Raj - What you say is true that a lot of interior design's margin is in furniture. I will not sugar coat it. And many designers may seem to be more interested in that when you bring them in. But I have had several clients call me over the years saying they are building a new home and would like to consult primarily on layout. When you speak to someone is tell them you are not ready to order furnishings or window treatments, but that you would like a contract that focuses on layout, planning, and interior detailing (i.e. doors, trims, floors) - i.e. the bones of the house. What I would suggest is when you call for a designer, you be prepared to pay a good consultation fee. A good rule of thumb is that you can expect to pay between $3-$10 per square foot of your home depending on the area of your country and the expertise/experience of the designer. If you are not averse to paying this type of fee, and communicate to the designer that your interest is in getting the best solutions, not in purchasing furniture at this time, I'm sure you will be able to get the level of service you desire. If someone you talk to doesn't seem thrilled to provide this kind of service, move on to the next person. Don't rely on "fame" or how well known someone is. They may be well known for doing show houses or just because they've been in the field the longest in your area. Not because they're the right fit for you. You could also check the Houzz directory for good designers in your area. The difficulty is that there are often decorators whose expertise and focus is really just on furnishings not so much on construction - and they serve a purpose for their clients. But there are other designers who provide more of a wholistic approach and have more familiarity with building a new home. These are the people you should seek out. Houzz is a fantastic community - and as I said you may get good advice here but there's really no replacement for someone to work with you in person. Sorry for the super long post but I feel passionately about this and I think this advice will best suit your needs.

There is contrast between the traditional furniture and the focal point of the floor which pops, draws attention. I would recover the sofas in cream colored soft fabric - suede. I would leave the curtains grey, and put down a large neutral area rug. The edges of the room would show the pattern of the floor. I would color the wall and add texture to it, but not too dark as the room will appear smaller. Add a picture and put a nice plant holder, large vase in the left corner of the room - an oriental-style vase. Or, a cream-stripe fabric on the sofas. You could go soft or bold in this room - depending on your taste.

First of all a very happy and prosperous DIWALI to you and ur members.. DIWALI, popularly called Deepavali in some parts of India, is a festival which I long for every year. The preparations for Deepavali start long before the festival date. First, the excitement for me would be the new dresses that are bought to be worn for Deepavali. Apart from this all elders visiting us buy us sweets and dresses also. Jeans, T shirts, Trousers and shirts were all bought for me by my parents. The other major excitement for Deepavali is the bursting of crackers and fireworks.This year I will burst lot of crackers but only eco-friendly. Earlier I used to be afraid of crackers. Now I have got over the fear of bursting crackers. My parents tell me that I have to be very careful while bursting. I followed their advice and there was no fire accident also. The third rejoicing aspect of Deepavali for me is the eating of sweets.We visit relatives and friends with sweets and snacks. They also visit us with sweets and snacks. We seek their blessings on the festival day. Gulab jamun, Laddoos, Halwas and Kaju cakes were my favorites. My grandmother tells me that the victory of Good over Evil is the reason for this celebration. She also says that the festival is to mark the return of Rama to Ayodhya after his defeat of Ravana. In all, I can say that Deepavali is the brightest festival to be celebrated in India.According to me,the delicious food associated with the feast makes us feel that this festival must come more often in a year.

Hi! This is my first post on here- sorry in advance for the length! We recently purchased this 1930s colonial and we are renovating to make it more functional for our lifestyle. We just got engaged, no kids yet but hope to in the future. We love the charm and character of the house (millwork, crystal knobs, red oak floors) but it needs some work. It was also in a great location for us, close to family and where we grew up. Here are my dilemmas/concerns/questions: The previous owners had an addition put on in the back (9x6.5) in the kitchen area which is where the sink and dishwasher are. Problem is it creates an awkward corner and weird layout. We were thinking of knocking down the wall between DR and kitchen as it is non load bearing. But wondering if bumping out that corner / reworking the back area would be better as there is a lot of space back there , but we also are on a somewhat tight budget so I realize that may not be a possibility right now. Previous owners also converted a closet into a powder room on first floor which is great to have but really blocks the flow of everything, I would love a hallway that you could see through to the back of the house from the foyer / entryway. Just feels so cramped there. Painter had said that in order to paint the wall up the stairwell, he would need to remove the posts on the staircase which I definitely don't want to do. I was wondering about relocating the powder room, maybe under the stairs, to create more of a thruway space? I would really love to create a space for a washer dryer on this level too. Since there's already plumbing there, wonder if this could be done around the powder room? Or would this really interfere with my idea of the open hallway? I don't hate the idea of a separate, formal dining room, and would keep that wall if we could, to maintain that original aspect. However with eventually having kids I feel like we would need somewhat more of an open plan so that I could have eyes on the living room in some way / while cooking in the kitchen? I realize my wish list is large, and there may be some contradictions in there. But overall, just trying to create a plan to work towards, do what we can now, and have something to work towards in the future. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!!! Pictures attached! Kitchen with addition Addition side view Red door is exterior door that leads to basement steps Door in kitchen - leads to 3 steps down and landing. to the left is exterior door, to the right is stairs to basement. The wallpaper wall is the other side of the powder room. other view of the (not sure what to call this?) Stairwell next to powder room Powder room again. they must have bumped out 1ft to allow for sink (approx. 8 inch sink) exterior photo for reference (shutter/color will be painted....not sure of color) Side porch with the two french doors from living room. Ideally someday, would like to tie the side yard to the back/patio area somehow. (again - long list) Thanks again for any/all help!!! General floor plan done with our appraisal but it doesnt include dining room/interior walls, also the side entrance is on the wrong wall. The left side of the staircase is where the powderroom is. Floor plan I drew. Sorry its a little hard to read.