Any Architect types here..?

I'm interested in making my home a little more open plan, but have no experience in this area. So - before I start putting a sledge hammer through stud walls I would like to plan out the project a bit & have a rough idea of costs - ideally talk it through with someone with plenty of experence in this area who can advise on the feasibility of my ideas - and point out the potential pitfalls...

Any experts here who can spare an hour or 2..?
Payment in beer/food...