I didnt answer your 2nd question. "Is this area a courtyard that is being viewed from a house not in any of the pictures?" Yell kind of, the guest house is to the left corner of the picture. Were living in it till the house is done. So Im so tiered of looking at the blank wall & weeds. Other then that no houses for a mile in either direction. Thats why Id like a natural design (were in the middle of the woods). I want to use edible plants whenever possible (for my pet Bantams) & plants (like clover) for water conservation & also is good forage. Im also putting in a small koi pond this spring (3,000 gal.) Its going to be next to the window of the guest house bottom left of the photo. Anyway the Back end of is a south facing wall & gets lots of sun. All I have planned now is planting clover (I just cant for the life of me envision that side). Thanks!

Tigerdunes, So you are saying you're familiar with the climate here--and you would be comfortable leaving out the LP? I have wondered about this myself, since the house we just sold (subdivision, mass-built) was heatpump only, with LP ventless logs in the LR. Our utility bills were very low. But now that we're building, everyone we ask is saying they wouldn't do it any way other than HP w/ furnace backup. I don't understand why, since our bills have always been low with elec. HP-only. I forgot to clarify--there is no Nat. Gas. It would be LP from our own tank. We are planning to have 1 set of vented LP logs in the LR. We actually used them quite often in the last house to supplement the heat, and take the chill off. They made a big difference in heating the house, but that one was 2-story and I think the heat was able to rise. Not sure if they'd have the same effect in a ranch. I will research the systems you mentioned, as well as some of the terms you used! It's like reading Chinese!! haha I will also use the fuel calculator-will take some research to find the numbers but it looks helpful. Thanks! Ryan, you are right about needing more quotes. Thank for getting me moving on that. I passed the plans along to one sub today who has 40 years' experience and works alone. Thanks again for all your help. I've been searching for threads on here regarding elec. HP only vs. gas backup, but can't find anything.

Had a long talk with the builder's HVAC contractor. I plan to go with: - Carrier 58MVC080F114 furnace - Carrier 24ANA1036 a/c - most likely with N-coil, tin-plated fan coil - Honeywell HM509H8908 steam humidifier - Lennox Healthy Climate HEPA-40 air cleaner - Infinity thermostat But here's my question: I've asked him to price a two and a three-zone setup: 2 zones: - main level (it's a 1,900sf ranch with full basement), - basement 3 zones: - main level living/dining/kitchen - main level bedrooms, bathrooms - basement The prices I got (in addition to all equipment) are: - 2-zone: $3,888 - 3-zone: $4,714 I can't imagine I, or the system, will EVER live long enough to see an ROI for this $$, so my questions are: - Given that the builder has already told me he adds 18% to HIS vendor's prices ... any comment on these numbers?? - Given that it's new construction, upgraded insulation, tight house, UNfinished basement: - I assume that energy savings of changing settings for unused rooms will NEVER return a payback, unless energy costs REALLY soar; - can anybody give me any help in figuring out how I evaluate the value of zoning, for this house? In other words: do the numbers seem reasonable, and would any right-minded human being ever consider paying this much money to put two or three-zone zoning into their home?? We're not wealthy, but I firmly believe this will be the home my wife and I (no others) live in for decades ... and understand that much of the big-ticket items, in this scenario, have -- at best -- about an 18yr service life. I also tend to think that energy costs WILL continue to climb.... Incidentally, the HVAC contractor seemed to know an awful lot about how zoning affects static pressures, and how duct sizing may need to be modified for a proper install ... at least ... to my totally uneducated ears ;-) Many thanks ... again!

pastaff: I also have Merillat Toffee cabinets with brushed nickel hardware and faucet. And my granite is Verde Peacock which is also a dark granite like yours. I have bronze pendants over my peninsula and tiffany (stained glass) over my sink and I am really happy with the look! Below is a link where you can see my kitchen. Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: Cawfeegirl's new kitchen