Do you have the list now from the builder of ALL the things they want to approve at the meeting? If not, get it - take a week off work, delay your meeting and research like mad! You need to see everything in real life, not a picture, if possible - so go to the company's stockists - and see what other options are available. (Your builder won't accept too many ideas from stockists that aren't his own. I held out for a bath with an armrests and a headrest - but pick your own battles!)

Look at every room on Houzz - laundries, lounges, mudrooms (especially since you're in the country), kitchens, bedrooms, study/home office - and check it against your list. You will be asked to decide on things you never knew existed - bullnose (rounded) or flat edges on your kitchen benches, for example? Cornices, architraves, doorstops for goodness stake (for some reason, our builder went with silver doorstops - we went with gold).

My experience is that just about every default option a builder puts in for you is wrong . . . go armed with your own pictures, brand names and numbers. (Yes, I want the IZ450, not IJ320.)

If the builder has some display homes, make sure you look at all of them (top of the range to bottom of the range) for ideas. For a country house, maybe consider half-panelling on the walls in the kitchen and maybe dining and lounge rooms, or some ceiling roses (yes, you can still get them) to give an old-style feel to the room (and you'll need rounded cornices if you go for the ceiling rose).

Honestly, this is the most exhausting, draining and stressful part (well, apart from signing the cheques). But the effort you put in now will be well rewarded.

And I think Hamptons and French Provincial style are mostly white or white-ish? So Barbara's colour recommendations are spot on.

PS Have you asked for hidden drawers behind the kickbacks in the kitchen?

@susan_66,
Absolutely fantastic advice and not an over statement at all.
My hubby is inclined to say, I'm ready to put the plumbing in tomorrow for the sink for example and he'll say, I need to know exactly what size it is!!
Honestly, I have been researching things for my home for years, given it's taking so long to progress through the building stages, as we are building ourselves, that is rewarding in it's own way too.
Definitely agree to look at Houzz pictures, make your own profile, seperate folders with best loved pictures, see what's doeable, take notes about stockist etc...as some things may take several weeks to get in.
Decide what is the most important thing you can't live without for each room that you've dreamed of having, like a pendant light, or stone benchtop or stacker doors etc...then also decide on what you will do if any of those things aren't achievable because of say design constraints or availability etc...
I wanted a bay window for example, didn't hapen but I also wanted an indoor pool and got that, so thought I was way ahead and I'd forfeit the window!!
Anyway, great advice for jacquiu2013
Cheers,
Barbara

Real-life example: builder said: go and choose your bricks from place X. We went to place X, and an hour later had agreed on a lovely brick - that was what they called 'half-block size' or something (can't quite remember now).

Told builder - who then had little tanty: but that's not the standard size brick! We'll have to redo all the outside drawings and calculations now!

(Our response: we did exactly what he had asked - and who had told him that we wanted a standard-size brick? And we didn't know we didn't want one until we saw the choices available at the brick supplier . . .) Why had he done all the calculations already if brick size was so vital?

Just brace yourself for a lot of this . . .

Thank you all for your comments, decisions all made, colours all picked. Best builders colour rooms I have seen! Had plenty of time to look at colours of kitchens and tiles, bricks etc before the 'day of decision' and I think I will be really happy with the finished product (my house!). Carpet and other flooring doesn't have to picked until the rest in so can see all the paint and tiling, kitchen etc done before picking those final things….just waiting on council approval now and we will be off…so excited! thank you agin, some very valuable suggestions and thoughts. Happy decorating!