guys, have been hearing about this website for over a month now. it seems they are launching on 14th april 2013. good interactive site for architects and designer. best part it we can get references for vendors too. i bet houzz should also register and gain more info to be spread info within our community

Manipalgoyal: I like your basic plan. It is well thought out....What does the top floor look like? The only thing that I would do differently from my very "Western" perspective would be to move the rear right bedroom upstairs and open up the back courtyard to the kitchen area. I would create a "great room / kitchen area with doors that open both to the front courtyard and to the back. This allows for good cross ventilation to help keep the house cool and comfortable on a hot day. It also provides easy access to the rear yard area without having to walk through a bedroom. Now all of the precious outdoor space is easy to use. The other element that I would introduce would be an atrium (or an opening in the floor) all the way up to the second floor with openable windows high up on the second floor to allow hot air to escape to the top of the house and out (since hot air rises) This is called the "chimney effect" and is another way to keep the house well ventilated. Of course this is how it has been done in hot climate countries for years, so you might be familiar with this technique already. Even if you don't change it, your floor plan is very nicely laid out. I would be happy to help you answer any additional questions that you might have. I do have a few questions for you: 1. Where is the laundry room? Is it in the storage space? This does seem a little narrow. How wide is it? You might want to work on how this space actually lays out. Is there a sink in this space too? 2. Why do you have such small openings to the outside from the drawing room and the rear bedrooms? Are they doors or windows? Wouldn't you wnat a door with an openable window with a screen adjacent so that you could have ventilation at night without having the door open? 3. How will you lay out the kitchen? Who is doing the cooking in your household? Is cooking a family event or is it done by a helper? You either want a bigger more open kitchen (Western design) or a more private kitchen (Asian design) Or a combination of both.......To me this is the most important part of the house where the family gathers and hangs out..... I would love to hear back from you. Christine Lampert

Kelly, if you would want it to appear in the center, you may have to add a mirror half way up on the left wall. Adding long barn shelves on the back side will add to the centered look. The shelves should touch the mirror for a seamless look. Back wall can be spruced up with handmade tiles. Thanks, Nitin Cornerstone Designs

Its just really messy right now. Too many colours and clashing prints. Is that Puja unit lime green? Or does it just appear that way because of lighting? Either way, it stands out like one more distraction. Pick one base colour add and add prints that go with that base. That TV unit HAS to go. So do that black metal coffee table and the carpet. I would suggest you go with a simple geometric print in the carpet. But apart from these obvious design gaffes, the structure has distinct possibilities, if you do a classic English style. The railing above adds some interest