Thanks for comments to date - sorry I kind of lost track of things...had some medical issues/surgery over the summer, so finally getting back to the MBR (all is going well, fortunately!) For the toilet room, weedyacres suggested the possibility of removing the wall between the toilet and the main bathroom if it is ever needed for accessibility - and that's exactly what we have in mind. Honestly, I suspect that the pocket door won't get closed often anyway... Weedyacres also wasn't overly comfortable with the walk-through area (which was the original bathroom). The idea of making that more linen closet space is interesting. It's not quite big enough for a dressing room, but I want to get some good use from the space. Unfortunately, the wall between that space and the main bedroom area is a load-bearing wall, so it can't just be removed, or even easily moved in towards the bedroom, which I was initially thinking about. Lastly, the small linen closet area behind the door into the can't easily be combined with the main closet behind it, since there are heating ducts in that wall going to the 2nd floor. This space has a number of quirks that have to be worked around, and that's one of them.... But - We've come up with an idea of arranging the room in a "wet room" style - and I mocked up a pretty rough sketch with HomeDesigner It still doesn't fix the issue of the old bathroom / walkthrough space, but it would make the bathroom possibly more interesting, and allow for a larger & more accessible shower space. We're envisioning a slight sloping shower pan, & trench drain, and a glass divider to keep the water in the shower area, while keeping the room "open" feeling. The sitting room is a strange little space - but we use it as an office (there are built-in bookshelves and file/desk space along the outer walls). So between the "office" use, and the big windows that look out into the woods, we didn't want to lose that space or the view. Architect thinks this might be interesting, and is playing with the specifics of making it work. Am I missing anything awful? Thanks!

Chisue, it would not shock me if that happened here, although my house dates back to the 30s and is all brick. It is only one lot, not two, a builder could not subdivide. Plus, for a builder this would not make sense, not enough profit. However for a young couple who want to do their own thing and want a big house with land left over, this house would be perfect. Sweeby The reason I cannot ask a local broker is because it is a very small town where everyone knows everything. I need to do some additional minor construction work that does not inpact on the kitchen redo. I cannot call a broker in until I do it because if I end up not hiring that broker, they will make snide comments about my house. It happened to me more than once while I was looking. Since there are often local exclusives people use more than one broker. When the broker wanted me to see a house I had seen with somene else, she then says, oh did they manage to fix that leaky toilet, roof, sink, you fill in the blanks. So I cannot risk a disgruntled realtor saying, oh yes they had that horrible ___________, do you know if they fixed it when someone mentions my house. I have verbally spoken to people but they all want to come and see The 600-650 houses are comparable, the lower priced houses do not have the same feel. Plus houses here are unique since they range in age from 1900-1960 so comparables are very difficult. People want different things I agree they may not like my redo. When I was looking in 1991 I saw lots of stuff that was Mauve and formica and new. It made me want to run. I used to find that worse than older and in need of updating. However, if I were to redo, in this area people just like new and neutral which I would do as my taste is very neutral to begin with. Even in that context I see what you are saying someone may just hate maple as I do light colored oak (ironically my cabinets are dark oak and that is fine with me) Something to think about

Wow what a lovely plan. You must be very excited. Must the entire house be done all at once? I believe everyone who has done a minor update in their home (half bath ) to a giant full home renovation has to go through the dreaded Want vs Need list. Each person or corporation doing a renovation must figure out their budget and what they want to spend on their project.. Some people have unlimited funds but even those folks put together a plan. Do you have a General contractor or is your architect doing both? Sometimes a GC can really help control costs and help control the scope of a project and stay within budget. With that said, is your scope itemized or listed in sections per price? Your contractor/architect could probably help you figure out how to trim costs and to even do things in sections. What has your architect suggested? I would go through your list of wants vs needs and see which falls into place. Sometimes it is about deciding the structure (basement) of the house is more of a need while the La Cornue Grand Palais range is more of a want. I wonder if filling in the basement might end up being the cheaper option in the end? With a smaller basement you could make your entire project smaller. So much to think about but I am sure you can do it! You are on your way to making your dream home a reality.

It's mostly a question of preference as to what color you want, especially if you're talking a whole separate level. However, some Houzz advisers would recommend that keeping the same type of flooring throughout all of your home is the best thing you can do for your decor. You sound as though you like the lower flooring look, so I don't see any reason why you shouldn't try to match it. Beware that there is a lot of discussion recently in the Houzz forums about non-yellowing top coat finishes. Bona Naturale waterborne is one of the best for non-yellowing finishes. Other finishes that are oil-based could cause color changes in time. You want a waterborne, and Bona is one of the best. See this link for more info: https://www.bona.com/en-US/Bona-Professional/Products/Coatings/Waterborne-Finishes-and-Sealers/