if you do install shutters I would suggest making them operable, installing shutter dogs to hold them in place and size them to fit the windows. That would be hard to do with the wider windows. I might also suggest eliminating the stone base of the porch columns and install real, solid wood columns that go all the way down to the porch. If you are going to have an arched top window where it is placed is the best place for it. The arched top window is somewhat passe and what you would expect to find in a builder grade house. Would also suggest using another garage door - one with lites (windows) at the top in some configuration. Good luck!

I hear too often by contractors, that imperfections can be fixed with either tile or coping. The outside of the spa, if I'm correct, will be exposed and therefore have tile applied? If so, the forms should have been stripped during the shot and the gunite crew would go around the perimeter and make it true. That way tile or any other material can be applied to an even surface. The cracks are most likely shrinkage cracks from the heat. The shell should have wet down after the shot, but not super soaked, to prevent this. Going forward, within 24 hrs, the shell should now soaked daily, multiple times to allow that mass of concrete to cure properly. Water is needed as part of the curing process especially in that Texas heat. Sometimes we set up an sprinkler and keep it wet all day. Some have set up soaker hoses around the perimeter. The concrete takes 28 days to fully cure and it generates it's own heat. Drying too fast is not good without the aid of water. I notice water collected in the deep end. Is there a groundwater issue?

Personal opinion: a fine DIY solution. It likely will not give you any trouble for a long time, and when it does, it will be fairly easy to service. Not acceptable for a professional. This is like having a builder install a faulty outlet and throwing you a few extension cords to solve the problem. A plumber screwed up somewhere in the walls, maybe teed off a cold instead of a hot by mistake, and your builder doesn't want to fix it the right way because it will be a huge pain to trace the mistake back to the source. Not your problem.

Another question in this process, regarding warming drawer location - under the wall oven, or under the cooktop? If under the cooktop, could potentially do cooktop - shallow utensil drawer - warming drawer - storage drawer. Or cooktop - warming drawer - larger storage drawer. Current rendering is below...please ignore the countertop, backsplash, and hood! Those are just placeholders, and the fridge in the pic is standard depth. The wall oven dimensions are correct, but ours will be a full double 30" oven. The designer just modified the dimensions of an existing "oven" asset in their software. We're also considering deleting the cabinets next to the hood, and do open/floating shelves. It's an L-shaped kitchen with island. The door to the right is to butler's pantry, sink is out of frame to the right. I'd like to keep my commonly used pots/pans under the cooktop, then larger/less frequently used pots/pans will go in the drawers on the other side of the pantry door. Going below the cooktop will depend on required clearances, but seems like that would be the more practical location as far as the warming drawer itself is concerned - just the tradeoff of pot/pan space under the cooktop. And could go with a panel ready model for a clean look.