After I had finished my Archi Masters I was working for an architecture firm who also did a small amount of work for a volume builder. They were actually a pretty good quality builder and at least got the orientation of their 'pre-designed' plans correct. We had the ability to make minor changes to every job and it pained me to see so many simple to implement passive options not being incorporated. Had most of their clients known that they would be saving MONEY over the longterm by making a few minor changes to suit their site, they all would have done it. The problem is unless someone can sell this idea to them as a financial/lifestyle choice, many just think it is about saving the world. It is a no-brainer if you have in interest in it, but for those who don't know, there is no-one there selling it to them, especially on the lower end of the market.

Hi, I'm really enjoying your plans, nice job. I have a few thought I wanted to add :) if your still looking for feedback. Just some elements I think would really work. The garage opens to then entry. I think it would work really well opening through the laundry area. I'd love one like that in my house, as really your just lugging groceries etc through the house to the kitchen. Freeing up the entry to make a nice uncluttered space. You've got heaps of space in there, that you could incorporate a mud room / laundry and still have the small powder room. Basically flip the rooms on their sides. Your kitchen is wide but not a lot of workable space. I don't think you can actually fit that little round table in there. I personally would be considering a butlers pantry or a large regular pantry in some of your space. How about against the laundry wall? Then you could maybe have the fridge and oven in a wall of cabinets on the same wall facing the open kitchen. Then add a long central island. No cabinets against the side walls the island could hold a lot of casual seating if you wanted. Front entry. I personally find a hallway nice, so you don't have the lounge room becoming thoroughfare. How about some double cavity sliders or something similar? Then you have the openness your after but still get the division of space. If your only using a formal dining table occasionally, that might look good placed in the far end part of the original lounge room. You could open the wall up there to the rumpus like you show on one of your plans, it would be a nice flow through. I think doors here would be handy too. You could add a lovely pendant over the table and there is the windows there already, could look nice. Rumpus area. I think just add a big modular lounge and a telly on the far wall, your bi folds and you've got a really comfortable space right there. If you go for a kitchen island, and can't imagine having many meals at the taller height table, you can drop part of it to regular height for dining. Hope that's clear, good luck with it all!

I don't want any of those options, I would like beautiful sitting room with plush furniture, classical French inspired (not baroque), I would like a climate controlled glass house to match with orchids and all other exotic plants. A beautiful garden with flowers and fruit trees and a cleaner and a handyman to help me with it.

A sliding door is just a big window, and if correctly built in (check if the glass is the correct sized for the door if a bit old) with the correct sized lintels this should not be a big problem as the loads would be transferred to the sides, allowing the door to slide easily. Silicon spray (being a Yachtie were we use this stuff everywhere), we now use silicone spray on all our windows in our 1930 home and the windows glide across with one finger before they used to tilt when trying to open them. I would place the door head up to line up with the others and one thing you might consider is placing a window seat, (rebate the bottom channels into the window seat) and have the window seat in and out, place a cushion over the entire seat, should be fantastic and if the deck is built, than no balustrade is required. If it is a stacker slider, i would do the seat for the entire length. So instead of looking a bit funny they will think it was supposed to be like that. We should all think outside the square more often. RAM