Details Details Details and finishes. I think well thought out lighting makes a huge difference. Go into a very swanky expensive bar and look at how well the lighting was designed - with the accents and thought to what is being highlighted. I can tell a cheap house by the lighting. Also flooring makes a big difference. Keep a photo scrapbook of things you like and get them included. When you stay in nice hotels pick out little things that make it nice (wall switched right by the bedside etc.). Make small rooms like guest baths have big impact (small spaces are cheaper to do luxury details to). I would rather live in a 3K sqft home that is finished to a very high level and designed perfectly than live in a 9k sqft home that is a "big box". Speaking of boxes - a box is the least expensive way to construct anything. Homes that break this mold are usually more expensive in general. A great builder is so obsessed with details he drives his people to produce the best product they can (and speaks that he has a great relationship to get those results).

vwtyler Looking forward to it!! Hope you are better at uploading photos than we are; our experience was accompanied by a lot of yelling! cpartist and lazy_gardens, That photo with the "white stuff" is not at all representative; we just use it to keep potential visitors at bay! Typically, we get 30-40 inches a year, but most of it falls at night and melts off early in the morning due to the intense sun, which makes shoveling usually unnecessary. chicagoans, Certainly appreciate your comments, but my husband says he's never posted drawings before on either GW or houzz. By the way, to all others who've answered, We greatly appreciate your comments as well! Thanks, "Wenchie"

Oh my, would so love to be the proud owner of this! The interior photos show enough to know that this could be beautiful . I can see why you would like to work on it. I haven't any suggestions other than a cohesive colour scheme ! I can only dream of such a characterful home. Many styles made it to Australia, but not this and even less variation of quality made it to regional areas....and even less 2 storey homes. I can but dream.... Sigh.....

This house is in a city not too far from me where you see mostly craftsman and Spanish eclectic homes, with a little tutor thrown in. My guess is it's been renovated multiple times. So looking at it today, it's very difficult to tell. My city has a lot of information available online, including a photo series of the historic homes taken around the 1970's. I would start researching the city and local historical society for old photos. The coved ceiling and arched tub make me think it's not going to be craftsman.