidesplash or not, I absolutely agree with pamelah that the solid backsplash is the way to go (rather than tile). Honestly, I prefer to go without sidesplash in general. However, if you feel like the sidesplash is important (either functionally or visually), I think what they are proposing looks just fine, not like a mistake at all. My vote would first be to go with just the backsplash (no sidesplash) with the curved design symmetrical on both sides. My next choice would be to go with exactly what is in your drawing. I think either choice would be lovely and will just depend on your visual preference and functional needs. Regardless, your vanities are beautiful and your countertops are stunning!

If you are replacing everything, yes, you are gutting it. I truly don't think anyone here means to rain on your parade, but gutting and renovating the 3 most expensive rooms in the house for a temporary solution is a financial disaster. You aren't even reselling so there's no chance you'll get any of it back, except for a few fixtures you can salvage for the new house, like faucets. I remember what it's like to have a house for the first time. Oh, the plans! But the reality is going to be rough. And expensive. And a remodel is a multi-month disaster zone. In addition to your chosen materials, you will also have to be prepared to spend quite a bit of money to maybe deal with bringing those rooms electrical and plumbing up to code, as the local inspector will likely require. You may have to upgrade the floor system for the tile. So... are you ready to spend $50k or more in just materials for a temporary upgrade? For $10k a year (assuming you have the cash and aren't going to be paying interest, too), you can get a whole mortgage payment in a lot of places. $50k could go a LONG way to toward new custom home. I suggest living in the house for a while before proceding. It will help you identify the things the NEED to be upgraded versus your wish list. If the rooms are basically fine but you just don't like them, paint is cheap. Pulling down floral wallpaper is painful but practically free. Replacing an existing floor with a floating floor is pretty cheap too if you rein in your material choices. You can refresh a room pretty cheaply without gutting it. Now, if the rooms are in some ways non-functional, consider more frugal solutions. For example, if the cabinet bodies are in good shape, they are probably better constructed than all except the most high end cabinets sold today, and they're free. Cabinets are *expensive!* One option is to paint the cabs and change the hardware; another is to paint the bodies and replace the doors. Hopefully this starts giving you some ideas for ways you can make the home more attractive and comfortable without pushing construction of your new home with the things you really want too far down the road.

I believe you said in the other thread that you were going for a sort of Carribbean feel. I think the blinds do much to help that. I don't see adding white curtains as bringing anything new to enhance the space, particularly since your space around the bed and windows is rather close. What strikes me about the space (besides how pretty it is!) is that the windows seem low in the room. I would rather see valances hung above the windows, starting just a couple of inches below the ceiling, to bring height and make the windows seem more substantial vertically. Are there valances available that match your bedding? You could do grommet valances instead, tho I am not crazy about that look with the feeling you have created in the room. Or, you could add a deep decorative moulding crown above each window, painted the trim color, or build out wooden cornices and paint them the trim color (my first choice, I think)