Tikilyn, This is a bit bigger than the 3000 sq ft you said you wanted but, if you like it, you might be able to pare it down some IF you're willing to cut room sizes down a bit. For the most part tho, I think the room sizes you mentioned in your post are pretty good. Not dinky but not overly huge either. So, I tried to include all the rooms you showed on your sketch tho I wasn't quite sure what that room between the living room and the kids' bedrooms was supposed to be. I guessed that it was a computer room or playroom or something like that. I also stuck in a powderroom because that seemed to be missing. I wanted to simplify the footprint as much as possible because all the "corners" you had make for a very expensive build. And, to do that, I wound up moving the secondary bedrooms behind the 3 car garage. With the width of the 3 car garage, the secondary bedroom just fit behind it better than the master did. This arrangement allows all of the bedrooms except the guest room to have windows facing in two directions if you want. (Having windows that face two directions is GREAT for natural light and you won't believe what it does for the ambiance of a room!) In case you're wondering, the secondary bathrooms are all 5'x7' which allows you to have a standard-sized alcove tub/shower combo, a toilet and a 24 to 28 inch wide vanity. All interior doors except a couple of closet doors are 32" wide or wider so it is possible to get a wheelchair thru if you need to. Exterior doors and doors leading to the laundry are 36" wide or wider. Master bedroom is buffered from the noise of the living room by the fireplace, built-in bookcases, and its own recessed door. Tub in the master bath is 36"x72" and could be wider. Shower is 48"x60" and could be up 48"x72". One bay of the garage is made slightly deeper than the other two in case you have a big car or truck but even the two shallow bays are deeper than many garages. You could also put a nice deep front porch on this house if you wanted to. And/or you could add a screened porch on the back. Good luck with whatever route you decide to take.

I would utilize the back, smaller wall for the relaxing/reading/dreaming/watching the rain space~oh to be 8 again! Number 1, since she already has a bed in her room why go thru that expense? Number 2, sitting a further distance from the window strikes me as more appealing~hot, cold, glass, isn't a good combination. A crib mattress might be the answer to use on the back wall~the length could work and width shouldn't be a problem at all. Get it off the floor with a box-like structure, or make something like *this* using pallets(you can usually get them free!)I'm all about making things easy. A heavy duty glue/adhesive would secure the mattress/base together. It's such a cute space for a little girl to curl up~this little girl is green with envy! ;o) Here is a link that might be useful: *this*

Thanks, Leela -- I actually do love the look of the cherry with the bamboo. We have cherry doors busily darkening away, and slightly-toasted floors -- possibly a shade darker than yours, but still a fine contrast. OK, Lavender and allfood -- pantry and utility door are cherry. That's done. Boxer -- thank you for your lovely encouragement. I just love the tone you give. And of course those concrete pictures are priceless. [how *do* you find them all????]. I do just sharp-breath-intake love those bamboo kitchens. *But*: I'm ready to believe it will mix well with cherry, as you-all say. I do think it's not worth fighting with dh about because it's not as if I *don't* like the cherry. Plus, I think we've decided the fossiliferous stone I liked isn't going to be hard enough (it generated massive amounts of flaked white powder during the acid-tests; I guess that's just stone going away, dissolving, and in a few years that might be a bit of a problem....). So that puts us to rainforest green which is wild and dark, and I think the cherry would be less of a shock next to it; less busy - there will be busy-enough in the coutertop. Maybe I'm just rationalizing -- I'm just not certain-enough of how the bamboo would work to put my foot down about it. Maybe the remaining bathroom.... Anyway, thanks, boxer, for your strong supportive voice! And many others above, too. OK, that's one choice down I think....

Definitely NOT a black roof in a sunny warm country. The existing terra cotta is classic. The only other two suggestions would be the green that tiled roofs come in, or that cobalt blue. White for the body. Or a slight pink or peach. No gray or beige. Classic colors are best here.