I like Bungalow #2. - I would add a full bath upstairs. -I would add a "Laundry shoot" upstairs. -the upstairs can be used now by your Husband and later by a teenager. My guess is that this setup would be the most expensive to build. I've had a few homes built and I can tell you that no house is perfect. You always find something missing or wrong AFTER you move in. Your wants/needs change over the years. The way you function in your daily life is a very important consideration when you are building. Getting hurt or getting a disease is almost a guarantee in life. When fifty hits, "Mother Nature" takes over, and body parts start giving out, no matter how thin, athletic, and healthy you are/were.... Random thoughts: -split stairs with a landing in between are a smart idea, no matter which plan you choose. -A bedroom with a full bath downstairs is ALWAYS a good idea, no matter what age your are. -Think of how you function in a house. Do you spend MOST of your time downstairs? Are you and/or your DH just daydreaming that you will be upstairs all the time, because you/he likes the idea of a two-story house? -If you go with a two story with all the bedrooms upstairs, do you want your laundry room up or down?...because once I bring the laundry down, I have to check, add softener, dry etc usually several times. If I had a large family living with me I would still have the laundry downstairs, but with a laundry shoot from the upstairs. When you're building you have that custom option. Over the years, I've learned that I don't always live or function like others. Example: I've read a lot of forums when I designed my kitchen. After living in this house for 2 years, I just hated my double oven setup. I had to split the ovens, leaving a counter above each one.... When building, you have to consider your needs and wants, but also re-sale value. Rarely people want to live in a BIG house when they get much older. We will be downsizing in a few years, even though I love this house, and it has a MB on the first floor. It's great that you are asking for advice and hopefully will take your time to examine what is important to YOU in your new home.

TheFranLover, good luck with your project! Did you have to go thru the Coastal Commission for your remodel? How long did it take and how painful? We're also thinking of remodeling a very old home (1950), not yet purchased. It's still in an exploratory phase to see how feasible and expensive it's going to be. The house hasn't been remodeled in 60 years, and not liveable. We're thinking of doing it in 2 phases. 1) Keep same footprint and remodel interior walls. Exterior walls are also badly damaged, so to remodel that, do we need a permit? Redo electrical, plumbing, gas lines. We want to do enough to be able to live in it, while applying for a permit to build it up or out. 2) Add another story up, but hear the coastal commision may take a long time to approve anything. All, please share your experiences and advice. Thanks!

Shutters. Yeah, I was an early adopter of the size-appropriateness, but there's more to it. Hinges, dogs, latches, and this: if they are louvered, the louvers need to be pointing up when they are open, so that they point down when they are closed, letting water run down them. But, since very few people ever close their functioning shutters in the US, the louvers need to point down when they are open so they don't rot. Personal family story: a relative visiting from the old country told my grandfather his shutters were upside down. He flipped them accordingly, but the next year he noticed trouble with the water running behind the shutters. So back they flipped. Incorrect but not a problem. So, don't get into the math of the shutters. They are decorative. Just make for a pleasing proportion. Your house is charming. Consider putting a cement or limestone cap on the planter, put non-living seasonal decor on it, maybe something on the wall behind, and enjoy. My personal presence for metals is brass, but that's just me.

I love your brick. It is the tone that is timeless(not like 50's pink, you know?) If you paint the siding as you plan and leave the brick for last, you will know if you enjoy seeing the brick, I would think in a couple of weeks time, after completing the trim and the siding....you will know if the brick accents are pleasing to your home aesthetics.. I think it is very pretty. There are folks that don't care for brick..they prefer siding and thus, they paint the brick. I think brick adds elegance and fits well with your house. It is your house. These are just opinions offered. Do what makes you happy. I just think your brick is very pretty, and with warm colors or warm neutrals it looks like a nice way to make your house look special and unique in it's colors. And it is not in bad shape, the mortar has not been patched as a result of poor installation or foundation issues in times before you owned it, and why buy paint if you are not trying to bring a cosmetic benefit to the brick -that is what drives a lot of brick painting in many areas--that and the dated color of the brick too as mentioned earlier. However, if you do not paint the brick you might be able to not paint the fireplace chimney. IF you do paint it all, than don't forget the fireplace chimney. It's a very pretty home!! Others may add something that helps you decide? Brick's advantage over siding, is you don't HAVE to paint it regularly like siding.. Once you do however, it's now a part of exterior maintence for you and the future owners to endure.