Thank you for your thoughts! It's great to be able to hear from people who've had experience with a vaulted ceiling. I hadn't thought about the sound issue! With 4 kids, we're pretty noisy! We're meeting with our builder today to make a final decision, and all these these thoughts are so helpful! We're building in Salt Lake City, so we've got cold winters to contend with. Our house will face the south, but the vaulted ceiling's windows will face east, so morning light as the sun rises over the mountains. I guess the privacy issues can be addressed, and I'll talk to the builder about that today, to see if he has a good answer for it. We most likely will have the builder finish the basement, which will add 2 bedrooms. That will give us a total of 5 bedrooms, even if we do the vaulted ceiling. So we will be fine, bedroom-wise, that way. Still thinking...

The home we're building has an option for a vaulted ceiling. The east-facing view will be amazing. I've never had a home with a vaulted ceiling before, and I love the idea of one. The home is supposed to be very energy-efficient (a requirement for this neighborhood). Potential problem is that people outside could see into the high windows at night when the upstairs lights are on, with possibly a good view of our family walking along the hallway, etc. Is there a way to increase the privacy there? Without installing blinds on very high windows? Also, my husband would prefer to forgo the vaulted ceiling and build another upstairs bedroom in its place. Which would eliminate the "hello neighbors" problem at night. Then the fortunate child who occupied that bedroom would have the spectacular view, and the upstairs hallway would be...extremely dark. I visited the same home plan today, and it was very dark. I can't decide. The extra bedroom would be very nice! But the vaulted ceiling is a dream come true! But we need some privacy! But the view and the light! Back and forth. What is your opinion?

I need to decide if it's worth it to pay extra for a gas cooktop and double ovens. Or just get a range. I've only ever had a range, so I don't know what I may be missing with the cooktop/ovens option. I do cook a lot (celiac makes it really hard to eat out, so home-cookin' is our only option). But I'm not a big baker--just no time! Which would you choose?

Yes, mkltwins, a mudroom between the garage and kitchen. Can't wait!

Wow, Katy--that's scary! Thank you for telling me this!

I love it, Stephanie! Thank you for doing that for me! I'll print it and bring it to our design session!!

Good points here. We do have a large (two-person) shower going in, with two shower heads, in addition to the large tub. So that's what will surely get used on a daily basis. The tub, doubtful we'll use it much. I'm not very good at cleaning, and we have hard water, so my first thought it that a soaker would be the best choice. Hm, my husband loves hot tubs, though. He'll probably want a good quality jetted tub and just use it infrequently. Good points in your posts! Thank you for your help!

Y'all were so helpful with my kitchen island question, I thought I'd poll you on the tub question. My husband and I have never had a master bath with a tub, and I'm not a bath person (never have time for that!). My only experience with a jetted tub was at the birth center when I delivered my last baby almost 5 years ago. Come to think of it, that was my last time IN a bathtub... We're in the dark here! In the model homes I've looked at (admittedly few), I've only seen soaker tubs installed. It makes me wonder if they know something I don't know? How hard is it to clean a jetted tub? How does it affect resale value? So, what do you think?

Ooh, StephanieZ, that's really helpful! I'm sure we can move the island with no problem. I will double check the clearance between the fridge and the island. I had opted out of the veggie sink because I didn't see myself using it much. I'll consider it! I rather like having the sink and dishwasher in the island, facing the great room, because that is where the kids will mainly be (or sitting at the island) and I can keep an eye on them better while I do dishes. I appreciate your design tips!

Disregard the mudroom that takes up part of the kitchen. We're not putting it there, so we have more dining area.

Excellent point, Aura. Let's see if this works:

If you were designing your dream kitchen, would you choose an angled island, or a rectangular one? Pro for angled--more seating room! Pro for rectangular--less to walk around! In my current kitchen, we have an angled island and it makes me crazy. Mostly because it causes a traffic jam when one person is pondering the contents of the fridge, and another person needs to pass by. However, that placement won't be a problem in the new kitchen. I'd appreciate hearing your opinions!

I'm looking for something for our school room in our new home. We have a huge wall where I wanted a biiiiiig white board, but I'd prefer something that wouldn't fall over onto my 2 year old when he inevitably messes with it. I've spent an hour on the computer looking for a decal, but nothing is striking me as the right solution. Then I thought of white Contact paper. Would that work? Would I regret it? Would it leave a residue when I eventually take it down? Has anyone tried anything like this before?

We won't do one. I am concerned about the complications I've heard of, and I also don't feel it is in God's plan for us.

We're good for several months or more. I love shopping from my basement storage. It is also very helpful for those times when we aren't able to get a paycheck for months at a time (DH is self-employed).