Well if your over designing and putting in more then what is required you are just becoming a part of the problem. Because the amount of energy that has gone into manufacturing your home and each material in it. Those materials require energy to produce them..... On the other hand yes there is that question what if there is not enough can we trust government policy. I think our focus should really be how can we design homes that design for current conditions, have a zero and no carbon footprint and the costs of manufacturing do not offset this goal. So I do place my trust in the science and research from the CSIRO. And policy that has been created as a result of their research yes.

To Uyenvy Le...hope I got hat right...as they say "Great Minds..." I've never forgoten my early "nuddie days on Nauru Island" just after WWII...a whole tribe of little chocolate and vanilla kids with the whole Island as our playground...the older ones with a littley to watch over. Now, I was about to log off when I read an article by a fellow who says that its unhealthy to wash too much or have long baths...that in his opinion equate to "stewing in your own juice". He advocates a short shower without soap about tice a week otherwise a 'sink wash'....and expounds his theories based on the healthy, supple, smoothe skin of jungle natives who do not bathe or use soap....all their natural oils preserved....lalalaaa.. Started me thinking about an pleasurable alternative to "stewing" (his opinion)...I like to have a shower after a long bath both to close the pores and rinse off any.."juice". Oh YUK, why did he have to spoil my heaven! I spent years in Italy in a community where people did not bathe at all or use soap but showered briefly on Saturdays so to go to church on Sundays...it was the worst, so I'm not going to go without my ablutions ever again. But...what if there were such water restrictions that we were all limited to a measured amount of water per person? What of our showers and tubs? That started me thinking on how to remain sweet smelling and really clean. My solution was...SAUNA! I go up to the local Gym for a swim a sauna and a massage just to keep as much mobility as possible and I love the Sauna! You mentioned the Spa..but that requires copious water...then there's communal bathing...which is not something I've done as an adult...that also requires water plus...so SAUNA!... I am having increasing problems getting out of my tub. I'd researched the disability 'walk in tubs' that are filled after one gets in and closes the door on the side and in which one sits on a seat submerged in the water, the Molly Bather which is a belt that lowers one into and out of the tub...but being a permanent fixture it spoils the look of the bathroom...and I like pretty bathrooms as well as functional ones...So many options to getting into and out of a tub....some sort of pretty others not. Not because that fellow has worried me but just that I want to enjoy a really thorough, healthy invigorating cleanse that is easy to access, that is relaxing without making a bathoom that resembles sports locker room showers, the ablution wing of an institution or the disbility facilities in a hospital. Maybe remove my lovely tub and replace it with a state of the art practical sauna room could be the go. Any comments Houzzers?

Just trying to study your floor plans which unfortunately I can't read so can only guess at the room use. I have no idea of the room sizes either, but I'm just wondering if you have actually done furniture layouts for each room to scale. This is really important. It seems to me like you have some great ideas you have picked up but then tried to make the rest of the house fit around them. How many people do you intend having live in the house? You have a lovely generous ensuite with a private toilet area for two people, but then have a main bathroom for how many people, jammed into a space almost half the size of the ensuite. Even the toilet is in there with no privacy whatsoever meaning that entire space can only be used by one person at a time. If you are planning this for kids, that will translate into lots of fights and arguments. If you want to create a really luxe and practical space, create a separate enclosed toilet, the shower and bath in an enclosed space and the vanity open for use at any time. This would be more in keeping with the standard you have set in the ensuite and balance the house so much better. These sort of details have a major impact on the overall value and attractiveness of your home. I don't know what you plan for the open space upstairs, but with a window along one wall a passageway the other side and only minimal wall space your use of this room will be severely restricted. Similarly the room under it will be very limited in its use. All the more reason to plan furniture to scale. I have seen master bedrooms done with the double doors which look very grand in the right sized room but in the wrong sized room, it just looks ridiculously pretentious to fling the doors open with a flourish, take two steps into the room and fall over the end of the bed. I'm sorry if I'm sounding harsh here, just trying to use my years of experience to help you create an amazing house. I've seen many pitfalls and I know how easy they are to make. You obviously intend spending a lot of money and you have some great ideas judging by your Ideas Books. Create more Ideas Books to cover every room of your house, then go talk to an architect, show him/her what you want, your Ideas Books will be invaluable to understand your likes and tastes and let him/her create something unique and special for you.

Hi, We had a Caroma Forma Cleanflush rimless back-to-wall overheight toilet installed as part of a bathroom reno late last year. We've been using it since December and I love it. Uses less water and flushes better than our previous toilet, which was approximately 12 years old. The extra height is comfortable for us and it's much easier to clean than our previous toilet. The majority of the time, a single flush is sufficient for our needs. I can only recall 1 or 2 occasions when flushing twice was necessary, but that was due to a health issue and probably any other low-water toilet would require a double flush. I'm now planning to renovate our other bathroom and will buy another Caroma Forma rimless toilet. Note: You might want to check, but the Urbane model might differ from the Forma in the shape of the tank. I hope this helps.