I like this tile as well. Very sleek and mod looking. I would consider running it vertically instead of the picture horizontal pattern. It might give the illusion of more height in the shower surround. The color is great. If you are worried about it being "too much," you could always see if they have the same tile in a different shade and mix the two or doing one wall in a contrasting (lighter) color. I personally like it as long as you have good lighting.

Pankaj, I just realized that initially you told us that the bathroom area was 12'-0" x 9'-0" and later you mentioned that it was 11'-8" x 8'-0". In the last floor plan, I forgot to change the bathroom with the new dimensions. Below is the floor plan with the correct dimensions for the bathroom. The bedroom is ok, I drew it 19'-2" x 12'-6". The new layout does not change the way things are placed. Everything still fit. The only difference is that the vanity is now 4'-4" long instead of 4'-8". and the toilet is closer to the shower by 1'-0". Can you give me the lengths of the walls K and L. They are the walls between the vanity and the shower area. I will send you the new layout once you give me the length of these 2 walls.

I agree that there is too much going on, however some of the suggestions are costly and in my opinion don't completely take care of the problems. I like the design approach it is fresh and updated. I agree that the chimney cap is out of proportion and just needs a simple band at the top. In order to make the exterior remain timeless over the years, Now Sit Down for a minute, I would make all of the exterior the white color. I know you love red however this will tie the different components of the architecture together more than any thing else. You can still have high gloss red doors and red tile pavers on the ground. It would also be very classy the use white tile in place of the brick look. You could even mix gloss white tiles with matt finish tiles to give an interesting sparkle when you ride by. I like the wrought iron upper railing, but the vertical blocking on the right side looks too heavy. So I would continue the same railing around the corner and back toward the house until it connects to the other balcony railing. This also ties the house together. It would look much more classic to not have a grid in the tall window and instead have a solid piece of glass down to the transom and then from there down be solid glass as well. Glass block in the courtyard column sections with back lights would look unbelievable. I would arch the closed in section on the second level as it would show up more there than the window being arched does, so save the money and don't arch that window. I would either hang a long contemporary light on the right elevation to dress it up or insert a long strip of glass block lighted from the interior to achieve the same effect. I charge for renderings, because I list the materials as well. Best, Leo Dowell Interiors.com

Tsilanko, I would always recommend professional installation where needed. But what I am doing here is suggesting that WHEN you are planning to build or renovate, to consider how your plans will affect you in 20 or 30 years time. Split levels are very hep when you are young. A kitchen 3 steps down at 30 is rarely a problem, but might be a hazard at 60, or, as Marjie1059 suggested, if you break a leg. ... All my parents' homes were terrible for old people. They were forced to move to a bungalow in extreme old sge because the location and design of their home was more suitable for an active young couple with a large family than for an elderly couple with stroke disabilities. I would not want to move again, so my present home has features built in that make ageing in place simpler. Mostly small changes, like grab rails, and lever handles on doors and faucets. A major disability suddenly suffered requires major changes if permanent. I did look at this because it came up in the discussion, but if you look at the heading, Planning for Disability, it means just that. Plan ahead so you don't have to make expensive changes later on. But thank you for your advice, yes, major changes are not in the DIY domain.