We are taking out 1/2 of a wall between dining and kitchen to open it up.

Unless you have an open dining room that can be converted into a bedroom.  

This is me talking as a wife saying, I LOVE the light fixture in dining room.

Second: I focused on building a portfolio of stunning work, not maximizing the ROI of each project.

Cabinets are a huge expense.3) In general, if you can knock down a wall that separates the kitchen from a dining room or family room, do it.  

catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051#.UNCNM4O7PK0 )There will be new baseboard trim put in the kitchenThe house has a very open floor plan and the adjacent dining and living room has 1950's hardwood flooring in a maple finish.Thoughts?

Annually, I'm stunned by the number of cutoff notices and relatively brand new leases I see.  

There is plenty of "waste" in what I spend money on (going all out on our yearly vacation, dining out, throwing parties, and buying things we don't need, but rather want), but between my salary and my girlfriend's salary, it isn't something we feel guilty about :-)

On the 3rd day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candlelight, put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar and a bottle of Chardonnay.

Other good inclusion: a security system, central air, new appliances, an "extra" room (dining room or den), a deck.