LL-that is what started this whole thing - the windows are apart in the drawn plan but it messes up what we like in our 'inspiration' elevation. Go figure! Enduring - we have a top load washer and dryer that's pretty new - but that's not to say we'd not change over at some point. But for now I have to plan it with the top load in mind. The island sounds really cool and would be a great surface area for folding - ironing (I have been known to skip the ironing board for about any flat surface near by), etc. I am not sure I can part with the hanging area though. With double rods you'd think that would be enough but.......ya know how that goes! I am trying to balance hanging and drawer space. I hang almost everything except undergarments and grubby yard work clothes. lyfia - ugh. :( Ours doesn't get terrible but you are right it does have more lint floating in the air. Lolauren-my drawings are hard to read a bit - sorry. There IS a pocket door planned for the wall that is between the closet and the master. It will likely not be closed often but I want that choice and it gives additional sound buffer from the washer and dryer. I actually really only want a nice little space for a bench and some hooks for the front entry. We have infrequent guests and they really only have a jacket and shoes and so that would more than suffice. Here is a pic of one I saw at a parade home this year. Granted it's recessed and pretty small but I really thought it a perfect solution! Hubby changes into uniform at the 'office'. He comes and goes in plain clothes - they do not take a car home. All of his off season uniforms we can easy store in the basement - all that poly/wool is THICK and takes up a bunch of room. The hall closet there I think will end up being more like 2x5 and hold extra blankets maybe and pillows. I don't know - we have a lot of that kind of stuff. Maybe we will put shelving in one side for games, etc. We have a lot of those too! I did draw up and option #4 but haven't scanned it yet. It allows for a bit of privacy for the WC but still no door and does shrink that closet a bit. This is more difficult than I thought. I hope to present some ideas and see what he can work up within our sq footage. I didn't plan for the 6" wall spacing even though I know it's there - I'm hoping he can figure that out too! My eyes are crossing from counting little squares. ;) Putting these windows together is a bugger. I think I could get used to them apart quite easily but it's a no go for DH. :( edit:: missed half of my reply! This post was edited by Autumn.4 on Sun, Jul 14, 13 at 14:13

Yes, yes!! Paint those cabs turquoise; any other color that you want to bring in there?? Maybe a little OT, but I remember a post a few (or more) months ago by someone who had a wall or door that had their children's heights marked on it that got painted over (very sad). In my very-needing-to-be-painted laundry room, I have a wall of my daughters' heights, and now also my grandsons'. Any ideas from you clever GW's about how I could paint the walls but somehow preserve that wall, or at least that portion of it?

Could I do a darker bamboo mounted at the ceiling with stationary panels on the outside of the window? Stationary panels and a bamboo blind would look great, IMO. As for placement, normally the blind is mounted on the window frame, and the rod from which the stationary panels hang is somewhere above that, often as far up as the ceiling. The inside edges of the stationary panels normally cover the window frame and the edges of the blind. There are variations, of course, but you want a visual connection among the three elements - the window, the blind and the panels. Mounting the blind above the frame would keep more of the window exposed when the blind is open and make the window appear taller. But I don't think you need to mount at the ceiling to accomplish this. If you mount the blind above the frame, you will probably need to pull the header away from the wall the depth of the frame so that the blind falls smoothly.

Hi thank you!!! A chandelier would look gorgeous, but I think the functionality of a fan wins out for us because with ceilings this high and a mountain climate, we need the fan to push the hot air down to the rest of the house in the winter. Is there such a thing as an attractive ceiling fan? (serious question!) I think we'll just put the little book case upstairs in the loft, which is desks and another book case anyway. So funny that y'all like the arches! We are so stuck on them. What do you think about squaring the one that goes to the staircase but keeping the others? It would sort of balance the visual impact of the other 4. Are you saying cover the beams with wood or just paint to match the room? or would you do another color? I have no design sense, but I see the potential too!