I just figured it out: This person is from India (hence no bathtubs - these are wetrooms w/ shower only and a floor drain) and since this is a corner lot hemmed in by neighboring houses, OTS = Open To Sky... ...and that massive staircase probably goes up to the roof where they have their only outdoor space as well as space for hanging laundry, etc. IMO, putting the car on the exposed corner is the worst use of space and light - I'd stash the car on another side against the neighbor's house where there's no light - locating the public rooms and the kitchen along the front of the house and the bedrooms in the back where they don't necessarily need daylight - perhaps through the use of clerestory windows into the public rooms, the light can be borrowed for the center bedroom... Either way, Inkwitch is right (if a bit abrupt) I'd get a new architect who has some talent for efficient small space design to do your home.

The energy efficient bulbs shown in the above photo suck the light is awful and they butn out quite often, if you want real energy savings go with LEDs they come in warm or cool light and you probably never have to chang a bulb as long as you live. They come in all kinds of wattages and can be retrofitted in almost any fixture.

I am so happy to see you here! I will have to go back and see if i can retrieve my posts... thought I would make them into a little book for my daughter, with photos. Quick run-down on the bathroom (not travels, no time) - The kitchen has a rather elegant sliding door with beveled glass panels. Painted white, since this was the original colour. GD's new bathroom has the doors I had picked earlier; i thought of polishing them but decided sprayed automobile paint (on a resin primer) would wear better. Especially since it is such a small bathroom, and she is so splashy. I have this finish in my kitchen and it has lasted 15 years now. A tad chipped here and there, but only needs a wipe down once a week. Same finish for the balcony doors, also split like the bathroom. We have a new wardrobe, a study table with built-in shelves, and a small chest of drawers for her odds and ends. I want to re-tile the tiny balcony, more as a little statement. Currently we are looking at Portuguese tiles, though I did think a mosaic with a funky cat might be nice. Let me see the costing. The room will be painted a neutral adobe, with bright white woodwork and an off-white ceiling. This means she can go wild with cushions and covers. Other changes in the flat; We have changed the glass in the master bedroom and living room from small cramped panes to a single pane for each section with a 1" bevel all round. Doubles the cost of the glass, but looks so elegant! The air-conditioning is being re-located. The compressors were all mounted in the bedroom and living room balconies, which looked terrible and meant the balconies (very narrow, only 30" deep) couldn't be used for anything. Not even plants. So they are being moved so that the compressors can be mounted at the rear of the building. two down, one to go. Now we can put in some nice plants, fishtail palms etc. The kitchen counter on one side came out intact and will be reused elsewhere. I am planning overhead storage, cupboards, and a draining cupboard for plates and glasses. Right now there is no dish washer, though a place is earmarked, but for now I will put in a cupboard with steel racks for cups, glasses and plates, all hidden behind pressed glass doors. This is all in the planning stage.... Pictures in a little while, they are mostly on my ipad and don't transfer well to the mac. They come without numbers... so I have to rename the or something. Somebody tell me how to do this!

Following are my comments : 1.Buying cheaper branded sanitary fittings is only possible when you buy the same in bulk quantities. But I would like to highlight that these are one of the most important fixtures in the stated space. Don't compromise on the quality of it if you want them to survive the long run.(You can go for the Jaquar continental series or change to Parryware) You can certainly compromise on the WC & the WB since even brands like Somany give good ceramic fixtures at relatively low cost. There you can save your bucks. 2. I haven't worked on PVC vanity but can comment that marine ply cabinets also stand well for the wear and tear. 3. You can go ahead with just the glass partition avoiding the cubicle door. 4. Yes you can but the selection should be on the lighter side of the colour palette so that the bathroom should not look more claustrophobic due to its small size(2 m x 3.5m which is normal in today's real estate market in mumbai). Ar. Amol Bhopi AVB Architecture Mumbai 71.