First selection you should make is the architect that will help you through the MASSIVE red tape. She will also help you with a cohesive design that may or may not involve the trees in the forest that seems to be all you can see. You have to see the forest first.

We do have an architect and are past the red tape. There aren't any trees...just water.

Thanks.

Your architect should be the one specifying the infrastructural elements. It's kinda what they trained for for 10 years. Your architect also surely works with a great interior designer or two. Get a referral. Or bypass the Pro help and research for 5-10 years.

Solid brass will hold up better next to the coast than stainless steel or copper. General stainless that you can find WILL rust and pit, unless you get marine grades. A good place to look to get an idea on what will withstand coastal environments for a long time are stores that supply house-boat fixtures. (not saying to buy there, but just to get a sense of what to look for).

A good, experience architect should be guiding you to the best materials for use on a coastal home; you shouldn't have to ask here for recommendations on the type of stucco, for instance. (I'm not sure that I'd recommend stucco at all - I own a house in Toronto with the "fake" stuff - the thin layer over foam that is commonly used these days - and I'd never put it on anything; it dents really easily and is a complete PITA to repair. Our electrical mast got pulled off our house when a tree branch fell and took down the wire into the house and it cost us $1300 just to get the stucco repaired. Our neighbours have had woodpeckers peck holes in theirs. No thanks. Stick to the Hardie plank or similar composite.

I wouldn't use Behr paint on anything - but that's me. I've painted a lot (indoors and out), and it's not nice paint to work with, IMHO - not compared to Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams. I have never met a professional painter who would want to use Behr either. Why are you worrying about exterior paint anyway? Hardie board comes pre-finished (with a nice warranty) as do trim boards from them, and your windows and doors should also be pre-finished. All of these finishes are superior to anything you can apply in place.

Before you pick a brand of fixture, find fixtures in a style that you like, that goes with the house. I'd stay away from the Big Box stores and go to a proper plumbing/bath outlet who carry the better brands. Most of the stuff in the big box stores is not very good quality (kitchen tap pullouts are often plastic, not metal, for instance) - you will pay a bit more, but you'll get expert help and much better quality.

Re: appliances - same thing - you need to establish what overall style you want and what your needs are and then lay out the kitchen accordingly. And how much are you willing to spend - do you want high end or middle of the road?And do you have gas/propane or electric only? All of these factors affect the decision. Once you have all these questions answered, then you can go shopping knowing what your needs are and what the budget is, which will determine which brands you're looking at. We recently finished our house (on Lake Ontario) and went high end with the appliances - SubZero fridge and freezer columns (with cherry panels to match our cabinets), Miele dishwasher with cherry panel, Thermidor gas cooktop and GE Profile wall oven, which is the only stainless thing visible, other than the cooktop. With a coastal house, you want to minimize the metal. Stainless is stain-LESS, not stain-free and it still rusts. We've rented a house on the beach in Eleuthera for years now, and it goes through appliances like mad - they're constantly rusting. A two month old fridge will have spots of rust on the door...

With the countertop - again - don't choose a brand; find the pattern/colour/material you like and go from there, coordinating with floor tile an backsplash. And your windows and doors need to go with the style of the house - Andersen Coastal windows and doors look like a fine choice, but it's just one option out there and nobody here can tell you if that's the best choice for YOUR house since we don't know what it looks like - or what your budget is.