building or renovating, how to choose??

Greetings all,
Oh boy, starting a home from scratch or even renovating, how on earth . . . where do you begin . . . what to choose . . . right down to the power points??

Now we've lived in some pretty awful Army houses over the past 15 years, we know what we don't like so we're finding that planning our homestead, is kind of process of elimination. 

 First up, i never thought i'd care so much about what the power points looked like!!  But i do!!

 My husband & i agree on shape/ style/ design/ colour/ practical use of whatever it is we're looking at . . . 90% of the time, our tastes match & this far out from actually building, the other 10% doesn't even matter, i'm sure price will confirm many of our decisions.  I'm ALL about the bath, he is all about the oven.  I'd like to dream . . . while i'm indulging in a bath, he's cooking a feast in the oven!!

 I've suffered some bloody ordinary toilet roll holders in my time, our current ones constantly fall off, they are so friggen annoying, why, it's such an uncomplicated product with a simple purpose.  The worst one was a school toilet style roll holder in our first Army house in Holsworthy NSW.  That toilet even had an occupied/ vacant turn latch lock, yep, classy!!
As for basins, i LOVE this kind of simple free hanging design, no clutter, no fuss, no bulk, it's non offensive & you can mop under it (yes, i consider how you clean everything, it's all part of the package).  I also love the free hanging bulb style toilet bowls, but not sure about the 'hidden' cistern sealed in the wall cavity, how do you fix them (asks my husband - son of a plumber).  We've even asked salesmen in show homes, they don't know either!!??

 But one buildzilla request i will not budge on will be that ALL my taps, spouts & knobs are mounted on the wall, i've mentioned before how i loathe water pooling at the tap, spouts & knob bases.  I like to use the word 'knob'; do you like the new buildzilla term i just made up??  When we do actually build, i might refer to buildzilla moments!!

 I reckon i spent an hour opening & closing these kitchen drawers . . . they are push-to-open & you can try to slam them closed . . . but they stop, then close automatically, quietly (i choose items what damage teenagers might do too, such as slamming drawers in a huffy agnst!!)  I'm really clumsy, i am always banging my hips, thighs, shins, elbows, forehead on any kind of knob/ handle/ corner, so these smooth flat fronted drawers are perfection for injury prone me!!
Oh something else we do. not. need. is under lit laundry cupboards??  What??  Why??  My laundry is not a nightclub, i don't understand the benefit or expense of lighting up the skirting boards??  I do LOVE the idea of a glass laundry door, what clever use of light. 

Another thing i've never quite warmed to - from hotels around the world to our very own kitchen sink, is the mixer tap.  I often get my husband to run me a shower in a hotel, i can't get the temperature right, pathetic, yes!!  There is one tap i might have to compromise on - coming out from the bench top, not the wall . . . if the kitchen sink is in the island we desire.  I like old fashioned hot & cold taps, actually i LOVE the idea of the surgeon style taps you turn on & off with your elbows.  Wonder if my brother could aquire me some??  As a toddler, his eldest son would turn taps on & off with his elbows - guess what, he also grew up to be a doctor too!!  I'd really want a big laboratory sink, nod to my short pharmacology career. 
I pride myself on being a not-splitting-hairs kind of person, i've also lost my passion for a good argument (i don't know who i am anymore) but picking drawers, taps, toilet bowls, OMG, such choice, so many hairs to split.  Handsome soldier & i do have a theme - classic, practical, non offensive style, almost plain . . . that way it won't date too quickly & we can add colour, texture, patterns & style with ornaments, not the fixtures!!  Have happy weeks everyone.  Love Posie