You have a great opportunity to go eclectic. So using very modern and colourful elements for the kitchen - modern storage cannisters, a vase, lights, toaster, even mixer, you start to introduce shocks of colour and shape that jar with the expectations in a traditional kitchen. In this image see how the chairs just add a touch of cheek to cheer up the kitchen...

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.

One of my clients had no designated space for puja in their home, and they would have had to squeeze it into a passage somewhere. So when they came to me for ideas, I noticed in the floor plan that they had a beautiful covered verandah overlooking a private garden. The wall of that verandah was towards the east side of the garden. So I thought- why not carve out a rustic simple puja space here? Outdoors? The client was game. And this was the result- a 2'-0" x 2'-6" wood panelled niche in the wall, with a simple clay Krishna placed on a wooden bracket with a delicate hanging brass lamp

I have been struggling as a homeowner who is off on medical leave with watching a 3 day install by one of the 2 big box retailers on 2 59 x 24 vinyl Pella casement windows. I found the 50 foot roll of Pella Smart Flash in the garage after installation then realized they used the cheap red house wrap tape to seal the nailing fins then put the 4 inch cedar trim in and not have the proper caulk (so the cedar is not caulked 5 days after start of install and we have had thunderstorms every day but one it will rain 3 more days). I called em on it and got red tape is fine, then me demanding otherwise to "it was temporary we where going to rip all the 4 inch cedar trim boards we placed around the windows off". Mind you they cut back 12 inch Skirl cedar siding to get at the fins but then why where they going to caulk it if it was temporary. So they put the windows in and nailed em over the OSB not replacing the 4 inches of barrier when they cut thru the felt then placed the red tape over the fins and OSB). I think they should have set the saw shallower not to cut the felt? Do I need them to pull the windows out to put splice in some type of 4" barrier as I told them they should? They agreed pull the 4 inch trim off anyway to replace the "temporary" tape. Should I ask for new cedar trim boards as they will take em off with nail holes and possibly break? What about the rain getting under/in the uncaulked cedar trim(the cuts are tight thank goodness) its going to rain all week is it ok the uncaulked trim boards are getting steady rain for a almost a solid week? They showed up asking if they can use my ladder ok no longer, they did not have caulk asking me if I was going to caulk the second story windows(I am on crutches), having to reorder interior oak they did not have enough, did not have a vacuumn asked to use mine, and here i sit with windows as the rain pours down the west side of my house and windows not caulked waiting for my hip to heal. Thanks for the help! Just really disappointed in the whole job and one window does not even close easy at all I have to jack around with the crank, he said the trim was too tight he will cut it back.