Hi Mainemanx, We used Floor Muffler under two rooms. I was told by Fast Floors that it would eliminate the loud gunshot sound that occurs when someone drops something on the floor. That was a total lie. The second time we used some real expensive stuff from Home Depot and it also didn't eliminate the noise. I've since discovered that nothing eliminates the noise. The only thing underlayment is necessary for, from what I can tell, is so you have a moisture-proof barrier between the concrete and the flooring. We installed on a concrete subfloor. We made sure our floors were level. If they are even the slightest bit not level, in that area the flooring will move and the edges that hold the pieces together will eventually break off. I know this for a fact because our supposedly leveled floors turned out not to be level in a couple of places. If you are installing over concrete, you must also make sure the floor is not giving off moisture, which will ruin the flooring. Our installer did this by duct-taping a heavy sheet of Saran wrap to the floor in many places, making sure it was a tight seal and tight fit. He then waited 48 hours to see if there was any condensation on the Saran wrap. I'm not convinced this is the best way to check moisture in concrete, though. The flooring is easy to install yourself. We got a cheap DVD from Home Depot for our installer to watch before he installed the floor. Again, the most important part is the preparation of the subfloor. If you are installing it in areas where moisture may be a problem, I heartily recommend that you do seal the boundary of the floor with sealant -- Pergo will tell you what kind to use. Also, do not bother removing your baseboards unless you are going to replace them anyway, in rooms that are not leak-prone. We did and that was stupid. All we had to do was remove the quarter round -- duh! I guess you live in Maine, from your name. I live in central Mass, and I was worried about Pergo and moisture from outside, especially in the winter. In our entry way, I have placed a large indoor/outdoor rug (it has to be hosed off to clean it) to capture moisture. I wanted to use LL Bean's waterhog mat, but I couldn't get a straight answer from anyone about whether that would hurt the Pergo. Some rug backings do. Good luck!

Thank you all for the thoughts. I really like the idea of the gray, and the blues. Neither of which I had on my radar. It just helps me think outside the box, so when I finally decide on something it will really be what I like since I went through all the options. Gray is especially appealing to me. I do not have it anywhere else. I am wondering if it looks good though because of how it is everywhere right now?

Try going much darker paint on the siding and garage doors. Similar to the front door. (Beautiful door btw) Shutters either painted black or the dark stained cedar is quite popular. Add 3 new exterior fixtures at minimum 30” in a black iron modern style. Use false garage door hardware in the same finish. I would also beef up the columns. You have great curb appeal! Enjoy your new home

I really don't have pics to share now. Framing is being completed. Craftsman, no. We are working with a designer who is very good (I've seen her work) and we originally went with single panel shaker and black lever handles and hardware. There was a problem with inventory and so we had to switch vendors, and once again were given the option of door style. I'd like to make this decision now myself, rather than rehash our original conversation, when we tossed the door ideas around. She was happy with either door style. There are touches of vintage as well as modern elements in this home. I want simple doors, but not flat and not busy either. This is front exterior elevation, but floor plan has been modified. .