You've got to figure the foyer at close to a thousand dollars..maybe a hundred or two less..so that put your 700 sq ft of engineered Brazilian ch at around 9 grand...that is just shy of 13 a ft installed with rip out and the base..I mean every area is different..Around here an engineered like you are mentioning would be less money. There are different calibers of engineered. the three that you mention as alternatives will probably not save you money from the Bruce. I will be honest, Bruce is my least favorite of the 4 you mentioned as their quality control at times is terrible.it sounds like a lot of money for 800 f of flooring, but you are talking about top end cost points because of it being Brazilian cherry and ceramic I think you mean...Or is it really slate? Carpet wise if were me it would be either Anso or Smart Strand..both will give you performance...It's really hard to ridicule the price on the hardwood, as areas are so different. Also a good hardwood installer is worth more. We did a new house last week and were crunched with our crews...so we put a b quality crew in this home for 5 inch wide oak with a brand new builder that we acquired and we did not do a great job, so I now will be scrambling this week to get it corrected or replaced...No every store takes that approach either, but damn it , i ahould have made the customer wait an extra week and put an a crew in there. i should have known better. I will say that Home Depo and Lowes have very few what AI call craftsman working for them. let me say this, when you install new hardwood in an existing home, in can not be any tom dick or harry that installs it. It needs to be a carpenter..not a carpet layer.. There are few carpet layers that can be a craftsman with hardwood....but a lot of them think they are...So you must know what you are getting for an installer of hardwood or ceramic for that matter. Just some words of wisdom...You got my email..let me know if I can be of any more help to you. Thanks and good luck...Sorry for the lack of caps and spelling ...its late and I do not want to correct them all. Let me know.

Binsd--The Ranch Style lives! Love this thread because I too am the proud(?) owner as of last Feb of a 1960s ranch home. I got all the cool stuff from the 60s and 70s: avocado appliances, gold flocked wallpaper, pink tile, gold colored accents. Oh yeah! Immediately took the house down to the studs to turn it into a Modern Farmhouse. I took inspiration from these: Walker-Warner Sonoma Farmhouse (http://www.walker-warner.com/indexf.html#POR-GRC-001) Christine Lane, Boston, MA (http://christinelaneinteriors.com/) I think ranchers are particularly suited to blend styles. They were a bit funky then and they can still be. Yet, if you want to lean slightly more traditional, they can sustain the transitional. I think they are way more flexible than many styles. Your home in particular has some good bones! The raised ceilings and open one-story floorplan are great for toddlers since you can see them from most rooms. If you can mix some of your Spanish furniture with some more contemporary pieces, I think it will have that California Spanish casual style--with a cleaner look. Love it! In the green bathroom, take out the brass and replace with frameless glass. It will immediately look more contemporary. A glass company should be able to make the shower enclosure (this one's traditional, but you get the picture): From Misc photos If you want to embrace the modern look, peruse: Atomic Ranch (http://www.atomic-ranch.com/). I think they have more Eichlers than Ranch, but it gives you an idea of that style. Here's my old house and the old stuff that was in it, then here are two exterior shots of what it looks like now: From Menlo Farmhouse From Menlo Farmhouse From Menlo Farmhouse From Menlo Farmhouse From Menlo Farmhouse I wish I could cite all of the great pics I have seen in magazines where they have remodeled a ranch. Each had their own flavor: slightly more modern, slightly less modern, more funky, somewhat traditional, etc. Search: mid-century, modern, ranch home. Have fun! I think your house is a great choice!!

Do you think another window with shutters will make the front of the house too busy? I hope others will comment with opinions. funcolors...what do you think?? Unless they want/need a window in that spot for interior lighting, like really badly, then I wouldn't bother. Once it's freshened up with new paint and new colors, and landscaping it's going to be fabulous. Again, I'm usually/always in the less is more camp. Don't do the work, spend the money unless there's significant ROI in dollars, function, happiness. And I'm with arcy, the current blue makes quite a statement. :) But with that said, I also love pianolady's neighbor's house. They met a strongly patterned and colored brick with equally strong paint/siding color and the result is balance. If they would have used a light subtle color, all we'd be talking about would be that brick. They also did an excellent job coordinating the roof to the brick - it's a whole package. No one thing stands out and grabs your eyeballs from the curb. The brick in both cases is very bossy. If they want a neutral and not a color, we know from pianolady's example that it shouldn't be too light.

Really nice house. Would not paint the brick -- not ever. You might consider removing the two trees leaning toward the house before a storm --wind storm and/or ice storm or even lightening -- puts them on your roof. While you already have room to create a portico, if you remove the two trees, you'll have plenty of room for a larger front porch -- either one will look good with forward facing gable with its ridge point the same height as the gable on the left side and it would be a good idea to make a decision on that before replacing the roof. If you've been considering enlarging the house to extend the upstairs over the single story section on the left end of the ground floor and/or adding a porch or room elsewhere, Decide that before redoing the roofing. If a new roof is needed, make that your priority. medium/dark gray shingles are as close to neutral as shingles get. Newer metal roofs now have an extended warranty. Talk with your homeowner insurance company and see if they can give you any information about how metal roofs age in your geographic location that might help you make your decision. Probably would not choose metal myself with that style house -- they tend to look better with steep roofs. Siding color you have is neutral and works well with the brick so if it doesn't need changing, wouldn't make that a priority.