Trudy I have some experience with this - from my first house where I paid ADT to install the security system and my new house where I installed the security system myself. If you pay a company like ADT to do the security system - they will typically want to sell you additional separate smoke detectors that are connected to and monitored by the security system. These detectors are seperate and not connected to the smoke detectors that you need per your building code. Way back in 1993 when we had our first house built - the building code only required 1 smoke detector per floor. So we added 1 additional smoke detector on the second floor, and only that detector was monitored by the security system. The other 3 house detectors per code that were not monitored by the security system. I questioned why the security company did not use the house detectors I already had and was told they could not. It turns out they could have BUT the alarm companies make a lot more money selling you additional sensors. Fast forward to 2007 and my new home. I got so frustrated paying ADT to service my system ($400 for a new key pad!!) that I decided to do the security system myself. This time the building code required us to have 10 smoke detectors for the house - yikes! So there was no way I was going to have 10 of those plus another few for the alarm system. It turns out that if you find the right alarm company - there is a little interface board that can montior the signal used my your home smoke detectors to alert each other when there is an alarm. Ever wonder why or how all you house smoke detectors go off when one (like the kitchen) detector goes off? Code requires house smoke detectors be hard wired in a chain - and that is done using 3 conductor wire - either 14/3 or 12/3. Two of the wires are for 120 volt power but the third wire (the red one) is used to carry a low voltage signal that allows all of the detectots to know when any one of them is outputting an alarm condition. If you tap into that signal your security system can monitor you home smoke detectors - with no additional smoke detectors needed. Now here's the catch. I was told (but I never verified this) that you can't pass the building inspection if you have a low voltage wire that is tied to your house smoke detectors and running to your security system. So I added that feature immediately after I moved in. So you can either have two sets of smoke detectors (one just for the house and one set for the security system) or find a security system company that will tie in your home smoke detectors to your security system after you move in. The circuit board to provide this interface is tiny and very inexpensive (maybe 20 dollars in parts & labor to make one). This intreface board is the size of 4 postage stamps and it goes into your security system box. You run a pair of wires to the very first house smoke detector in the chain (usually in the basement). One lead get's tied to the red wire, one to neutral (white) - this is the way the alarm system will sense the 9 volt signal on the line. Another pair of wires from the little interface board goes into you security system as a monitored alarm zone. Most alarm contollers have a special zone set up just for fire alarms. Whenever any house smoke detector goes off, a 9 volt signal is sent down the red wire from that smoke detector to trigger all other detectors to sound off. The security system interface board will sense this voltage (key here - without reducing the load on that red line) and send an alarm to the security minitoring company. Hope that helps.

I, too, think the 10" must be wrong. But when I looked at the backs of most of the dryers, they had a hole for the dryer vent hose in the middle of the machine, at the bottom. To get to where my builder put the outside vent part, the 5" hose will have to go around the back part of the dryer--the part that sticks out in back. Maybe the depth of that bulging part varies, but I saw some with 5" back panels. That's something I'll have to clarify today. Good point about the pedestals making it too hard to use the top of the machine as a folding surface. Also, if I go the stacking route, since the water hookup is already there on the left side, and I stack it on the right side, I will have the hoses running from the left to the washer on the right. And the electrical cord will also be hanging there from the left to the right. Won't that look bad? I wonder if there's some kind of folding shelf or table I could put there that would mask the pipes and cord, and be a surface to lean a laundry basket on, and, I could probably put a clothes drying rack in that space too. Hmmm. It might even be worth it to have it custom made for my ideal laundry center. I'll have to work on this. Thanks again!

No decorating. It’s just an opportunity for people to get together and see the new house and celebrate. Food and drinks are the only things you need to do.

Theresa - Thanks for more pictures of your Kitchen! That is a nice island! Do you find you prep more on the island or next to the stove? artistsharonva - Thanks for the suggestions, but with the way I work in a kitchen I just can't seem to see them working for me. I like a good stretch of counter space between sink and stove or to have the sink very near the counter I'm working at. I guess I wonder why everyone wants the island to be clear? I mainly want seating at the island because I often have to help my kids with homework and I spend a lot of time at the sink so I'd like to have it facing out to where they will be. This is also why I have never considered a range in the island. They're too young and I'd worry about paper on the stovetop. In my plan I'd mostly prep on that back wall, though if I were doing something like making PB&J for the kids I might do that on the island. Then I see the counter that is off to the side under the window for extra prep if another person is helping me, or where the things like like to end up on the counter can go. For instance my DH plopped down his crock he makes pickles in on my counter last week saying he was going to empty it this weekend. He didn't and it's still taking up valuable space right now. He does that kind of thing a lot so if I had a counter he could do that on and it doesn't interfere with my daily prepping/cooking/cleaning that would be awesome! I did tweak my draft to move the garbage cabinet to the other side so there is counter on either side of the sink. I originally didn't have it because I was trying to put the fridge where the stove currently is and there wasn't room then when I moved it to the back wall I tacked it on to add length. I think I'd have to decide where I'd want the dishes (by the fridge or along the side wall) before I decided for sure which side I'd want the DW on. I need to draw this out on graph paper I think to make sure my sizes and distances are accurate. I think I have about 4' between back counter and island right now and about 47"/48" on either side of the island and 4' between the island back corner and the bench/lockers.