I am amazed by the suggestions I am getting from all of you. I've been stalking for a long time before finally posting, so really I shouldn't be since I have seen what great advice has been given here. homesweethome- The symmetry is something that was bothering us quite a bit. I said "asymmetrical angles" earlier in a post. I guess I was meaning that we didn't want too much symmetry. Also, we like the look of having, for lack of better description, triangles, squares, and rectangles. And even the angles of the gables that might not be the same degree on every one. We plan on using a stone facade. I like the larger and rounder style stone. nicke360- You seemed to see things that have been bothering me with the floorpan and just fixed them. I was feeling like the mudroom area was a waste of space. In a much earlier design, it was a better fit. I wanted an enclosed old school style coat closet. So I can just shut the door if I need to. I was also thinking of having a utility closet in the entry area from the garage and a separate, possibly vented, sports equipment closet. But I think what you have given me is a great jumping off point! And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the laundry room connecting to the master closet. I would like a desk area in the kitchen/living for the family computer to go, and a place the kids can work on homework or I can work on bills. Any suggestions on that? The thing inside I am having the biggest problem visualizing is the finished attic space. We want to use floor trusses, and I think that will not make it an actual two-story. Am I correct? I know there will be sloping ceilings and knee walls. I am very ok with that. I like the look and we are not tall people. I don't know how much space up there is actually useable. Thank you for your ideas. Very refreshing. How do I tell what walls will be like regular walls, and which will be knee walls? I will give you a little background. (knew i forgot something) We live in central Utah. We have 2 boys and 1 daughter. Elementary age. The daughter will be getting the attic bedroom. We have jokingly been calling it her "princess suite" -My husband thinks she might not move right up there though. Luckily we have the guest bedroom she can use for a while if she's not wanting to be alone on a floor. The extra living space up there has no real identity yet. Except for the craft room. That's one of my splurges. The boys want to share the large basement bedroom. And when that gets old for them, there is the extra one down there. The laundry space in the basement is just me looking ahead and getting the plumbing roughed in, even though we won't use it right away. The bathroom will be tailored to the boys, hence the urinal. I plan on having quite a bit of tile in that part of the bathroom for easy clean up. Storage: I need lots of storage. I tend to keep "stuff" and need a designated place to put it. I am trying to curb my hoarding ways, but I know my limitations as well. That is why I want useful areas on each level to have space so I can be organized. I also mentioned the sports equipment storage. We are a baseball family already and my husband is the coach, so we have more than the normal share of equipment that needs to be easily accessible on a regular basis. I guess the garage could probably handle that. I thank you all again for a fresh perspective. A new set of eyes has helped me to see some changes that could be made for the better.

So for those who are interested, I did some elevations for the inside too. Just for some of the details to show my builder. these were done in photoshop by me so are not 100. the first one is the divider between the kitchen/dining and the great room. Yes I know that all natural wood is more craftsman but I wanted a lighter look and paint grade is a lot less expensive than furniture grade moldings. Especially since my wood of choice is cherry. Yes the columns will also be triangular like the porch columns. :) the fireplace wall is opposite the kitchen entry and that wall will be cherry. there will be handmade tile around the fireplace. I am considering doing a coffered ceiling in the living room again using paint grade and then painting the ceiling itself in a color. I'm not sure yet whether I'll go with a picture rail or a frieze board. I'm leaning towards the frieze board. Crown molding will be simple to work with the rest of the moldings. Maybe this for crown molding.

Hi - I'm back with a quote for the sunrise. This is all total for windows and installation. It includes pre-finished replacement trim for the jamb extension (casing?) and interior trim. The quote is for the Ultra-12 glass package and the total is 43k. Its light on the details and the stated window count is 17 casements, 2 awnings, and 2 half rounds. Those counts are really openings and not windows. I have 36 windows. The quote does not say anything about house wrap or sill pans; just full sash replacement. I met with the guy today and he mentioned how he was able to take advantage of several current promotions etc and how it would really be closer to 50k. To compare my other quote for the K&K windows is 58k. This is the total cost to me that includes the general contractors overhead and all installation. The quote that I have from that vendor is to the gnat's a$$. I have dimensions and price for each window. Probably because that quote had to go to the insurance company. I did not like the sunrise salesman. He was nice enough, but avoided talking in detail about anything. He also offered up Revere Berkshire Elite (vinyl) and Quaker (Aluminum clad wood) as options where I could "save" but the savings was maybe 5% for the Revere and 3% for the Quaker. I did not solicit for other products. My goal is to decide and place my window order by the end of the month. While I like the energy numbers on the Sunrise windows once I factor in the GC's fee to oversee the install (since I'm having stucco work done, etc.) it just does not seem like I'm saving significantly. So I'm on the fence. I guess my questions are 1.) does the sunrise window quote seem like it is in the right ballpark? 2.) any suggestions on how to get comfortable with the sunrise installer? (I've done Angie's List and the BBB - no red flags there) 3.) which will have better aesthetics once installed - or will I even be able to tell the difference? Thanks!!

Stucco siding is seeing a resurgence in popularity, would possibly be more correct. Drive through many subdivisions in Florida, and you'll find great stucco artistry...siding, brick, stone. Arches, bands, quoins. Heck. in one of my first homes, a 1957 fixerupper, stucco shutters and flying geese. Or maybe they were ducks... Never cared, never fell in love with the waterfowl. :) Advantages: Never needs replacement. won't peel off the house in high winds. Never rots. Won't ding or dent in hail. Won't warp or fade on our brutal sun, like vinyl. Disadvantages: difficult to remove flying waterfowl from facade. Can't accommodate " remove the stucco shutters" comments from Houzz posters. Another thought.. lately, stucco guys have less artists, and sometimes rely on a styrofoam base. That will pit if hit by flying debris. Or, weedeaters. I drove to my daughter's neighborhood today. At least 8 homes with stucco siding circa 1960 to 1975. All still perfect. And no corner trim required. Those guys were great artists.