What still puzzles me about this stair is that given a 9ft. ceiling height and 7 3/4"+ risers, the thickness of the second floor (ceiling to finish flooring) would be over 16" if there were 16 risers and it would be about 8" if there were 15 risers. For the smaller floor thickness the floor joists could not be larger than 2x8's and for the larger floor thickness the floor joists would be about 14" Since a typical floor thickness is about 12" I am greatly puzzled about your stair construction. Is there something unusual about the floor joists at the second floor? Is the ceiling height 9 ft. plus a tray or coffer? To accurately define the stair riser height you should give us the floor to floor height and the number of risers. To increase the distance from the front door to the stair by turning it, you must put one more riser at the lower run which would extend it farther into the lobby. If this doesn't make sense to you, you should ask your designer to draw the two conditions to scale before telling the builder to modify the stair. I could draw it if I knew all of the dimensions of the existing conditions but what you have posted doesn't seem to add up.

OK. here's what I was thinking when I discussed moving the BP, etc. Unfortunately, I do not have time to document the detailed analysis, but if you read the Kitchen Design FAQ threads linked below, you should be able to see why I did what I did. No through traffic in the Prep Zone, Cooking Zone, and Baking Center! Note: I would have preferred to switch the refrigerator and ovens on the bottom wall, but I wanted to recess the refrigerator to allow you to have a larger refrigerator and there wasn't enough room in the wall below where the ovens are. . Zone Map: . Kitchen Design Best Practices/Guidelines threads -- These threads explain best practices/good design guidelines for items such as work zones, aisles, island/peninsula seating, etc. These threads will help you understand questions/comments you will receive. Layout Help -- FAQ for asking for layout help. It has a sample measured layout as well as a description of the other information we need [Included for reference] . Kitchen Design Best Practices/Guidelines threads: Kitchen work zones, what are they? http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638270/faq-kitchen-work-zones-what-are-they Aisle widths, walkways, seating overhangs, work and landing space, and others http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638304/faq-aisle-widths-walkways-seating-overhangs-work-landing-space-etc How do I plan for storage? Types of Storage? What to Store Where? http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638376/faq-how-do-i-plan-for-storage Ice. Water. Stone. Fire (Looking for layout help? Memorize this first) http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first . How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include? http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767033/how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-and-what-information-should-i-include .

My husband just pointed me to this story from Port Perry Ontario (he had siblings in Port Perry several years ago). The Golden Girls of Port Perry Lifted from that article: The national median monthly cost of a private room in a nursing home in the U.S. is $8,365, according to Genworth Financial, which means it costs more than $100,000 annually to live in a retirement home, and the price tag is only going up. Even if you have to "hire in" cleaning help, etc., aging-in-place is a whole lot cheaper than a nursing home. Of course, that's a nursing home -- not assisted living. Some communities here have gotten so far as declaring that first cousins aren't close enough family members to live together. That particular case was a household of grandmother and her two granddaughters. After grandma's death, the two cousins inherited the home and continued to live there but the local government was trying to force them to leave. I've never heard of this, but I don't see ... - How it's enforceable. If I let you come live in my house, who's going to say no? Assuming, of course, we're both law abiding citizens, who can say what happens inside my house? And if "they" do say no, how are they going to make you leave my house? - How it's possible, given society's widespread acceptance of unmarried couples living together as if married /though not married? I mean, if you can live with a guy you just met last week, why is it not okay to live with your cousin? - How it's possible, given that young people have always looked for roommates as a way of keeping their rent low? If this isn't okay, then college dorms are just plain wrong.

Three random thoughts: - Reality check: In 1200 sf, you're not going to get 3 bedrooms, a 4-piece master bath, a walk-in closet, a second bathroom, a studio AND a walk-in utility room. Just not gonna happen. You must either plan for more space OR prioritize what's most important. - Google 1200 sf house plans. You'll find a ton. I'm not saying they'll all be wonderful, but consider them a starting place /a learning tool. - You've pushed your bedrooms to the exterior, which leaves your main living space (where you're awake), to the dark middle of your house. Especially in such a small space, ample windows on two sides of the room will make your space seem larger. This particular floor arrangement is common here (master ensuite on one side and other bedrooms on the opposite side). It's common here too. Common doesn't mean good design. Actually, I don't see a real advantage of switching the tub with the shower. It places the tub, where you're more likely to linger, closer to the window. Is that enough reason? Eh, I dunno.