Hello softball_80, Have you checked compatibility? Just an FYI for you. It is always best to check with the software manufacturer FIRST. They will tell you if they have tested the product and the version, as well as whether or not it will work with Windows 7. Check out the Windows 7 Compatibility site: (There you will find out about hardware and software compatibilty.) http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/en-us/default.aspx There is a pulldown from which you can choose "hardware" and "software". There are also some great articles, instructional videos and such to help with your Windows 7 at our Springboard site: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/default.aspx In any event a lot of the times, Vista drivers will work in lieu of Windows 7 drivers, however, it's not 100%! As stated previously, it's best to have the Windows 7 certified drivers installed. Microsoft does have an official Windows 7 Support Forum located here http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/w7itpro. It is supported by product specialists as well as engineers and support teams. You may want to check the threads available there for additional assitance and support. Thanks again, John M. Microsoft Windows Client Support

I refer to our two hundred year old home as a white elephant. I am in the greenhouse business and my husband is a rabid gardener, so the grounds are planted with rare trees and flower gardens and go on for acres. Over the years we have added a large gazebo and a spring fed pond. yadayadayada. Only a person who knows old homes first hand, and has the time or money to hire a professional full-time gardener, should ever buy it. There'll be lots of people to come look when it goes up for sale, but it would not be for the weak of heart. Heating bills. Put that at the top of your list. Even if you let the house fall down around you, they'll just keep coming. We've installed new double-paned energy efficient windows. Caulked. Weather stripped. Built a solarium across 2/3 of the northern exposure of the home for solar gain, replaced the roof, put in a new boiler, converted from electric to gas heat (yes we had to pay to have lines ran), and placed gas grates in strategic spots to take off chill or use when it wasn't too cold. Use reversing ceiling fans to distribute the heat. We've cut our heating bill IN HALF as far as energy consumption. But, rates rise and will keep rising. We still have six hundred dollar a month heating bills in winter. And this is an old farmhouse. It does not have fourteen foot ceilings. It also is nowhere near 6,000k square feet. And, until we put a small fortune in the energy efficiency items, a draft from a window on one side of the room could blow out a candle on the other. It's comfy now, and even cool in summer so we don't need air conditioning, but for the first fifteen years of my marriage you needed a wet suit to take a bath. Think also about the bones of the house. Redecorating is great, but get somebody in there who knows construction really well to look at the skeleton of the house before you even consider buying it. The last two winters, we replaced the beams and joists under our kitchen and dining room. They were logs with the bark still on them, or logs cut on site and hand hewn to nearly square. They were ENORMOUS,and likely dragged into place by teams of horses. We needed to chain saw them to even think about getting them out. We had to gut these rooms clean down to the dirt underneath and after we got new joists up then replaced floors. Moolah. BTW, we never thought about replacing joists and floor beams in this house. After all, they'd withstood two centuries before us. Then termites happened. LOL. The roofer left about a hundred bats homeless when we replaced the slate for modern shingles. We've put in a new entrance box and had to rewire the whole house and it has solid brick interior walls. The logistics of running electricals, and the plumbing for the boiler system were staggering. If you see fuse boxes that should send up a red flag to check out the electricals for modern wiring. Moolah. We had to restucco over the seventy five year old stucco over the bricks. (major, major moolah) We've had to repair or renovate chimneys and it's hard to find brickmasons here who are familiar with the old craftsmanship. That's another thing about very old houses. Nearly everything in seriously old house is done by methods not common to craftsmen anymore and that includes materials. If you have to replace parts of woodwork it's going to be something like oak or mahogany and large. Not box store kickplates. My walls are so old, it's not even plaster on most of them, it's a sandy almost concrete covering. If we put together all the money we have spent in the last two and a half decades breathing life back into our wonderful old home, we could be living in a really fancy new one. We don't want to. We love our old home and pretty much know it inside and out by now. But, it's like a marriage and yes.............we are the volunteer caretakers to an historic old building we couldn't see being left to ruin. But, it's going to take a very special person to want the job after us. Now, ask me about the plastering schedule where the doors and windows are. LOL. Old houses just keep settling. Not a door in this house even resembles a rectangle. They all have been trimmed or had wood added to them to fit the openings. Every window was custom made and no two are the same size. The house is nearly regained its integrity now, and I can see the end in sight of the major issues. But, if we had been forced to sell this at any point along our long path of renovation, and somebody else had to pick up where we'd left off, if they knew up from down, you can take it to the bank our money and sweat wouldn't have left much room for profit. There'd have been no quick sells. The end results perfect for us. It's rustic yet and even has a pitcher pump in the kitchen to pull up the spring water for the house. But you always live with a foot in the past where people lived simpler and made do in some respects. Some people can do that. Some people can't. It fits our lifestyle well.........simple and hard working. But, it was purchased because my husband wanted an old large home in a rural setting. If he'd just wanted "room" it wouldn't have even been in the game. Good luck whatever you decide.

Thanks @Sina Sadeddin Architectural Design ! Kitchen: we actually want the kitchen centrally located to have a line of sight throughout all the rooms. We're not an 'open concept' family and want some seperation since we have a big family and we're intending on growing it further. With so many people sometimes you just need some more private space. But we're trying to keep things open with larger doorways. Trying to find a good medium. We are incorporating an eat-in area just parallel to the island, like you mentioned. Zone: It's a mudroom/pantry area. And the chair in that space is actually our thought at having a flex room for the littles. Something separate from the living space. A place toddlers can play while bigger kids do homework else where. Office: I know it seems an odd location but we need a small office that can be locked for business reasons. We're hoping the ample french doors lighting the kitchen and the end of the living room would provide enough light. But that's a very good factor to consider. I do love natural light. Where would you suggest putting a very small office space that can be locked? Desk: Good point. Upstairs: my husband doesn't think the nursery needs its own private bath. I'm on the fence. I'm considering making one ensuite bath a hall accessible one so it makes it easier. Thanks for all that great feedback!

Well, creating storage niches is simple, then. Plan how big (wide and tall you want the niches. Presumably they will be less than about 14.5" wide (16" minus 3/4" times 2), otherwise you'll have to remove 2' x 4's. If it's a non-loading bearing outside wall you can remove studs; but check with an engineer or carpenter. It's likely load bearing if on outside wall. With the age of the house your studs may be farther or closer apart, too. You may also want to pack around the inside of the box (niche) with hard styrofoam insulation, which has greater R value than fiberglass. May also want to use canned spray foam to further seal? This way after removing some insulation you won't have as much of a cold spot on outside wall where niche is. There's a number of pre-made (pop-in) solutions like this: https://www.wayfair.com/storage-organization/pdp/wg-wood-products-bal-harbour-155-w-x-495-h-recessed-shelving-wgwp1493.html This example is interior wall. See here for a DIY: https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/rooms-and-spaces/walls-and-ceilings/how-to-make-a-wall-niche Second approach, similar to above but narrower: https://www.familyhandyman.com/storage-organization/build-a-wall-niche/