You need to know your local codes as well as the NEC to spec for this job. You need to do a load analysis based on the wattage draw of your lights. Then you can suggest how many cc'ts and what guage wire will be needed. The wiring will need to be in conduit if the inner walls are not covered with some form of protection. Most commercial buildings are done with EMT. So if you come up with a lighting load on here, you'll get some feedback as to how many cc'ts and what guage of THHN wire you'll need, assuming the building is damp-proof.

So it is unrealistic to know what you are paying before you basically agree to buy with someone? I have an estimate right now for my exact layout from one place, but he doesn't seem to want to give me a quote for another line, other than it would be 20% more. Which is fine, I can do the math myself (about $8,600 for Medallion Gold), just as long as it really is close to 20%. The thing is, I know I don't want to keep things exactly as they are. I need mostly drawers rather than regular cabinet bases, which I know is more expensive. The current oven and microwave are also currently smaller than anything on the market, so I would need to make space for regular sized ones, either by extending the cooktop peninsula next to them or moving the refrigerator on the other side of them to the other wall. Either way, this is adding expenses that probably have not been accounted for in this bid. Sometimes he seems super easygoing and other times I feel like I am bothering him when I ask questions (which may be just different communication styles as well). I do understand his time is valuable, and I don't want to waste it, but he never asked for any kind of fee or retainer for work and I can't just sign on the dotted line when I don't know if there are thousands of dollars of changes needing to be made. I did call another place because they have Diamond Cabinetry, which I have also heard is a good midlevel brand, and since I was feeling a bit uncomfortable with how the interaction was going with the guy at the other place. They have been so friendly and patient every time I have had any interaction with them. They also came out and measured and are even going to do a couple different designs and go over them with me. When they gave me a ballpark though, it was 10-15k, which I don't think is unreasonable, just after hearing under 9k, 15k is tough, especially considering this reno was not planned and we have a lot of other expenses right now, so 6k does make a difference. That 9k might be a big illusion though, since I think he was basing it on what is in place currently, but I'm not sure because I have gotten to the point where I am worried I am asking him too many questions. For a big budget, a 2-5k difference might not really matter, but for us right now it does.

Just_janni thanks for your response. I actually feel like our design is very functional but I appreciate the perspective of others. The wall ovens are side opening so the landing zone for that is the counter to the right of the range top. That makes it easy to open with my left hand and grab the food with my right and pivot a step to place it on that countertop. I also don’t camp out in front of the ovens causing crowds, I put stuff in and pull stuff out and I’m gone. The fridge and freezer landing zone is the space left of the island sink as that will be my prep area so it’s all in one place. The microwave has a countertop below it for those needs. I wanted a clean up zone and I have a large one on the other side. The right side of the island is where I will store my every day dishes so that is the natural plating area for meals. I will also put my baking gear on that side of the range. That side won’t get as much use as the other side but it is a very large kitchen so it’s ok. I also didn’t want to have a bunch of stuff on that side because it’s the pathway to the laundry room and master suite. I think I will add a pantry door to the other side of the pantry, near garage/mudroom, so that is a walk through, and feel that will improve the flow.

He would never ever use a banquette. The banquette in the latest rendition is kind of a "half booth" in that it has a space-saving bench on one side /chairs on the other side. It's the best of both worlds, and I'd leave it "as is". Where is your dryer venting? If it is to the outside wall ... I'd place the machines against the exterior wall (as shown). This allows the shortest possible dryer vent. It's cheaper and more fire safe, and if you want to hear the story of the chipmunk who climbed up the ivy /died in my dryer vent, I'll be glad to share ... but here's the moral: we just about died of the smell and were very happy that we have the shortest possible dryer vent! Are those stairs going up to an attic or down to a basement? If they're going up, be sure to harness the space underneath for storage ... could be interior shelves for the laundry OR in-garage shelves, but you're paying for that space, so be sure it's The hallways are still long The moms' hallway looks better because you've opened a spot on both sides of the fireplace. Yes, it's still long, but having two entrances is an improvement. but now have some natural lighting. Eh, still not great. I do think this is a very big deal. The dining room is closer to the kitchen. Big improvement. Powder room moved to have a balance of toilets on both sides of the house. This is a good idea, and I like that you "tucked the half bath into" the office. I didn't like the half bath as a sight line upon entering the library. However, I'd flip-flop it and that small closet. Why? Moving the closet in the office won't matter, but placing the half bath on the exterior wall means you can have a small window over the toilet. These nose-to-toes narrow half baths aren't the best in terms of function, especially for elderly people. Could you afford 2' more from the office to have a more comfortable half bath? The last thought I have is on the closet in the office being split into two to make another linen closet accessible from the hallway A shallow linen closet isn't a bad idea -- my father-in-law has one, and it's plenty functional. Another idea: Put a door on BOTH sides of the closet so it's accessible from the hallway OR the office. As your storage needs change over the years, your closet will always be "at the ready". @Mrs Pete especially :) Thanks, I try! Some really like closet through bath and others find it very inconvenient. I am pretty ambivalent about closets-in-bathrooms, but I think they work best when the door to the closet is near the bedroom door /doesn't require traversing the length of the bathroom. Consider bringing the closet closer to the bedroom door as shown below. (This closet is identical in size to the one you had drawn. This means the bathroom can potentially have natural light from three sides -- how luxurious! I'd downsize to one sink; the vanity you had drawn has space to support two sinks ... but not enough to support two sinks AND any drawer storage. Drawer storage trumps repetitive sinks every time. I also added a narrow shelf at the end of the bathroom hallway to serve as a focal point in this hallway. This whole bedroom area could be reduced in size without losing any function at all. Here's a condensed bathroom. The closet is changed in dimension but is still about the same size. I prefer this moderate-sized, more usable bathroom. One more small thing: Look at the master bedroom door in the above-abaove pix. If you "back it up" into the hallway, you get a little entrance way to the master suite, and you don't have the door swing in the bedroom. Of course, it moves the linen closet into the master suite. I know I was a huge proponent of letting the J&J bath be but now there is so much space dedicated to it and so many sinks it easily could just be two quite nice sized individual bathrooms. In general, I'm the one saying, "Too many sinks!" Three sinks for two people? AND a half bath is steps away from their J&J? As it's drawn, each sink is needed, but I think you can do better. Considering your specific needs, try this on for size: each mom gets a good-sized vanity /plenty of storage by the sink and toilet ... and they share a large shower. Showers are only used minutes a day, so this is a good cost-and-space saver. Both moms' bathrooms are on the exterior of the house /can have good windows. i was thinking of a standing coat hanger thing in the foyer in lieu of a closet We have a coat rack by our main entry door, and it's okay. When all the kids were still at home, the coat rack was always over-full. I think hooks on the wall, which could stretch out further, might be a better solution. Regardless, we also use our coat closet (located so wisely way down the hall by the bedrooms) for out-of-season coat storage. You could fit a coat closet into the laundry room. regarding the island - I don’t like the idea of eating in the middle of the kitchen. i really want a nook type area, just seems more cozy. our current breakfast table is smaller than the new design so I’m hoping it’s large enough. thank you for the feedback on that. I’ll keep it in mind. With three women in the household, I like the idea of the nook. A cozy space for 1-2 people to sit while someone else is cooking. Nearby but out of the way. Having said that, yeah, a little larger table would be nice. i'm considering making the island L shape unless someone tells me its a horrible idea! I'm iffy on the L-shape. It's okay. If you go this direction, I'd say no seating at the island. Do you really need work space here AND also inside the pantry? I agree that the large empty space in the kitchen "needs something". How about this -- it's a big switch-up: - Change the L-shaped kitchen into a long cabinet run + large island. This gives you a LARGE window over the sink. The island is the exact same size as your original one. - Move the banquette to the blue spot. This keeps it near the kitchen but divides the big space into two moderate-sized spaces, making the walking space large-but-not-overly-large. - This bumps the hallway, son's bathroom and son's bedroom to the right. One other thing you may want to consider putting the laundry between your bedroom & your son's, just for privacy between bedrooms ;) Disagree. You have a closet between the bedrooms, which provides a barrier. I like that the laundry room is a few steps closer to the main living area. On the other hand, it would mean fewer steps between your own closet and laundry On the subject of the son's bathroom, I'd adjust things so you can bump the door to the left. This makes several good things happen: - He can enter the bedroom and be in the bathroom in fewer steps. A big deal? Maybe not, but when you have the choice, why not make it as ideal as possible? - The bathroom door is no longer squished up by the head of the bed. This means he won't have to finagle by the nightstand to enter the bathroom door. - Fast-forward 20-some odd years into the future: he will be married and will come home with a wife. You'll replace his small childhood bed with a queen-sized bed ... and you'll need the space on that wall for the wider bed and two nightstands. Note, too, that with a larger bed, the person sleeping on the far wide will be closer to the bathroom door /won't have to walk close to the other sleeper's head to enter the bathroom.