Raj - What you say is true that a lot of interior design's margin is in furniture. I will not sugar coat it. And many designers may seem to be more interested in that when you bring them in. But I have had several clients call me over the years saying they are building a new home and would like to consult primarily on layout. When you speak to someone is tell them you are not ready to order furnishings or window treatments, but that you would like a contract that focuses on layout, planning, and interior detailing (i.e. doors, trims, floors) - i.e. the bones of the house. What I would suggest is when you call for a designer, you be prepared to pay a good consultation fee. A good rule of thumb is that you can expect to pay between $3-$10 per square foot of your home depending on the area of your country and the expertise/experience of the designer. If you are not averse to paying this type of fee, and communicate to the designer that your interest is in getting the best solutions, not in purchasing furniture at this time, I'm sure you will be able to get the level of service you desire. If someone you talk to doesn't seem thrilled to provide this kind of service, move on to the next person. Don't rely on "fame" or how well known someone is. They may be well known for doing show houses or just because they've been in the field the longest in your area. Not because they're the right fit for you. You could also check the Houzz directory for good designers in your area. The difficulty is that there are often decorators whose expertise and focus is really just on furnishings not so much on construction - and they serve a purpose for their clients. But there are other designers who provide more of a wholistic approach and have more familiarity with building a new home. These are the people you should seek out. Houzz is a fantastic community - and as I said you may get good advice here but there's really no replacement for someone to work with you in person. Sorry for the super long post but I feel passionately about this and I think this advice will best suit your needs.

Hi Ni, I just thought of something....did you say you planned to do the stencil motifs on the window wall? If so, I am thinking they will be mostly hidden by the curtains. I wonder if it might be better to stencil the long wall that is on the right side of the room when looking toward the window. I could see this being a pretty backdrop to the prayer box (I think that’s what you called it?) and your wood cuttings. Then maybe the opposite wall (the one with the kitchen doorway) could hold a large piece of art?

OK... but the wire wont be lower as it is fixed now. The wire in the pics below is the wall facing each other. They were leveled on equal height but the beam on one wall makes it seem a little above. But i think you guys are absolutely right that up and down lights wont look good there. I think you are right about down lights lessismoore. Would it look good if i go with two different lights on opposite walls??? it would look odd right.

You can work with your currant wall color or go more yellow - that is up to you. If you do decide to go more yellow. get some small inexpensive sample bottles at the paint store, paint some poster board and hang it on a wall for couple of days because getting the right buttery yellow can be hard. A soft yellow and lavender is pretty together but I also like the sea green. When you said a combo of modern and cottage - that made me think of beach cottages, which often have soft colors (including sea green) and unfussy, calm interiors. You can put a large painting up if you have the wall space for it. Many bedrooms have tall chest, dresser mirror, tall headboard and big TV, all which take up wall space. If you can hang the painting without it being crowded by any of the things I mentioned, it should look very nice. If you wish to do a curtain fabric treatment to a wall and you have the vision of what you want - then go for it. I had a friend who did that in collage - only problem was the yards and yards of fabric needed got rather expensive. So, I would start with finding bedding you love. Simple white is good, and not too expensive. However, you might find something else light that you love, or a quilt or throw for the bottom of the bed and the colors and shades might lead you in a different direction for wall color or accents. So bedding first, then curtains, then see how your wall color is and then add accents and art - although your painting can also be an inspiration for colors.