Thanks again for all of your comments and ideas - the give and take of your posts provide us with great insights and ideas which will help us eventually choose the right system for our situation. Hubby found the DYI attachment interesting, but as an overworked aerospace engineer he just doesn't have the heart to tackle a DYI project of this size. (Over 1000 hours of overtime last year, similar amounts for the previous five years, and no end in sight! We joke this is our dream house money.) We did a major remodel of our own master bath four years ago, which included installing electric radiant heat, and it took two years, partially due to hubby's lack of time and partially due to the fact his engineer training meant every thing had to be perfect! Slows everything way down! :-) (Our current plan is to have the shell of the home, plumbing, and wiring done for us, and then we'll tackle as much of the interior work as we can ourselves, over time.) The JAGA site has some beautiful options (I love the scrolled radiator), but had my heart set on in-floor heat since this will be a small home with small rooms and would prefer to keep our wall space open. Just out of curiosity why is clay soil considered not good for geothermal? (I can't remember where I had read clay soils were preferred over dry, sandy soils.) I want to make sure I'm fairly well informed if and when we start to talk to geothermal installers. We may rule that option out entirely if it appears to be a problematic option for our property. Right now I'm really leaning towards the soapstone/masonry fireplace idea, and a combination of electric radiant in-floor heat (in tiled places where we might like heat year round, like the bathrooms) and hydronic radiant heat in rooms with wood flooring. Just need to figure out what will be the best way for us to heat and circulate that water. (If we use the fireplace to partially heat the water will we need a boiler or could a tankless or regular water heater handle the load?)

I don't have experience with these, but the certainly look awesome. I have bought all my appliances except for my cooktop. I was planning on a GE electric cooktop, but these would make a much more"important statement" with the hood surround, etc. Plus, the electrolux one has a griddle plate, which I love! Would love to hear from anyone who has used these.

Sounds exciting. I don't think you can go wrong with anything Bosch. But you might get more detailed info, especially regarding hoods, on the appliance forum.

I saw the newest Wolf induction cooktop and I was impressed with its versatility. Specifically, I am speaking of model CI365T/S. I really like the burner layout with the four burners that can be bridged on one side and a larger oval burner on the other side. It offers what seems to be the most flexible layout. There are other induction cooktops with "flexible" zones but they are in a layout that is less versatile, most commonly with a large round hob in the center and the flexible zones on either side. My building does not have gas so when I upgrade, I will be looking at induction. As of now, I think the Wolf is my favorite but I am a year or two out and something new may change my thinking.