Before the GardenWeb gets around to pulling my plug I thought I would point out that one of the greatest, if not the only, benefit of using an Eagle Window is the fact that they will put a different color sash in their aluminum clad window frames as I referenced in my earlier post that was thought to be rude. A black sash can sometimes be an excellent choice in a gray or off-white frame because it gives the windows a more dramatic, deeper, and larger appearance. It was commonly used in older houses and has worked well for me in several historic restorations. But without seeing the rest of the trim colors and materials and the general setting of the house, it would be inappropriate to recommend anything that specific. Making the entire window sash and frame black can be too strong IMHO since subtlety is an important issue in any huse although it can work when the windows are inset in brick openings with no trim. Whatever is decided it should be accurately drawn to scale in color or mocked up. Making the windows all white seems a waste of a design opportunity unless the style of the house demands it (Georgian, etc). But if you like the Craftsman Style you really shouldn't be thinking about white windows or even clapboard siding for that matter. Pick a theme and try to reinforce it with the appropriate materials. There is a reason the Craftsman houses used shingles and earth colors; it was part of a cultural movement protesting the industrial revolution, not just a fashion or a "style". mdev, you apparently thought I was speaking to you about your window color comments but you should not have. I try to only speak to the OP in a thread and often don't read the other posts very thoroughly since I'm working in my office and often don't even see a recent post because it can take me an hour or two to post if a client calls or if I go to lunch. I can't do this full time. If I had something to say to you, I would normally have used your name. Others appear to have understood that and I only just figured out what you had assumed. I believe that responding to other posters comments rarely helps the OP and it often hijacks the thread which is truly a rude thing to do. The original post should always take precedence or AH would just become another chat room like the garden and kitchen forums. People come to BAH for real answers. The late Ben Thompson often told us to never design in a vacuum. It actually took me some time to understand what he meant: never focus on one design element to the exclusion of the others. The first thing you consider when selecting anything is how it will reinforce the central idea or design motif (called a "parti" in design school and you had to have one you could defend or your presentation was over). Only then should you consider the other aspects of the design. (You can learn a bit of this from the "What Not To Wear" TV show.) Focusing on the big ideas first instead of your old favorite ideas actually makes designing easier as well as more powerful. Toward the end things just seem to fall into place. The choice of a window color should fit into the larger "parti" and if you haven't defined that yet or can't describe it to others you can't move forward and get effective help from others. In other words, your're stuck. Know that feeling? It took me 4 years as an engineering and art student in college, 3 1/2 years in graduate school (interrupted by the war) and 10 years in an office to figure how a design process worked. I offer it to you in a 10 minute tutorial for free. Whether you understand it or not, you can't say I didn't try. The photo below is of a Cambridge, MA house restoration finished last year. On a lark I applied to do a another Cambridge house advertised on Craigslist with just my resume and this photo and beat out 250 other architectural proposals from all over New England. What many years of experience teaches you is proportion and balance. I don't know how to teach that in 10 minutes but learning to design a Palladian window would an excellent place to start.

Exactly. The specs should have been completed at the plan or proposal stage. The more decisions are made prior to construction the faster & easier it goes, the more time the homeowner has to focus on bigger picture. That's the value of Architects, Interior Designers, contractors with detailed proposals, etc. As a homeowner, there is an infinite level of detail you can explore, but do you have the time? cpartist - most "affordable" wood or composite windows need extension jambs... and they are not sent to be flush. That is uber high end custom work. Not all clients plan to case wrap the inside. Some are drywalled. It depends on the look desired. Managing a clients expectations is a growing & moving target. I prefer walking clients through an existing build to discuss similarities and changes. My favorite proposals are …"like the home at xxx street with the following changes..." With the advent of Houzz, the issues of clients bringing me magazine pictures from a home 2-3x their budget is multiplied, the advice given online is often related to another region, or a bad experience. I think I'm seeing "call a lawyer" in nearly every post.

I agree with thinkdesignlive that large, charcoal porcelain tile would look great against the wood and white walls. The radiant heat would prevent the tile floor from being cold. Personally, I prefer the simpler tile that thinkdesignlive posted first and would run it everywhere. Daltile's Unity Nero P406 24" x 24" unpolished porcelain tile might be one option to consider. -- amateur

Hi Sylina- Beautiful house! I agree with Patricia about changing the light bulbs, that will definitely lighten and brighten the house because all the wood has a very honey/amber cast. You don't have to have a glass dining table, I just don't know if the dining table that is there now harmonizes with the rest of the house. The other thing is, do you need that table there? Is there another dining area? If so, maybe you don't need a table in that area at all and you can use that area as a sort of lounge and put in two comfortable chairs such as club chairs with an ottoman and an end table between them so you can relax with a cuppa while something is in the oven. What is in that mirrored cabinet in the kitchen that you want to get rid of? I do like the dark countertops that are in the kitchen, they go very well with the wood and the rustic feel. The backsplashes don't work well, though, and you can replace them for something that works better. Carrara marble is a nightmare to maintain, and unless you and your family are compulsively neat, or the opposite, won't care at all about the marble staining and etching, carrara marble on kitchen counters and island are a mistake. I would get rid of so many floor rugs, they are drab and don't add anything to the decor, and are a huge tripping hazard. If you like the Oriental rug look (I do) get one with strong colors, either a Persian or Caucasus or nomadic. Or you can a modern rug with strong clear clears. Either way, strong bright colors will brighten your rooms right up.