Front entry hall looks better with the nice-sized closet. Why one large closet and one small closet? I wonder about the possibility of one closet and a small table upon which guests could set their keys and purses. Or, for balance, two small closets and a table between them. I would center the office French doors -- having them off-center is a little wonky. Or consider pocket doors (which can still be French doors) so that they don't interfere with the front door. The doors in the master bath don't "line up", and this is something that will bother you once the house is built. It'll look odd. The question arose, is the maser bath small and cramped? No. It is large and cramped. It's overly compartmentalized and has three doors in a small space. The tub is going to feel "crammed" into its spot between two walls, and the toilet closet is taking up space in an odd location there in the middle of the room (and its door creates a barrier when it's open). You have so much space for the bathroom/closet, but I don't think it looks like a comfortable layout. Nice windows throughout. I like the kitchen and its relationship to both the dining room and the great room. If you move the washer and dryer to the opposite wall -- so that they're sharing a wall with the bathroom and are adjacent to the sink -- it'll be a money-saver. Why? Because you'll be containing all your water needs in one wall, while the other wall will be just storage and folding area. It means the plumber will only have to work on one wall, and it means that you'll contain the possibilities of future leaks to one wall. The secondary bath looks much more usable than the previous incarnation, but it'll be difficult to reach that closet -- you'd have to scrunch by the toilet, and that's not the easiest thing for an elderly person. I'd do away with that linen closet and make it a really nice, big shower; this will allow for a seat, which will be very welcome for an elderly person. You do need storage, so I'd suggest stealing some from the very wide laundry room -- you could have a very large linen closet located next to the sink, which would be more accessible. If you do have an elderly parent living with you, that small closet won't be nearly enough space. It's drawn as a walk-in, but a 3 1/2' deep walk-in is really a deep reach-in. The long hallway to the bedroom is problematic. First, it'll be dark and uninviting. I'd definitely go with motion-triggered lights. Second, depending upon mobility, the length of the hallway might be a problem. My grandmother did very well with her walker (which is much more common than a wheelchair) and was fine when she was walking straight on a flat surface, but the turn would've been difficult for her. Also thinking of the hallway, I'd consider putting a pocket door onto the laundry room. This door is likely to remain open 95% of the time (being closed only when you want the noise to be contained) . . . and if the door is open, it'll block this hallway. You have loads of wasted space under those switchback stairs. I'd want a small door, which could open into the corner of the great room. This could be wonderful holiday storage. Overall thoughts: I like the main living areas, but I think the functional areas -- the laundry, the baths and closets, and so forth -- could use some tweaking. These things are one of the main reasons people build: They're what makes a house comfortable.

Several of the above descriptions are precisely what I did. I used the art and my Oriental rugs as the starting point. My wood work and trims are the same color in the whole downstairs. I consider the trim and doorways to be picture frames for the rooms. I also have an old home...1890. The doorways are large and you can stand in one area and see into the next rooms. I have 12 ft ceilings which also allows for more vibrant use of color and wide trims. All flows and all contents of the rooms can be moved/swapped into an adjacent room with no break in the color/design concept that I originally initiated 10 yrs ago. I have swapped the DR and morning room and it works very well due to the cohesive color scheme. My walls were painted 10 yrs ago and 6 yrs ago ( different rooms) I have never tired of the rich tones...navy, chocolate,thyme green, terra--cotta in multiple tones and a 3 tone yellow for the entry way and music room. Everything is tied together with the art work and rugs and the wood floors. I will link to my album and you can view the areas if you wish. Great thread. c Here is a link that might be useful: photobucket album , house pics

Yes, the first 3 things on your list can be done by an interior designer. Or go to the Home Decorating forum and get free advice. Master sink remodeled: Does this mean replace a bathroom vanity? That's a pretty simple task. Buy the vanity and find a handyman to install it. Downstairs remodeled: need more info. What rooms are we talking about, and how extensive of a remodel?

I looked online for Southwestern furniture, and there is not a huge selection. What I did find was expensive. If you look at the background on the chair above, you will notice that the floor is just a regular natural color oak floor. Your floor might be okay as it is, especially if you use an area rug for your southwestern theme. Area rugs are an easy way to create the Southwestern mood, while eliminating the need to refinish the floor. Home Depot has many suitable rugs online at an economical price.