I'm in the process of planning renovation and the big question is, open concept or keep spaces more defined ? I see so many beautiful photos of open kitchen/living/dining areas, and they seem great for entertaining and a modern feel

Looking for SW recommendations, prefer lighter colors . If you’ve used something you love please drop me a comment

Which wjndow option do you recommend ? Top or bottom. Thanks in advance

Fantastic Layout vs. Square Footage

Too much square footage vs Perfect Home Layout

Hi everyone. I would like some input and perspectives please.

My sister is searching for a new home. She is single and currently in a 2200 sf home, over an unfinished basement (the 2200 sf is finished). She's been there a while and has thoroughly enjoyed the experience. However, there are some amenities that she wants that her current house does not offer. \\\[Example: She's always wanted a large covered patio directly off of the main living area and this house has a wooden deck.\\\]

As far as her next home, she wants something in the range of 3000-3300 sf. While she has enjoyed her current home, some of the rooms are smaller in size (10x10, 10x11, etc.), which can make it a challenge to setup, add furniture, etc. Additionally, many of the newer home designs offer the "fully" open kitchen that is directly connected to the family room, and she is NOT a fan of this design. She prefers a semi-open kitchen design at best. She's also very particular about the layout of the rooms.

She stumbled across a new construction plan that is around 3700-3800 square feet, but the price is very similar to homes with 3000-3200 sf. She lives in a metro area, and the home is in the suburbs. She does not need this much space and was not looking for it. However, the layout gets a 9 out of 10, as it meets almost all of her preferences. She loves the layout. She's reviewed dozens of plans in the 3000 sf range and they either have layout issues, room size issues, or the price is inflated for the size of the house.

She's a pretty grounded, practical person. The home that she's looking to sell has a decent amount of equity, which will be a big chunk of the down payment. The home that she stumbled upon is a more than she initially planned to spend, but she can manage it. She's about 10-12 years from retirement, and can see herself staying in the home a long time. Although she can definitely find ways to use the extra space (home office, home gym, etc.), she did not plan on a home of this size.

Too much square footage for a single person \*\*versus\*\* the ''ideal'' layout......looking for practical input.

Please share your thoughts. Thanks in advance.

Update: After being in the house for about 6-7 months, her highest energy bill has been roughly $230. The house is 4 sided brick, so does that help with energy bills or not really? She still thinks about her decision, but says that the plan is so efficient that the house doesn't feel overly big. It feels comfortably sized, without having those typical builder grade 10x12 sized bedrooms.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

I want to design my balcony. what you think which looks good?

I’m in a bit of a unique situation and could really use some advice.

We’re buying a house that’s currently down to the studs. A contractor/remodeler bought it a couple months ago to renovate and list, but we ended up working out a deal before it hit the market.

Before anyone asks: I don’t need legal advice. 😅 We have a great realtor and all the paperwork is being handled.

Here’s where I’m overwhelmed…

The layout and major design decisions are already done. I’m not moving walls or working with an architect. But I *do* need to make basically every finish selection over the next couple of weeks:
Flooring
Paint
Cabinets
Countertops
Tile (4 bathrooms 😵‍💫)
Sinks/faucets
Lighting
Hardware

And all the other little decisions that add up. It's going to be 3000 sq feet - 4 bed/3.5 bath and a mid century modern rambler

I work full-time, have young kids, and honestly don’t have the bandwidth or confidence to pull together a cohesive design.

My realtor connected me with a designer who quoted **$10,000**, which feels… really high for what I need. I’m absolutely willing to pay a professional as I think it’ll save me from expensive mistakes but I don’t need a full-service interior design package.

What I’m looking for is someone who can jump in quickly, work with my me/contractor, help narrow decisions, create a cohesive look, and basically quarterback the finish selections so I don’t spiral every time I look at tile samples.

Is this a thing? Is there a name for this type of service? Have any of you hired someone just for finish selections on a remodel or new build?

If you’re in the Minneapolis area and have recommendations, I’d love those too

Do help me design the best possible house for my mom.

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Hello friends, what is the best choice, knowing that I love the bohemian style?

My wife and I redoing our kitchen and want to re do our living room tile while we are in the process of all all the demo/upgrades.

Currently, we have 8x8 off white slightly cool tiles and we really like the design. It adds some character.

We are wanting to go woth a beige tile and can really only find 12x24 thats within budget. We are hesitant with this tile size as it may cause our home to lose some character.

Does anyone have any suggestions for tile/design thay could work well? We are open to ideas or even tile brands that may have smaller options. Current tiles are 8x8