I have had problems finding a designer that's reasonably priced. Usually when they see this Kind of home everything is an up charge. As far as flooring I though laminate was more
Long lasting than wood with young children. Right?

After looking at your Ideabooks, it looks like you bought a house with the exact opposite color scheme of what you want. You like dark wood and you have light. You like darker walls and have have lighter. This is going to be a challenging makeover. What features do you like about your house that you do not wish to change? :)

Your home is beautiful i would choose hardwood over laminate specially with this kind of home. You should take your time find what you like about the home. We just move into a new house I hate the lighting among other things but I'll take my time to decorate and will not change a thing until a year or so, just because people go for something doesn't mean you have to you have a beautiful home don't change just because.

Why are you putting in laminate? That existing floor is gorgeous. Laminate would cheapen the space and lighting you have. Listen to cladiann about living with what you have before you make any big moves. The existing oak trim and white is classy and ties in with the oak cabinets you see when you enter--it ties the rooms together and give a feeling of connection and harmony. I'm just curious about what makes you want to replace this beautiful entryway which most people would kill for. I can certainly envision a very long vertical painting on the staircase or a very well anchored gold-framed mirror up on the staircase that would reflect the entryway--some thumbnails of some Ballard Design mirrors are attached.

I'm weighing in again just to encourage you to embrace the beauty of the house you bought and not try to turn it into something you didn't buy. It has great features as is--kind of a golden quality that is opposite of your Ideabooks, which have their own different appeal. But you bought this house, which somebody designed with great materials. The light you have coming in from the front and back is to die for--like having two giant paintings at either end, only it's nature! Just a few narrow foyer pieces with a couple lamps will make your entryway plenty inviting.

Thanks everyone for your input.

I am not touching the marble. the wood is intended for replacing the carpets. I have to paint the house and replace the carpet immediately upstairs because of contaminations reasons.

I want stain the kitchen because i hate light wood. So I figured I do it all before we move in to avoid the dust and fumes later!

You state you want dark wood finishes. The staircase railings, wood trim and the stair treads can be stained ebony, the risers paint white, this would be nice with the black accent in the white tile floor. You have lots of decisions to make, take your time, it is a big undertaking, a designer may be the way to go, and often they safe you money from making costly mistakes.

daryajoon. Love your double entrance doors and transom. Is that metal in your doors and transom? If so what color metal. Lovely foyer.

Just looking at your kitchen. Be careful of going too dark with the cabinet stain, will take away from the black counter tops. Nice kitchen.

Do you really want dark-stained cabinets with dark countertops? Gonna be dark in there since you have so many cabinets. You'd get no fumes--and no hassles--if you left everything the way it is. The kitchen is beautiful.

If you have to replace the carpet hardwood is the way to go laminate will make this gorgeous home cheap. Please don't sati the cabinets if you really have to you' ll have to change the counters to something light. I get it I too like dark wood but think about it long and hard before you do it. Good luck

I pride myself on being clever with space and achieve a bigger bang for the buck--but designers have to eat, too. Where are you located and what constitutes good value to you given the many ways pricing may be arranged? (And what's under the carpet on the stair?)

I think that you are definitely in need of an interior designer. Find someone that you can work with...someone who understands your budget and can help you make wise decisions with your money, as well as bring in the contractors that can handle all of the detailed work that this will involve. It may just look like paint and some floor installation, but you need someone who can handle all of the details. This is a gorgeous home and you will want to make changes to make it your own, but also decisions that are based on the style of the home. I would take your time and do your research rather than rushing and being unhappy with how you have spent your money. Maybe we can help suggest a designer, based on where you are located?

You mentioned contamination upstairs. Do you mind sharing the problem with us?

I would not touch those floors, they're beautiful! I would paint the staircase. Are you thinking of having the kitchen cabinets painted, if so, what color? Your home is beautiful!

Thanks guys for your guidance ... The home is in North Orange County (Yorba Linda) to be exact.

I know with this open floor plan and high end look this can easily become a project that will never start or never end. That's why i am so torn.

To lighten the kitchen up, The island electric stove is malfunctioning so i need to change it soon and I plan to change only the island granite into a cream color and extend it double the size to allow for working space and eating.

Someone passed away in one room. Its not a true contamination per say but I just need to redo that room to make me feel at ease!!!

I like kitchen cabinets dark but I'll have to test out a door to see... I think the stain can range from Cinnamon, walnut to darker if the island granite was extended with an off white slab

Aahh, I see. So sorry.

Well good luck with whatever you decide to do. So sorry about that I totally understand about redoing that room, putting yourself as ease is priceless so go for it

I think you need to start prioritizing, starting with the the cooktop and the upstairs makeover. Have someone come in and advise you about what extending the countertop will do to the size of the remaining space in the kitchen. If you go to a showroom type place to pick your granite, maybe they will be able to send out a consultant to measure it all off for you. Meanwhile you can be deciding on how you want the upstairs room decorated. Use Houzz's Browse Rooms feature to narrow down your search for ideas. Changing the granite in the kitchen will almost certainly lead to other changes you want to consider in the kitchen. So since you have work in the kitchen that does need to be done now, you could make that your first big project. Stick to the one bedroom upstairs until you get the kitchen done and then see where you want to go from there :))

Yes I agree.

I will just make over the master so i can sleep at night :(
and simultaneously do the kitchen cabinet and whole house paint before moving in.

I think the island granite can be done once I move in and base it on the new colors.

WHAT ABOUT HIGH END LAMINATE INSTEAD OF WOOD? I would have to eventually do 3000 sq ft of it and its half the price!!

Here is the master photos. I think I will do the dark wood flooring. Gray-Tan paint and reface the cabinets dark to give it a major make over.

I just dont know how to change up the room more? maybe an accent wall?

I'm sorry, I've never commented before and have no idea how to insert pictures.
Kitchen cabinets: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I8smduCBQzc/Tmbhg93CDLI/AAAAAAAACII/5X-jSVZ0xIo/s1600/grey%2Bkitchen%2B7.jpg

Stairs: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/7a/41/98/7a41984223c416bbf54dda29ede35f47.jpg

Possibly a runner for the stairs (might help with the kiddos): http://images.younghouselove.com.s3.amazonaws.com/2013/11/Stairs-24-After-Straight-Down3.jpg

Julia, I've made LOTS of comments, but I can't insert a link to save my life! You did great. :)

Wow, 3,000 sq ft is a lotta flooring! Your home is so upscale, I think it would be a mistake to go with laminate, even if it is high end stuff. I'm not sure there would be anything wrong with doing the downstairs first and then doing the upstairs later (or vice versa) to divide the cost between two time periods. You wouldn't be assured that the same material would still be available, but I think you could make it work. Painting the ceilings would really be nice! The style ceiling in your master is so interesting I think painting it either the same color as the walls or maybe a little darker? would be dramatic. If you go dark with the cabinets in the bath go light with the paint. Possibly a lighter shade of the paint you used in the master. Those are great rooms! :)

I'm going to chime in as my cousin is a professional in flooring and tile laying. I completely understand the huge.... HUGE investment real hardwood flooring will be, however I must agree with everyone else that the beauty and quality of real hardwood will be a massive payoff in the end, one that you definitely will not regret.

I would love to play with paint but worry that painting the master ceiling could feel caved in. Here is a better photo of the master and master retreat below

That is such a great space! Look on Houzz using the Browse Rooms search for painted ceilings and see if one appeals to you. A nice blue that goes with the the gray/tan you are looking for might be beautiful. Gray and blue work very well together.

Me Uggh. My bedroom caved in.

Congrats on your BEAUTIFUL new home! Hardwood where you are considering laminate is definitely the way to go! A couple of STAIR/RAILING visuals for your consideration... Your marble foyer is gorgeous!

Oh, by the way.... If giving a designer full control is a bit off putting at the very least work with one who uses digital imaging software so you can see what your outcomes will be with your existing ideas. Conceptually your dark stained cabinetry with dark counters may sound like the way to go until you SEE the reality of it. Spend time/ small amount of money on viewing your concepts before making any long-term (possibly regrettable) moves.

Thanks.... Yes I'm planning to get a digital rendering of the kitchen. I will have stain the rest of the house to match that.

I think the most effective and inexpensive way will be to stain the cabinets darker, put lighter glass tile backsplash, change and extend the island slab to lighter one that matches the marble floor!

Your home is BEAUTIFUL!!! Do not cheapen it by putting in laminate! The kitchen is beautiful as it is! If you darken the cabinets, it might make it look like a cave!! I agree with the above posts about living in it for a while to get a feel for the house! I had the LR/DR, loft, and master bedroom of my home painted before I moved in as I wanted it done before hand. While I am the Queen of Cream and the paint color works really well in the LR/DR and loft, I wished that I would've waited on my bedroom. While the cream looks okay and I have my splashes of color, I wished that I had taken my time and had the bedroom painted a soft blue/ green/sage. Now I don't want to have to deal with moving really heavy furniture, artwork, etc.

I certainly wouldn't do laminate flooring. A prefinished engineered wood should hold up just fine. I would paint the stiles on the railing black to bring out the black in the tile. Work with the light wood trim, it would cost a fortune to refinish all of it...and it should match throughout the house. You have a stunning home with great architectural detail. Work with colors that will emphasize those details and you may find the "wood" disappearing.

I'm in a similar area as you (so cal) and we also bought a large house. We love the house very much but we are renovating the entire first floor before moving in. Pretty much every wood in the house is light oak and it looks very, very dated. We are redoing the entire kitchen (not re-facing, we're gutting and replacing), putting in hardwood throughout, and we will refinish the stairs. We are also taking down a wall to make it open concept. Our stairs (like yours from what I can tell) is the focal point when you enter from the front door. No way will I ever be happy living with it as seen.

I know you've received some comments that you bought the house you bought and you shouldn't try and "turn it into something you didn't buy." I don't agree with this sentiment. One does not buy a house for just the contents of its interior. There are many factors that lead us to fall in love with a house. I'd rather buy a house that I don't love completely on the inside (but that I can afford to change) if it was located in my top location, neighborhood, school districts, ect. You bought the house you love for many reasons I'm sure. None of which you need to justify here. Do what you want, make it something you love. You're the one living in it :)

I also want to re-iterate the above regarding the hardwood versus laminate debate. In our area it would be a huge mistake to do laminate. Consider if your neighborhood is a high COL area to make the right choice for you. Laminate will scream cheap in my opinion. Especially in a house of your size. Our house is 3400+ sq/ft and we're doing all hardwood downstairs and stairs and carpet upstairs. In all honesty, I'd keep the marble tile in lieu of laminate if those were the only two options.

You could do a dark bamboo flooring. Some of those are decently priced and still have the rich look that you like.

I did lots of research today. I am considering doing wood-like tiles in the formal living and dining room. At least I won't have to worry about scratches and repairs and costs a bit less.

Here is the tile that mimics wood!
I don't know how tile is perceived compared to wood?

The picture on the left that alistmenow posted would look incredible in your space as well as the floors and paint featured. Hand scraped wood floors are the way to go. It would be a shame to go with laminate in such a beautiful space. Happy decorating.

Again I would do hardwood floor the tile is nice but go for the real thing or leave it as is please don't cheapen your home just because you want change, if you can afford hardwood go head and change it it's your house after all but going with laminate or tile would be a huge mistake

I don't mind the wood tile. It's something we're seriously considering doing for our house. It will cost half to do tile as what it would cost for hardwood. And with kids and huge dogs, it just makes more sense for us. But then again, we're in Texas and tile is king down here anyway.