In what country are you building this house? 9 foot or vaulted ceilings are taller than the US builder average of only 8 feet (this is the distance from the ground to the ceiling). If you have a small room, having a higher ceiling (even only 1 foot extra) will make the room feel more open and airy. In a small house of 1500 square feet, having high ceilings would go a long way in making it feel much larger than it really is. It is especially beneficial in a hot climate because heat rises so you will spend less on cooling costs. It is not so beneficial in a cold climate. It still looks nice, though!

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.

Hi pankaj. Some lovely ideas above. Is that a door at the end of the passage? It strikes me, especially if you want to make the passage all white, that you might be able to give that door a special treatment to bring some drama to the end of the passage. That draws the attention to the door and away from the passage itself. You could just paint it a vivid colour. I think we tend to let our interior doors remain very plain and boring, when there is no good reason for that to be a rule. The one below would need some sort of backing for privacy, I guess, but I think to put metalwork on a door is a great idea that you could adapt in various ways. (Be aware of the dusting, though! Outside the rain will wash things clean, but not inside.) Also have a look at http://www.lushome.com/11-door-decorating-ideas-create-modern-interior-doors/58940 for some creative paint ideas -- I can't get those pictures to copy. I like the first one on that site. It's simple and geometric, and could very easily be adapted without hurting the budget.

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.