We built off Cool House plan chp-31382. Not a 'farm house plan' and has an attached oversize garage. The nice thing about an attached garage is with any luck, you can orient it on the west side of the house to 'hide' a sustantial part of the house behind it to minimize solar heat gain. One reason we picked this plan was the all hip roof that is stronger and gets an insurance discount here in hurricane country. Also, I wanted to go with a single level home as it's easier to manage heat gain. A 2 story is difficult to manage window and wall heat gain like you can do with a single story with oversize eaves. A metal roof or radiant barrier in the attic can compensate for the extra roof area with the single story. We've ended up with a 2000 sq ft home with an average $130 power bill (includes pumping from well). 10 foot ceilings and heat recovery unit on A/C also helps. I'd suggest you spend some extra time researching all the little things that can add up to substantial energy bill savings as you narrow your plan search. Good luck, Gary

Houseful-thanks for all the detailed pictures! So cool how you have transformed that space! This house is in Arcadia, we are currently in the East Valley. So...one thing we are playing with is the idea of keeping the original flooring. That requires moving as few walls as possible to keep repairs/replacements to a minimum. So that is informing the following ideas: I am currently toying with the idea of having a doorway from the library to the kitchen that lines up with the doorway to the dining room. With both the kitchen/library and kitchen/dining walls being half walls opened up above the lower cabs, if that makes sense. So I could see out the dining room windows at a sink and the library window at a cooktop possibly. Lining up the doorways would direct traffic through the kitchen but maybe that would be okay since my work area would be all on one side of the doorways? If we did this you would be able to see the backyard from the library and view out the front from the dining room... Rosie-the garden room was not built according to the plans and is just a room with a huge skylight...I was thinking of keeping it, but with half walls so when you enter the house you can see through it to the back windows...I was thinking of making it a small play room with a couch under the skylight. (Skylight is quite long and narrow along the wall opposite the door). A friend of mine has a reading couch under a skylight and it is magical to stretch out and read there during rainstorms... I like the idea of the kitchen in the middle, I think...Now, it is desirable to do less for the flooring reason, but I want to think big and I would love ideas that grab space from anywhere, really. We are mere days into months of planning so my initial thoughts may change dramatically. I would love to tear out as little as possible but I am open to considering it nonetheless!

HI everyone, Thanks for the responses. I'm going to bug all of you to help with my bathrooms too! The builder finished foundation today so onto framing!!! I'll be making final selections over the next 2-4 weeks!! kawfeeaddict: Do you know the name of the white granite you used? Can you share a photo? Look at my photobucket inspiration pic and you can see the irridescent tile backsplash...its different but really cool! erikanh, thanks for the thread link. I've look at it several times but some of the pics don't show anymore. I research a bunch of the granites online today and i'm interested in seeing some slabs in person rmkitchen. I'm going to search for my twin! I'm excited if I can find her b/c I'm needing some source info from that inspiration picture and hoping she might have it!! And YOUR kitchen....well i've printed out MULTIPLE photos from your kitchen last week. I LOOOOOOVE it! I even told my designer in the last meeting how I wanted to "frame" and paint a chalkboard area on the side of my fridge. Then I found your picture and I emailed it to my designer! I would love to do the inset cabinets like yours.....so cool. Also love the raised DW. Oh, the marble countertops are just so beautiful....I just can't do it. But its so fun to find someone who really has the same "style".....please share any other parts of you home as I'm building this house so its all a "clean slate". My basic approach to my home is I'm a southern girl and love southern, comfortable things. I live inland but the beach colors, textures, clean, crisp, cottage feel is what I'm going to try to incorporate in my home in a classic but fresh way. Did that make any sense? Thanks for finding me and thanks for sharing your AMAZING kitchen.

I saw Silestone Lagoon paired with real marble in a kitchen on a recent remodeled home tour. The Silestone was on the island (with cook top) and the marble was on the perimeter counters. It took me a moment to realize that they weren't the same material. Obviously, the chose the marble slab carefully. But I was impressed with how well Lagoon blended with the real stuff. It could so easily have gone wrong and looked close but no cigar. It took me a bit but I found a photo of the kitchenon-line (they don't allow photos on the tour, unfortunately). Rather hard to see but maybe it will help you. IMO, which marble mimic you prefer will depend on the style of marble you like; subtle or heavily veined? Kompy (I think The Kitchen Place is her new screen name) has Lagoon in her kitchen and loves it. Here's her kitchen thread, Kompy UPDATE: My Plain & Fancy Kitchen in Progress