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.

I think a comfortable distance between the island and the counter is around 42". It seems that you have only 30" between your cook top and the counter. I might be a little too tight. The wall between the entrance and the kitchen could be 4' long instead of 6', you would then be able to move the island a foot which would give you more room between the cook top and the island. Could you switch the location of the toilet and vanity in your dad's bathroom so your enter facing a vanity instead of a toilet which is a lot nicer.

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.

Selecting floor tiles requires a certain level of perfection. Floor tiles need to be durable, strong, and at the same time be visually appealing. There are many different types of floor tiles available, but the most suitable types are Porcelain, Glazed Ceramic and Vitrified tiles. Each have different features and suit a different purpose, let us compare these 3 types to know which tile suits you the most. Porcelain Tiles: Porcelain tiles are full-body ceramic tiles that is most used when it comes to floor tiles. They hold higher density and MOH’s scale rating with very low porosity. These floor tile designs have a water absorption rate of less than 0.5 percent. Due to their low-slip factor and water absorption rate, they are the most purchased floor tiles for bathrooms. The clay used to build these floor tiles is denser when compared to others. Advantages of Porcelain Tile: Wide range of colours, sizes, thicknesses, and finishes. Resistant to the most common acids which damage the calcium in marble Due to low porosity and high natural stain resistance, they are easy to clean. They retain their colours even after being exposed to sun, weathering or smog for longer duration. It contains no waterproofing chemicals, varnishes or resins and does not give off any gases even when exposed to flames. Glazed Ceramic Tiles: Ceramic tile is made from clay and sand. But the glazed ceramic tiles have a liquid glass coating on the surface. The liquid glass coating creates the texture, design and color of a glazed tile and protects the body of the tile from staining. Due to this extra layer, custom tile designs can be added to them. This allows the floor tiles designs to be available in multiple colours. Due to their vibrant allure, they are mostly used as floor tiles for kitchen and bathroom walls. Advantages of Glazed Ceramic Tiles: Glazed ceramic floor tiles are stain resistant due to the presence of the liquid glass coating which makes the tiles durable, less porous and strong. Similar to porcelain tiles, they also retain their original colours even after being exposed to sun and harsh weather. They are most cost effective tiles. The Ceramic tile prices can be easily fit into your budget. These floor tiles are scratch resistance, but continuous damage can render them useless. Vitrified Tiles: Vitrified tile is a ceramic tile with very low porosity. They are often used outdoors due to their water and frost resistance. Vitrified tiles are manufactured through a process called vitrification which gives them their low porosity. These tiles are mass produced by machines therefore making vitrified tile prices low and easily affordable. These tiles are the most sought after floor tiles for bedroom and living room. Advantages of Vitrified Tiles: Vitrified tiles are Time Savers as it takes very less time to lay these floor tiles. These tiles are pre polished during the time of production, and does not need extra time for polishing while setting the tiles on the floor. They have more strength and scratch resistance than marble or granite which are more prone to breakage. Despite their high durability and strength, they are thinner and light in weight. These tiles are non-porous due to which they are totally spill resistant and stain resistant. Now that we have known what these 3 types of tiles are suited for, now comes the important questions! What will be their price? Where can we buy them? Can we order good quality tiles online? Is this service available in Hyderabad, India? For all your questions, I have a single answer!! XFACTORY.IN It is an e-commerce platform that helps you buy all kinds of building materials online. It is a one-stop store for buying products from different categories like Cement, Steel, Paint, Tiles etc. from all top brands in the market. They have different brands of tiles like Cera, Kajaria, AGL and many more to choose from. If you are from Hyderabad and need to renovate your flooring. This is definitely the right place to check! Do tell me how did you find this discussion in the comments! Thank you for reading!!