I like tall ceilings. We have 10' in every room. You just have to keep the ratio right because you don't want very tall ceilings with a small room. "The Not So Big house" addresses this issue. I'll have to see what page it's on... Here is a quote from a website: "Raising the ceiling height can make a room look bigger, but only if the dimensions of the room are greater than the ceiling height, in which case the room will look smaller". Good website by the way, I just stumbled on it but you might like it: http://www.sensiblehouse.org/des_rooms.htm The article is called Room Design, I haven't read it yet but it looked interesting. Look up "golden ratio" & "room size to ceiling ratio" . As far as finding fixtures cheaper, you first research what you want, be it plumbing fixtures or lights. You find what you like & you read the reviews to make sure it'll last & other people liked it. Then you take the exact name of that product & Google it. You'll then find a number of websites that carry it for either a lot more or way less. Look for free shipping on heavier items & no tax - those will be your big savings. Also always call & nicely ask if they company offers any discounts - sometimes just for calling they'll give you 10% off. And try to buy in bulk - like your lights for example. A lot of companies offer discounts when you're buying a majority of say lighting fixtures from them. Don't be afraid to negotiate, even if they'll match any price always call & say: I'd like to buy from you but the price is a little too high for me. Is there a chance you could give me 10% off? If it's no, it's a no - you didn't lose anything by asking. But if it's a yes & you're buying $6000 worth of lighting fixtures - that's $600 saved. They know they have competition & buying fixtures is one of those areas where being pushy really helps because you�re the one with the check book. Overstock is always a good one. But any website that offers the same product for cheaper is a good website. I�ve saved anywhere from $50 to $150 depending on what it was. You just gotta click on every website that has your product in stock & keep going to about page 3 on Google & you�ll find these sites. LOTS of clicking but you get used to it. Sometimes a price you see is what you get but most of the time it�s not. Websites will come that say they have your product & they don�t so you just go to the next one. If you have a product item/number sometimes you can type it in the search engine of the website itself or search by brand. We�ve found some of our most treasured items at Lowe�s or Home Depot. One chandelier we just sprayed black because it was grey & we wanted black. When I tell people it�s from Lowe�s & cost a $100 they can�t believe it. Try to match the exterior of the house to the inside. If it's a Craftsman style house you'll probably want more woodwork then just 2 posts. Usually Arts & Crafts houses have a lot of detail to make them more authentic. I like 14� lodge room but am not sure if you need to go the extra mile in the kitchen/keeping room/master. Ceilings make statements when they are vaulted or have beams or are tray ceilings & those might be the things you might want to give some thought. I know they�re more expensive but we went with regular 10� ceilings � didn�t even add moldings & they don�t look so great. It was cheaper but now I want to add something to every room to make it feel more special because really the ceiling is your fifth wall. If you�re going to have brick instead of stone though that�s less of a Craftsman style house.

Weed, There are two tricks to cooking with stainless steel cooking surfaces that will optimize the performance. First, always preheat the pan to the temperature you want to cook at and at the same setting, i.e. don't try to hurry this process by pre-heating the pan on high. Then preheat the oil. This will make foods stick less, release better, and let you get a good fond. Second, keep the cooking surface scrupulously clean. This is easy if you wait until the pan is warm until you wash it and finish with a little Barkeepers Friend applied with a paper towel, rinse thoroughly, and hand dry the pan. Any residue left on a SS surface will make food stick and progressively harder to get off with each use. It only takes an extra minute or so per pan to keep them really clean and it's worth the little bit of effort required.

If you are an amateur geologist or a rock Hound, there are things to do in Oregon; If not, then photo scenics are the next best thing. I agree with others: The Columbia gorge east of Portland is good. There are several water falls by the roadside. Multnoma Falls is a must. Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens and Crater Lake offer scenic photo opportunities as does parts of the Oregon Pacific coast. The most habitable part of Oregon is the strip west of the Cascade mountains. Most of the colleges and cities are in this strip. The land east of the Cascades is at higher elevation and in late summer is semi-desert. The city of Bend may have water shortage. There are ranches in this region. If you travel in this region in summer, always carry plenty of drinking water. There are places where cellphone and CB services fail. If you are navigation by road map (I know - old technology, but that what we use in Oregon), be advised of locations on the map called locales. These appear as regular small towns both on the map and as you drive into one. These are not towns! These are property of a ranch and are housing for its family and employees. It may have all the trappings of a small village. There may be a gasoline pump next to a county store. The owner is not obligated to sell you gasoline, but most do and most tourists passing through are none the wiser. My advice: When traveling through an area dotted with "locales", do not let your fuel tank go below half full. These locales are found in eastern Oregon.

When was the house itself built? The interior design aspects are on point with the mid 1980s but the architecture is earlier mid century. I can't really picture someone building a house in that style and decorating aspects of it in late Modernism/post Modernism at the same time. I can picture someone updating a 1960-odd house this way.