Most regions have their own prevailing construction methods and materials that are common and customary to that region. It may be driven by the available raw materials, local labor and their experience with a certain type of construction, and the cost of labor to build. Other factors that drive the different type of construction can be pressures from the environment and climate conditions. One can create recesses in masonry or stone walls but there may be structural weaknesses that become a factor or just more complicated construction that becomes involved. Building recesses in heavy masonry walls verses light stick framed walls can be equally possible. Reducing the thickness of a wall can also affect the insulation capabilities of that wall as well as the structure.

What would you like the houz.com pros to do? How would you ask them to approach helping you? Please let us know what you would like from us......... You could consider commissioning a Houz Pro to help you design your house..... Your architect doesn't necessarily need to be in your part of the world. However, there does need to be someone locally to help with the building and zoning codes and coordinating with the permitting agencies. . Also, it would be best to have local engineers to help with the project...... For example: You will need a soils report by a geological engineer to understand what the foundation needs to be based on the existing soils conditions. A civil engineer to help design the grading so that the property drains properly. A structural engineer to design the structure for the local codes. A good contractor to build the project who will coordinate and be a good team player... Let us know what you would like from us........

Leather sofas can really dominate the room and can give an overall cold feeling. I would add some earthy elements, like a wood coffee table with glass or metal. Go to Restoration Hardware's website and look at their sofa room scenes. And I'm sorry I think the art is too harsh for the room. That's all your eye goes to in the room. too overpowering. I would look for something softer or maybe a cool mirror and I would add color to the room with pillows and some colorful lamps. I also think woven blinds would look great. They add warmth and give a finished look. The color of your window treatments should contrast your wall color a bit, not match it or else it starts to look generic and blah.. You have warm walls, warm floors and the woven blinds, like Hunter Douglas brand would pull it all together for you.

A Rumford design is very shallow, has outward-flaring sides, a back that arches forward, a curve on the underside of the front lintel leading back to a broad slot-like flue with a flue chamber above it. The overall front opening is almost square, sometimes slightly taller than wide. Rumford fireplaces are very distinctive looking. You can get some basic information from this wikipedia article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumford_fireplace and there is plenty of info online, even ready-made reproductions (more or less accurate). Rumford developed his improvements and published them in the late 1790s, just before fireplace heating was displaced by stove heating (a process already well underway when Rumford developed his improvements). Good luck with your whatever you decide to do.