Wow, thanks everyone, for your welcoming! I must say that it's a foreign feeling to find people in the same situation as myself!!! Leaves me a bit tongue-tied here, in a nice way. :-) chargreen, thanks for the compliment on my member page. I got the idea for adding the "funniest thread" after reading Cactus Joe's member page. I never laughed so hard as I did reading his! It's good for a lift, everyone.

Are you under a firm deadline, other than convenience in not living with and in a work site any longer than necessary? Are you OK with setting up a minimalist kitchen function for the duration? (keep and move old fridge to another room, get some hotplates or portable induction cookers - at least one maybe two, MW, biggish toaster oven, rice cooker and washing your dishes in a PR sink - using a counter made of plywood on sawhorses?) Could you get through the holidays with such a set-up? It really depends on your tolerance for camping out in your own house and how frustrating you will find juggling children and tradesman (many of the same management/coping skills apply, but don't try shoving a pacifier at the electrician). Whatever time frame you come up with, imagine how it would be if it took exactly twice as long. Would that throw larger family plans into a tailspin? Because that very well may come to pass. Still, GCing one project, and your own at that where your won't have trouble communicating your ideas because they will all be in your own brain, seems like it is possible. Are your kids and DH the flexible, roll-with-it types? Or does change destabilize them? What does your Mama think? My own Mother GC'd the building of her house when she was in her 60's. I know I spent a lot of time on the phone with her as she vented about the days' progress (or lack thereof). I thought it was great that she did it, but I think if I had had doubts my doubts would have discouraged her and made it harder. Also, get several more bids before you give up. The Official Kitchen Industry is awash in price gouging in some places because it is an emotional purchase, dealing with aspirations, expensive equipment most people only buy occasionally and mysterious systems (water, electricty and drains), etc. Also, try breaking it apart into sequential episodes to see if you can make it work that way. HTH L.

The "bring the attic inside" picture does not accurately depict an attic room over a GARAGE. I do not know how many of you have Swiss bank accounts, but where I come from, an additional 330 sq ft of R30 in the ceiling + another 300sq ft to make up the difference in the amount of wall insulation vs floor insulation is costly. Not to mention the continual cost to condition the extra space. Nor does it take care of eliminating the lateral bracing required by the engineer on that wall. It WILL be a significant up charge. All I am saying is that there is a lot more to building in cabinets in an energy efficient home than just cutting some holes in the drywall and slapping in some boxes. I doubt a contractor that boasts energy efficiency is going to allow that to be ignored in the attic room, which is notoriously hard to keep air conditioned properly anyway. They are not going to want to argue about WHICH weak link is making the electric meter spin out of control down the road. You need to weigh the cost differences with the benefit.

Ok so you mean using the same tile on walls as the shower walls? I had wanted to to 12x24 in shower for fewer grout lines but I agree they are too large for the small room walls but thought I could use them in the shower, and smaller version of them on the walls. Perhaps I go with a simple flat subway for this room... seems so middle of the road lol. Not what I wanted to do but might feel cleaner. For flooring I am leaning toward a plain hex or the octagonal shown. I’d love a feature/statement tile behind the toilet. In real life the cabinet is grey with a tinge of green. It doesn’t show any wood tone or grain at all- the gray color in the encaustic type tile is almost identical to the cabinet actually. Thanks all!! Very helpful!!