Hi, With the Internet and international shipping, getting samples of a tile you see on Houzz sent to you is a viable option. Then having it matched would be easier. Though. Come to think of it, is international shipping and ordering on line cheaper than custom manufacture? Look into both!

asrabanu, the image did not come through as Houzz requires specific image formats for posting. Perhaps you can save the image as a .jpg for uploading. In my own experience, Home Depot (in Canada) does not charge for kitchen drawings. however, I am not comfortable saying "go get work done for free and then hire somebody else". What's more, I have found that you can purchase a Home Depot kitchen at far less cost than through specialty kitchen suppliers. But, as Marina say, your best bet--even if working with Home Depot or its equivalent--is to find a designer that can help you get the most out of the expenditures you make. There are many variables, but in a recent kitchen, we saved 25000+ over an equivalent designer kitchen with a good design concept that could be created out of lesser cost pieces, assembled to look custom. And, if going with any kind of box or contract-build type supplier, remember to build in time to fix errors and expect to use both the installer and a carpenter to achieve the custom look.

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?

I've been designing with shipping containers since 2004. There are a lot of possibilities with this type of construction method. Shipping containers are durable, and provide all the structure you need. There are some modifications that need to be done once you cut openings and a foundation under them is a good idea for longevity. Depending on your location, there may be some hurdles to get over in regards to permitting with your municipality. In the United States, most will require that the plans are completed by an architect and a structural engineer licensed in your state. A great place for ideas is Fabprefab.com (http://www.fabprefab.com/fabfiles/containerbayhome.htm).