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 it would be worth it to talk to (or e-mail) several interior designers about what you're thinking about--laying out what you wrote above. See how they respond. The worst thing that could happen is their being uninterested in helping you. But I bet you could find someone who was open to your idea! I had an interior designer tell me that she would help me as much or as little as I wanted, and she wasn't the only interior designer who told me that. Good luck!

Generally you can do pretty much anything with a house if you have the time and money. with a limited budget it does limit what you can do especially for kitchen remodel costs. A kitchen renovation needs plumbing - where is it located in the garage now? Will you build your new kitchen etc on the existing concrete garage floor? If you build a new floor above the existing garage floor that may give you more options for remodeling. Let us know about these answers and we can try and give better advice. Also consider talking to a local kitchen contractor or kitchen cabinet shop - they may be able to answer many of your questions and you will want to talk with them eventually anyway for your project. To get a cost of the cost to remodel your kitchen the website http://www.remodelormove.com/kitchen-remodelling The calculator gives the cost to remodel your kitchen broken down by labor and materials

I stay in india and the brand of blade lighting is not available here. Is there some alternative to it. Also such details is new to most and most contractors I have spoken to have expressed their inability. On my present contractor had a fair idea on how he can duplicate it though he also has never done it before. any further help and suggestions will be appreciated. If not I'll have to get the tray celing done with coves which is pretty standard and nowhere as cool as this.