Okay...all the junk is out! Plan: clean up/mop dust, mortar chips, etc. and spend the evening with my paint samples...narrow down to three or four...paint sample boards, and pick a color. I would love to have time to see the sample boards in different light etc.; but my get-er-done DH scheduled plumbers on Monday and convinced the tile setters to partially grout the shower and come back to finish on Monday too....Grrrr! So...I plan to only paint behind the toilet and area and by bullnose edging. If I pick wrong.....I will not have to do redo the whole room. If I pick the wrong color, I am not worried about repainting near the bullnose; it is the toilet area that worries me. Anyone have a tip for painting behind a toilet that is 1/2 inch from the wall just in case. This is our attempt to correct a horrible inefficient layout...not thrilled about looking at the side of a toilet; but that compromise meant a towel closet in the bathroom (finally), a 60x60 angle shower, and room for a 77" double vanity while eliminating the 3 right angles in the second entrance from the master bath.

"I'd love to stick with all stone but doesn't work into our budget." A big portion of your budget is going to the 3,800+ sq ft first floor - because you have a 3,600 sq ft basement. The total of your first and second floors is 5,710 sq ft. If you built a traditional 2-story house, you would have about 2,800 sq ft on the first floor (this does depend on garage, though). The cost of a basement foundation for 2,800 sq ft vs. 3,600 sq ft is significant. We are also building on 4 acres (in PA). Have just signed a contract with a builder - but spent months and months on research, looking at plans and driving around looking at houses within 3 counties. We considered a first floor master/first floor guest BR/"1 and 1/2" story house - these make the basements large and not cost-effective. As part of our "research", we bought this book: Get Your House Right by Marianne Cusato. It's an eye-opener. The book explains proportions and elements of classic house styles. You may not want a traditional Colonial or Georgian style house, but the book shows you the concepts of how everything should fit together. Just a thought, may not be large enough for you, but much better proportions without being too "Colonial": http://www.dreamhomesource.com/house-plans/dhs/dhsw55092.html If you are wanting the first-floor master, along with first-floor guest BR, this house is amazing and more proportional: http://www.dreamhomesource.com/house-plans/dhs/dhsw52333.html Good luck!

Neil, you will get a lot more suggestions if you start your own thread. what I will tell you is no gray laminate. In fact, I wouldn't even do laminate. can't you do a nice engineered oak? like a french oak? These following two floors are exactly what I would choose. (along w/these beams. more on that later) all engineered options. that won't go out of style and will look great w/your stone. The last thing you want is more gray on floor where you'll be stuck with it for decades. With flooring, it should be something that will last. laminate isn't going to last 50 years. wood will. wood floor will never go out of style. plastic stuff will. But ifi you must to the LVP, pick a really, really good quality brand/style that looks like a nice french oak in a natural to medium stain color I would NOT do any type of gray flooring. Your fireplace is very cool and modern. bring in some warmer wood tones. This is Alaska Gray on this fireplace. Notice the warm wood floor, the wood accents, the white walls, and all of the textured items (the rug, and misc decor items) A potted tree in the corner would be perfect. I also have to mention your room and windows. that ledger stone leans toward a more contemporary vibe. The casing around your doors/windows and entryways, are all traditional. your stairway railing is traditional (90's) the windows, ditto. and that ceiling fan, please, exchange for a nice (and hang it lower) chandelier of some type. This color combo, flooring, furniture, would look equally amaing in your room. love the black accents on the sides of this fireplace. This wood floor is perfect color for yours. wood beams that you can't see make the whole room And if you did some faux wood beams on that cathdreal ceiling, it would look a million times better. In fact, since you like the modern farmhouse, check out this link. she has the same fireplace stone like you do and explains how she did the faux beams. (yours would look even better than this since you have the vaulted ceiling!) https://modernfarmhouseglam.com/blog/wood-beams-in-greatroom-at-modern-farmhouse-glam/ She actually used a wood look tile on her floor, but it's not half bad. can you imagine how cold this would look if she had used a gray flooring?? trust me. go w/a wood. and the wood beams. Use your imagination w/this one on the fireplace (imagine your stone). this is a darker floor to match the beams. Sectional is so much nicer than what you have. wood shelves, throws, the lighting,,,, some other decor ideas if you like the farmhouse. (notice all of these have the warmer wood floors, not GRAY!) copy any of these photos for ideas, flooring, beams, decor. Like I said, start your own thread and you'll get lots more help if you want to transform that room.

You should choose your colors based upon what you want to live with year-round, and not concern yourself with seasonal decorating. I think blues and greens would be pretty, or perhaps purples and greens. I even like a terra cotta / rust color with those shades.