Wrap up post~

So there you have it in a nutshell. Our hopes and dreams for changes we want to make to our home.

I hope we don't have to wait a long time to get started and I certainly hope we have not bitten off more than we can chew. John is a very handy guy. So there's so much he can do himself and with the people we know and the skills that they possess we should be ok. Nonetheless the endeavor is not going to be cheap and I find myself very nervous about making all the decisions that will need to be made as the plans become a reality.

I've spent many hours on the internet looking at kitchen designs, bathroom designs, cabinetry, flooring, paint colors etc. It boggles the mind!

I have made dozens of new folders on my computer to store copies of designs I like, lights, flooring, tile, marble, granite, travertine, cook tops, ovens, doors, cabinets, etc. The more I see the more confused I am.

I stumbled across this website ( http://colorstrategies.net/ ) on the Gardenweb in their home decorating section awhile back. I bookmarked it because the lady is local and her last name is the same as a very popular doctor in town. I think she may be his daughter or at least some relative as the name is not common. She is a color consultant. I've looked over her gallery and read about her pricing. The cost is kind of steep (thinking of my budget) but I'm seriously considering availing myself of her services. I know that once this remodel is done it's going to be a very long time before John will want to make any changes. Therefore any color choices I make need to be ones that I am going to be completely happy with and able to enjoy for a long time to come. I feel like I cannot afford to make any mistakes on color choice. There'll be no repainting, no second chance. From the pictures you can tell that repainting our living room is going to require huge ladders and/or scaffolding so that's definitely a one time shot and whatever choice is made for that room has to be one I can live with for I'd think at least another 10 years. Also with the way the rooms/areas are open to one another any changes in color for the 3 areas must flow well. I'm not at all confident in my ability to make such an important decision on my own. John is color blind...so it's all on me.

So my question...what would you do? Spend the $125 an hour (hopefully needing only an hour at most two) to get some expert assistance? Or would you wing it?