I have 2 4 ton units. The math says just 1 is enough. 1 is upstairs, the other downstairs. Instead of doubling the units they should've been divided. I think 1 3 ton downstairs and 1 2.5 upstairs is plenty. We never set the thermostats higher than 65° in the winter and 68 in the summer. We like it a bit cool. We also use the fireplace when it's really cold. We have these little space heaters too. In an emergency we have a kerosene heater. We have a maintenance plan with them so they come out every 6 months or more if we want. But the techs never once said anything about rust forming on the coils. On top of that they're supposed to clean the units. The unit in the attic had nearly an inch of mold on the coils. The last guy that came out was honest and he took pictures and showed me. I believe if they would've done their job, my attic system wouldn't be filled with mold and rusted to the point that it could blow out. I'm handicap. I've had 12 surgeries on my back. Every single tech that came out was told. Because of their laziness and not doing their job properly the coils are going to go out. I found out from another service that there was steps they could've taken to prevent the rust and the mold isn't that difficult to clean. At the very least they should've told me about it before it became an issue. But now they want to replace them with the same size system and the other service said I didn't need 2 4 ton sytems. He said 2 2 tons or 2.5 tons was plenty. I asked about the 3 ton and a 2 or 2.5 upstairs, he said that would be more than sufficient. My house is 1700 sq.ft. the back porch adds the 100 sq.ft for 1800 sq.ft. when we asked them why they gave us 2 4 tons they have no answer. When we asked to go to smaller units to save money they said I should replace what I have with the same system. I explained the math and 1 4 ton was plenty for the whole house and they gave me bs about how old it is and they didn't even offer to come out to check to see what I actually needed. The other guy offered. So I guess were just going to have the test done and then get estimates. Before we went to 2 heat pumps, we had 1 oil furnace that heated the entire house. We only had to fill the 375 gal. Tank once a winter then another 100 gal. Most the time we didn't use it all. The oil furnace was ancient so it died. We had 3 10,000 btu window air conditioners and 1 5500 in our bedroom window. So we figured we'd get a heat pump. We thought we needed what they said. But we didn't. I only have about 900 sq ft down stairs and 900 upstairs. Actually it's closer to 1000sq.ft. downstairs and 800sq.ft upstairs. We keep the house a littler cooler year round. So we're always comfortable. Only time the emergency heat came on is when the system downstairs broke down. Now because of its age and inefficiency, it costs more to heat and cool the house. Like I said, we think we're just going to get the test done to see what size system we need and use a different company because we don't trust this one any more.

Are all of your windows included in the privacy issues? Do you have any public rooms that can do without window covers entirely and privacy still maintained?? I started with double layer of sheers/lined drapes in the the bedrooms. But then I got plantation shutters which are adjustable like blinds are, and there is no curtain in the house except for in the shower! We are in the middle of a remodel that will add 300 sq ft to our house, giving us a space about the size of yours at 1300 sq ft. Our addition across the back will have two glass doors and 7 glass windows. We won't have curtains or blinds or shutters on them at all. The rest of the house has all wood plantation shutters painted white. I am adding to the living room some elements for privacy though. My shutter man has some old shutters that I can get cheap from him (or from Restore for that matter they have some) to use as a screen divider to make a small entry at the front door to keep callers from having the long view through our newly opened up spaces. I was looking for some such shutter screen ready made and found one at Pier1imports for about $359 plus tax, comprised of 3 panels. For that much money, I can go shopping at the used Restore or used furnishings stores and pick up some old closet shutters, some old window exterior shutters, fixed louvers or adjustable, or even solid panel (although I want open and adjustable preferably) for a mere pittance. The shutter man here will put adjustable plantation shutters (4 panels) across the 60 inch wide cased opening between living room and dining room.) Why? Because our two bedroom house will use the living room as a guest room. We'll also put shutters between the single door leading to the sunporch. Mostly they will stand open and frame that 32 inch wide opening, making it more ornamental. But when a guest is in the living room to sleep, they come together and can be turned as required to make the room private. My DH will have his reading chair (now on order) in the living room, so closing off the doors for quiet reading may suit his fancy. Or, the can close off to keep solicitors from seeing beyond the front room. Of the options you mention, the bamboo roll up blinds I like, but they will need some curtains over them to privide the privacy. My choice would be also the white blinds with or without curtains. But curtains will not be required for privacy. Save your money and spend it instead on a good vacuum cleaner to dust the blinds! :)

Kudos to you for having a budget and a sense of your needs/priorities. My guess is that Sub Zero and Wolf are not going to be in the running for you. That's OK. You'll still end up with a great kitchen. You can get a perfectly fine ~25 c.f. french door fridge for about $1200 (with no in-door water/ice) - $2000 (with in-door water/ice). Possibly even cheaper on sale. A 5-burner 36" cooktop will be significantly roomier than a 4-burner 30" range - as you point out, it's not so much the number of burners going at once that's key, it's the ability to have larger pans not touching. Upgrading to a rangetop would add at least $1000 to the tab, so.... Also, you might consider getting a portable induction burner (under $100 works fine) as a backup/extra cooking spot. Don't forget to budget (maybe $1000) for a range hood. You might have to compromise quality of steel (20 guage vs 18) and decibels to get to that price. Cannot tell you what Make Up Air will cost - depends on contractor/ducting cost. You could have a double oven setup with micro/convec on top, convec on the bottom. KA, Bosch offer these, maybe others as well. Check Kenmore? Otherwise, look at a KA or Whirlpool double oven, and a countertop microwave. A drawer micro is $1000 and up - seems like a splurge to me, but you might decide it's what you want. You can get a perfectly fine DW for $600. Look at Bosch, KA (helps to find them on sale). Finally, once you get a sense of which models you like, you can look around for some good deals on clearance/floor models/dents/open box. I was able to put together this package for about $8000 Whirlpool 25 c.f. French Door frig Bluestar 36" cooktop Kobe 750 c.f.m. range hood Bosch 800 speed/convec double oven 2 x KitchenAid KDFE 204 Dishwashers

Thank you all so much for indulging my brainstorm!! I think what is bothering me most is I dont have a clear vision, but we know exactly what we need to do with the rest of the house. Under the ceiling fan is where the kitchen table goes and then the room wraps around to the family room. The entire wall on the other side is all glass sliding doors and it gets full sun all day long. My husband actually loves the fan because the sun can make the room quite hot especially while cooking. there is lighting under the cabinets for sure and it does look nice and bright when all the lights are on, but I do love the pendant lights over the island idea. its definitely a few years away before we do Anything but I LOVE that soft green @Maureen posted. I actually think that might be perfect for the island. Love the idea of losing those cabinets beside the stovetop - I hate them because they just scrape along the counter. Putting one big hood fan is a perfect idea @designinteriorsouth. If I were Doing it today I would be inclined to paint the perimeter cabs white and then change the backsplash To a lighter colour.