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?

Amanda you have a number of options depending on how much you want to spend: 1) Sell them on ebay and use the money to offset some of the substantial cost of new doors. They were quite expensive doors when new so somebody on a tight budget would love to use them. 2) Reglaze them all in a glass that you do like. Bevelled edge glass looks stunning in French doors, but it is really expensive. Reglazing them is a long term option as it is labour intensive with 10 panes of glass per door, so is expensive, and would probably cost more than getting new doors installed. Although clear glazing reduces visual privacy between rooms. 3) Paint them all, to conceal the glass, so they look like a panelled door. This will destroy the resale value, so when you do replace them all you will need to chuck them in all in a skip. 4) Check that the milkiness of the glass is actually in the glass, and not an applied obscure film. If it is applied then remove the privacy film and clean. 5) Get a craftsman to apply a layer of plywood to both sides to cover the whole door so they look like generic, flush panel doors, then repaint. You will need new door handles if you do this as the new doors will be thicker, and your existing door furniture won't cope. I actually don't mind them too much and I have a few similar ones on my own place. They are great for borrowing light from adjacent rooms, but maintaining privacy. If I were you I would live with them for a while before you decide to do anything drastic and irreversible. Best of luck Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

We have a zip built into our ceasar stone bench top next to our sink. We opted for the font (the mesh waste) and riser (it attaches to the bottom of the zip to give it extra height) We have instant boiling water (you can only use it when you press the safety switch located under the boiling water switch) chilled filted water and sparkling water. The sparkling water is sensational. We worked out the ratio and it is of equal value (replacing the canister as to buying X amount of bottles of mineral water over the same period) and we drink a lot of it (we are a family of 5) The unit itself sits under the sink and is smaller than a case of beer, and next to it is a C02 canister (resembling a small tube) We now don't have any empty water bottles in our fridge or cupboards, we no longer have a shelf full of mineral water (the filter water is so pure and clean) and I don't have a kettle on display day and night!! Yes the initial outlay is expensive but it looks fantastic is easy to use and I would highly recommend it.

Some baths are more suited for shower baths than others. It depends on the flattish standing room at the bottom of the bath. Some baths are quite curvy and narrow. Make sure you stand in a showroom bath to see if it feels too narrow (without your shoes). You will need a four flange bath for tiling and waterproofing in your shower bath scenario. https://specify.caroma.com.au/products/baths/vivas/vivas-1675-anti-slip-bath Best of luck with your planning, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls/Dr Retro Virtual Visits