Find a university with a furniture design program, reach out to them, supply the lumber, and commission one to be made. They get to show it in their portfolio, you get to keep it, while providing money and experience to someone in your community...

There is something to be said for actually having to "make yourself" to work through/resolving the building slowly and manually "old school", without 3D "tools" as it forces you to really understand how it works simultaneously spatially and structurally. Visualising in 3D from 2D is a skill and if people don't have it naturally it can be developed, but if it doesn't exist you can't just expect a computer program to "sort that bit out" for you and continue on your merry way no dramas. Nope. The problem with the 3D thing is that sometimes it does "auto" stuff, & works it all out so quickly that it "conditions" the operator away from really having to slow down and think properly/deeply about what's happening. Again, this comes back to the (design) process being misunderstood and all messed up. 3D is a fantastic tool, great/wonderful for visualisation DOWN THE TRACK, however when it comes to the fundamentals of architecture & plan resolution and particularly residential/small scale, all you need is a measuring tape, pencil, scale ruler and some paper. Sure CAD makes it quicker and more accurate in this day & age and I admit I now design directly from/in CAD. But I use it like a pencil and it's essentially a more accurate "sketch" process translated into digital but still deeply deals with the fundamental function/zoning/scale/cost/context balance that allows the formal resolution to occur/progress at and in appoprriate time. There is WAY too much focus nowadays on "what it looks like" BEFORE the most critical stuff is understood, established and sorted. What is being lost and standardised/categorised with this era of visual focus is EXPERIENCE of space, which ultimately is what architecture is all about. It's a welding of science and art that is an art form within itself. When design is approached with a basic typological or cut&paste/elemental manner, that is only reinforced with computer programs, particularly in inexperienced hands, critical elements of space are not as effectively addressed and opportunities are missed or misunderstood. Not a good thing. "Form follows function" (thanks Frankie) and arguably the great examples of the craft of residential space were created without computers and have proven to stand the test of time. We may be able to do things quicker these days, but it doesn't necessarily equate to better nor enduring results. Not surprising really. End of rant ;) BTW The helicopter idea's not bad Retro ;)

I would just like to thank all of you brilliant people too, as well as Karyn. I am I’m a similar boat with respect to only having fur babies and wanting in the future to have a home and not just a house , that meets our needs. Although my first decision will be whether to continue throwing away money in my current money pit of a home, where it is all about the land value and people - such as my new neighbours, remove the house and build oversized mansion for the block or alternatively buyers want to walk in and will pay $1.3 - $1.7 for the mansion that is already completed. Neither of which are within my means or suit my living needs .....pity my house is such a money pit. With all this rain, it has highlighted possible multiple roof leaks from tile roof - easy to see where there is no sheeting on ceiling. Anyway....... As well as being extremely impressed and actually touched by how much Houzz users are prepared to help another stranger ....kindness of the human spirit.....Karyn, I have been reflecting on how much you are teaching many people about the ‘process’ of buying a turnkey house and land package. Don’t underestimate how much you are helping others who may consider venturing down this path and are naive to all the constraints associated with this type of build etc....particularly when one has the additional stress of being otherwise alone on the journey and overwhelmed by the things one has to consider.... Wishing you the best of luck Karyn with both the process and the outcome. and thank you houzzers for your creativity and generosity to strangers....

When we went shopping for dining chairs we had difficulty finding a style that was comfortable for everyone because of different leg lengths. I agree with the advice that you really need to try the chairs to find what's comfortable for you. I think your chairs look fine, simple and versatile, but their suitability might depend on what else you put in the room. I noticed one has a chair pad so is it too low or not soft enough for someone? How keen are you for a pendant light? It doesn't look like the existing lights line up with the table? So if you were to change to a pendant light there would be some patching and repainting of the ceiling involved. There's a ceiling vent to factor in also. If you have looked at the lighting stores' websites and not seen a light that you really like is that effort worthwhile? Could you post a sketch please. That will also help us understand traffic flow through the space. Is that the edge of your existing sideboard at the bottom left of the picture? Or the edge of a kitchen bench? Is that a sofa in front of it? Does that need to stay? What do you need to place/store in the room or would the console be purely decorative? Are you sure about the dimensions? My first thought was 4.9 isn't small yet the picture looks small. Then I realised it might be the angle of view and I noticed the sofa which means the room must be longer than it looks.