**Since we have about 30" to work with, I'm wondering if it makes sense to design it as a "hutch" look so the papers can go behind cupboards up top. There could still be a countertop for the phone, a notepad and misc paperwork. I loved the idea of drawers with outlets so the cellphones can be charged out of sight.** That totally makes sense. We're actually ripping out a small closet that's in the passageway between foyer and kitchen and turning the closet space into a built-in hutch that will be about 36" wide, so that there's a surface to drop things on (like mail) and a place to charge phones, etc., that isn't in the way of anything. I think a hutch style works really well for this purpose because it's versatile (it could also be used to store dishes and such), it can fit in a smaller space since no chair is required, and unlike a desk it can store things underneath. **So for those people without desks in the kitchen, where does your phone, day planner, papers go?** Phone: we only have cell phones. If we had a phone, it would live on the hutch described above. Day planner: when we have one (I'm sure we'll need one with older kids), it will either hang on the wall like a calendar or it will live on the hutch; we'll see what works best. Papers: mail goes into baskets that live out of sight in a corner beside the couch. One basket for each of us. We deal with mail in the living room, like so: junk mail is recycled or shredded (e.g., credit card applications are shredded), so we toss it into either the "recycle" or "shred" basket--those are fairly flat baskets about 4" high that live under the couch--and then deal with it (put it out for recycling or shred it) every couple of weeks. Non-junk mail gets opened, with envelopes and other throwaway bits tossed into the recycling basket and the important bits either dealt with immediately or put into folders that live in our mail baskets. This is hard to explain without a photo, but our mail baskets are just wide enough and tall enough for a manila folder to stand up in them, so there are a few folders standing up at the back of each basket, behind where the mail goes. I have a red folder for bills and anything else that needs to be dealt with urgently, a green one for financial stuff other than bills (e.g. bank statements), and so on. I suppose there will be a folder for mailings related to each child's education when the time comes. Periodically we take the mail baskets to our office filing cabinets and put away the papers that have collected in each folder, and then the whole process begins again. It works for us and all these baskets let us deal with stuff downstairs without taking up much space, and then carry stuff up to the office for filing. It also keeps our kitchen recycling from filling up too quickly, since all the paper from junk mail, flyers etc. is put in a recycling basket that hides under the living room couch, instead of into the kitchen recycling.

Well you have asked a tough question to answer based on the info at hand. 1-Is your location legally able to be zoned for having an income suite? You will want to be insured to protect your investment, and this may not be possible if you are breaking the law. 2-How much can you afford to spend in this process? 3-Does your home currently have only 1 full bathroom, or are there 2? Are you on a slab, or do you have a basement or crawlspace. 4-Do you have sufficient electrical at the panel to support 2 households? Will the renter be metered separately? 5-Heating and cooling. Adding to a legal garage will require a separate system. If you abandon the garage function, this may give you more options.

Is it in concrete that the room has to be green and brown? This is only my opinion, but I really dislike brown in a nursery, even though brown is becoming a trendy color. I find brown to be depressing and I love green if it's with pink..like a garden. For great inspiration pictures go to potterybarnkids.com and look at all the color combos they have for rooms. Some are neutral. I don't see those colors for a girl at all. I know pink and brown is trendy, but it's the brown I don't like. What about painting all the wood a cream color for now, and after the baby is born you can wallpaper or paint? Paint these days don't leave a toxic odor. In fact, you may not even want to add a different wall color other than cream and add your own colors with accessories and rugs, especially pastel braided rugs. Of course take what I say with a grain of salt, I just have this "thing" about green and brown in a child's room. lol Congrats on your new baby!

I am so sorry to hear of your husband's job. Hopefully he won't lose it, but remember whatever happens..happens for a reason!!! Though I know it is extremely difficult to hear that right now. Like others here, this too happened to us only I was wanting to have another baby at the time not remodel a kitchen!! My DH lost his job and we lived in an upscale community and I wasn't working at the time...talk about stress. We eventually had to sell the house and move to another town, but it actually worked out better in the end. I now have a new baby (19 mo. old), and my older son has a better group of friends, we have a charming home, etc. Although, now there is an eleven year gap between the two boys, but c'est la vie! Now here we are in this charming home that needs a lot of work (but I love it) and getting ready to remodel and the economy/market goes to squat!!! My DH's current job is tied to this market so it maybe longer than planned but hopefully soon like others have said it will be better in the long run!!!! More time to plan :) Sorry for the long story. I just wanted you to know we support you and keep lurking here. I am!! Shannon