Hired an Interior Designer

[Clarkmeister]

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I agree with zod, wood floors would be great. oddly enough, you seem to have the same kitchen faucet as me. does the end of yours pull out so you can use it as a sprayer?

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Yes.

[Clarkmeister]

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Now the area with dining table/seating area/pinball machine (soon to be dart board) is the same room that currently has your t.v. in it, right? Isn't it awkward space planning to have the seating in the room facing for conversation and not to the t.v.? Granted it divides the space by function eating/sitting/play but it's not particularly practical. I think I would find turning my head to watch the t.v. VERY annoying.

I'm a big fan of wood floors and I don't much care for the stripes (although it's hard to really say without seeing the exact colors you've chosen--I don't care for it in his artistic rendering).

I'm surprised by the estimate for paint. It seems steep.

I'm most impressed with the custom cabinet for the wine coolers. That seems like a smart solution.

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I think this sums up the consensus pretty well.

Right now I'm considering phasing the wood flooring, doing the living room first, the Big TV room later. Also trying to find ways to get paint cost down. The difference will get applied to the master bedroom.

[guids]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Now the area with dining table/seating area/pinball machine (soon to be dart board) is the same room that currently has your t.v. in it, right? Isn't it awkward space planning to have the seating in the room facing for conversation and not to the t.v.? Granted it divides the space by function eating/sitting/play but it's not particularly practical. I think I would find turning my head to watch the t.v. VERY annoying.

I'm a big fan of wood floors and I don't much care for the stripes (although it's hard to really say without seeing the exact colors you've chosen--I don't care for it in his artistic rendering).

I'm surprised by the estimate for paint. It seems steep.

I'm most impressed with the custom cabinet for the wine coolers. That seems like a smart solution.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this sums up the consensus pretty well.

Right now I'm considering phasing the wood flooring, doing the living room first, the Big TV room later. Also trying to find ways to get paint cost down. The difference will get applied to the master bedroom.

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I wouldnt phase the flooring, its such a pain in the ass process that you should just get it done all at once.


also, I think vertical stripes would look a lot better than horizontal.

[goodsamaritan]

What's the reason for not putting the dining area in the upper right hand portion of that sketch? Is there just not enough width in that part of the room? Even after the redecoration it seems like you'll still be lacking a formal dining area. To me, putting the dining area in the lower right close the stairway and entrance lessens the intimacy of the dining area. I think it makes more sense to have the lower right portion act as your more formal living room where you can drink that fine wine and such (and you can probably still fit the flat screen in there), and use the upper right as a dining area. The upper right is psychologically more intimate because it is away from the entrance of the house and thus more separated from the outside world. It is also more natural and convenient to have the dining area near the kitchen. And the back left can operate as your more cozy living room where you watch sporting events, movies, "cuddle," etc. Or maybe you don't care as much about the dining area, but I figure if you're willing to hire an interior decorator and drop 30K on it, you would care about that kind of thing.



I'd also strongly consider ripping out those cabinets at the top of the stairway. They are an eyesore on an area that has a lot of potential.

[schwza]

i would get rid of the 2 plants on the wall on the left in the 2nd pic. nice place though.

[prohornblower]

Damn, this guy's drawings are ghastly. Just terrible.

[Aloysius]

Clarkmeister - those are all nice shades of green... and the contrast is not that stark - I imagine the horizontal stripes wouldn't be so in your face.

Still, I would just go with a single color for the walls (I think I like the middle shade more, though the darkest green could definitely work also).

-Al

[XXXNoahXXX]

i agree with goodsamaritan as to the placement of the dining and tv areas. i'd switch em.

[Borodog]

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Damn, this guy's drawings are ghastly. Just terrible.

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Glad I wasn't the only one thinking this. Were they done with crayons? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Mermade]

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also, I think vertical stripes would look a lot better than horizontal.

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I think the purpose of horizontal stripes is psychological trickery to bring the eye down and create a cozier more intimate feeling. Using vertical stripes would exaggerate the high celings and create the opposite effect. Even though I think I know where the designer is going with it, I'm not sold. I think color (vs. the current white) would do a lot in itself to warm the space and I don't think the stripes would be worth the additional cost. I'd rather put the money into the flooring.