Not really quite the same situation as your front porch and entry walk, but an example of sawcutting and relaying of an existing concrete walk here in California where I wanted to make the walk more interesting without spending a whole lot of money on new materials, when the existing walk was still in perfectly good condition. In this situation, it was more about creating interest in a very tight space, while still providing easy access to the sideyard gate. Check out some of the other paving solutions in this same garden in the rest of the set where I used precast concrete step pads(also already on-site) in combination with an existing concrete patio, and also saw cut some edges off the existing patio to change the shape and added some concrete seat walls and a wood bench as built-ins to save room and not clutter up the very small garden with a whole lot of furniture. I agree that gravel would probably be a poor choice with young kids and high traffic. Stone inlay between the concrete or brick pavers can also be a useful device both pragmatic and visual; I was thinking more along the lines of 2 to 4 inch river stone set on edge and wedged tightly into the gaps, so that they wouldn't be loose. I've used this technique with a dry sand and mortar bed or wet mortar bed. In your part of the country perhaps a black mexican pebble wouldn't look right, but as your house is a ranch style and not traditional, maybe you'd be okay with that. I've set stone in gaps both ways, and it can stand up to heavy traffic if done correctly. Here is a link that might be useful: Sawcut concrete walk with gaps

I think the lack of responces indicates an overload of questions. You are having a stairway put in that effects two bathrooms. How and in what way. You are relocating the kitchen from where to where? How many stories are you speaking of? Assume master suite is one the first floor and the window unit is on the second. Start by getting the water flow on this unit corrected. Haven't ever seen a metal ceiling in a bedroom. The water has caused a problem with what ever ceiling to which the metal is attached if the water is enough to rust the metal. Are you working with a contractor? In all honesty, all of this is a little difficult to grasp.

Thank you, Mimi. So took your advice and did some editing today. I simplified the mantle and took some items off there as well as the console table in front of the window and the hutch in the kitchen area. I’ll have to take another pic. I think maybe it’s the hutch top that looks like shelves? We do want to keep the hutch or at least the base anyway, for storage of placemats, napkins and my husband’s papers. I have lots of crystal that I enjoy looking at so I’ve used the hutch a bit for that too. Also that swing arm light in the living room is going from middle of the room back to over the sofa and out of sight from the kitchen. Our house is ‘hardworking’ as I work from home 3days a week and my husband is a full time Engineering student so home often doing homework. We also have a small three horse farm and six dogs- 5 small (under 15 lbs) and one 50lb. All sofa loungers dogs- yes really. Slipcovers are my best friend along with the washer and dryer. I LOVE the statement chandi in the dining area and have thought about relocating the current to our bedroom which has a nice high gambrel (?) type ceiling. I do like a round table so thinking I should stick to a square or round type? Again, thank you for your interest and ideas!

Mark, stop giving people ideas. The flip house down the street just painted their shutters (on a pale yellow house with brown roof and accents) the brightest orange yellow imaginable. I guess they are trying to make sure the potential buyers notice them. Without seeing your house and how all of the elements relate, and how much there is of each, it's hard to give an informed response, I conceptually like the idea of doing the siding in one of the darker or lighter colors found in the brick to make the exterior more cohesive and not so chopped up into different materials. I would only do your gutters in a contrasting color if they are going to be especially ornamental with downspouts planed out with conductor boxes and such as if they were historic copper gutters. Otherwise I would match your gutters to your roof fascia and eaves and the downspouts to your siding.