My first question for you is do they have Ikea in India? They have the market cornered when it comes to smart and unique ways to furnish small spaces - and as far as I'm concerned, their specialty is clutter control! It would be helpful if you could post pictures so that we can understand your space a little better. I will say that, as far as paint color goes, the first color that comes to mind is white. It makes any space feel fresh and clean and spacious, and will make the smallest picture or cushion just that much more noticeable. In a small space this is good since you won't have room for a lot of these items!

Yes! Well... it depends how you are defining interior design. Are you thinking about finishes and furnishings? Or about the design of the interior space; how spaces relate to one another, circulation, flow, function? If you are speaking of design, and not decoration, please consult with an interior designer at the same time as the architect, or before. In my experience, interior designers think on a smaller, function based level; architects are about the big picture. An interior designer should ask you how you live. This question helps to guide design because they will consider your particular needs. Also, consult with a kitchen and bath designer before finalizing house plans. Most times, interior designers (and kitchen and bath designers) work with what they are given. Sometimes it is a fixed space. Sometimes a wall or two can be taken down. And we do the best we can with what we've got. BUT, many times, a designer dealing with interior spaces wishes they were consulted before plans were set in stone (so to speak). Sometimes, it is the little things that make a big difference in function.

cool --but you can see the entire floor has been raised--do you have the ceiling height? a closet 'step up' would be less of a structural commitment, OR a buildup under builtin furniture--like bookcases flanking a fireplace, also some great ideas on HOUZZ i'd never have thought of. sorry i'm not tech-ie enough to paste the site:) of course if you go 'structural' --all walls and ceilings are fair game as well. remember that ease of access [or lack thereof] can affect stealth mode greatly--as in your pic: every time you step onto the 'box' in your pic you would hear a 'different' sound.

For the living room, the focus should be the balcony area. So flipping the couch to face the wall and not the dining table will help. Kind of like this pic. Even if you already have the sectional that is in the diagram, you should be able to flip it. In fact a sectional would probably work better than the couch in this pic. I also really don't like the style of this pic, but it showed what I meant, For the girls' room: No matter which bedroom you choose, you should maximize floor space so that they have the biggest play space possible in their room (as they get older you can add desks for school work and such). To get this space, I would give them bunk beds. This configuration gives them an open feel and more storage, essential for girls. You posted two different kitchen designs. This makes it hard to give you advice. I agree with other posts that your sink should be away from the wall. This allows you to have stuff to the left of you (drying dishes in my house), while you wash vegetables on the right of the sink. You need the same space on both sides of the stove, also. At least 24 inches on both sides is good. 36 is better, though. The first design has a nice little countertop space that adds a place for your daughters a space to sit a watch/ talk to you while you're in the kitchen. When they added this to the first design, you lost cabinets on the other wall. This is bad, as the space is already storage limited. Try making the rounded countertop bump out into the living space more. If you play with the shape, you could make it work without losing the cabinets on the other side. It doesn't have to be rectangular or a perfect circle. You can see how this one isn't confined to the floor plan of the kitchen. I think this is what you would need to do to make it the most functional.