looks like a beautiful view, in this case I say no.

you have so many other features in the room, the view is more important that the architectural feature. Lovely, keep the windows clean and it's your focal point!

I always thought there should be a bathroom faucet spout that rotated upward to make a little fountain to wash my face. Seems messy, and probably doesn’t exist. May not be safe for everyone. I guess kitchen sprayers are closest to that.

For soaking clothes, a bucket in a bathtub works. I have small buckets and large buckets depending on the need. I guess it depends on how much you soak stuff and if tub usage and bending over is a problem. I use the bathroom sink much more than the tub so at least if the soaking were in the tub, I could use the sink at all times.

As someone who has used a deep utility sink as a kitchen sink during renovations, I would never install a farmhouse sink.

Okay sushipup2 - based upon your comment that “it’s a fun read“ + Funkyart’s 5 star rating for the most recent book in the series, I just ordered a copy. Thought about ordering all of them - as this first one in the series has the lowest rating on Goodreads - but decided to wait.

Straitlover, yes, read the books first. They are quick reads and really lots of fun and the mysteries are good at the same time. I always read the books before any movie.

I think that Julie Walters (Molly Weasley) would be 100% perfect as Joyce, but I know that she's dealing with health issues. And there are 4 books, in case there are more movies to follow, and that would be a large commitment.

.Get rid of the angle loo, the bath is a gut, no matter what.

I don't love a window in shower.......: )

^getting rid of the angled wall and door updates the bath by 20 years

I might be tempted to run the dining table lengthwise and then add a banquet against the wall to seat 3 (this could be fun & very dramatic dep on the style of the space), then have 3 chairs on the other side. Add a chair at each end of the table only when company visits, which would help keep it open (drawing not to scale just to show direction)

The 3 stools in that photo will be hard to use in real life, even if all 3 people are small and skinny. How do you get in/out? Pull the stool straight back and then scoot it forward while sitting on it or have someone push you in? No space to get in from any side and the stools don't swivel.

We can't blow up your kitchen plan. That said? It looks very CROWDED. Stools or no stools

Show the entire first floor plan, and separate kitchen in jpeg. legible, blow up format.

" In the drawing the island is 38x99 if i remove the stools it would be 48x99 "

The island would be tight at 38" without stools, adding 10" because of no stools is also way too tight.

This is our space.

It's cheaper to buy doors for a closet than a cabinet to go with your vanity. jackowskib's comment is valid - if it's solely for the bathroom, then incorporate into the bathroom. But if it's going to contain sheets and blankets for all the bedrooms it's fine the way it is. I had a linen closet about this size in my previous house and everyone who visited was jealous. If you're like me and you have too many sets of sheets it's invaluable. Not everyone has one.

HRW and Extra White "colors" are actually SW's untinted base paints, no colorant.

Chantilly Lace is only Chantilly Lace from Benjamin Moore; not going to get a qualified match in any other product.

This is the difference between the colors.

I suspect HRW isn't really an option.

Because all SW products that are *acceptable* recommendations for use on cabinets do not come in a HRW base.

*Acceptable product recs is not the same as an ideal product choice for cabinet application. E.g. professional grade product like Milesi or Renner.

How do you know when you’re finally gone overboard with the orchids? When you can no longer see your dining room? Or not until they start falling off the edge of the counter?

@dani_m08 The tagging doesn’t work properly on my iPad. When I start a person’s name with @, it doesn’t highlight in green. HOWEVER, ironically, Little Bird’s name was in green on my screen in your last comment to her, but it doesn’t do anything.

My iPad does start a new sentence with a capital letter.

I think some of the upgrades may be incompatible with Apple Products. My desktop Houzz software does all the things you’re not seeing. Names start popping up when half typed, etc. Not true with my iPad, which is what I use 90% of the time.

Dani_m08, I’ve never been able to tag at all on my iPhone. But I do have a solution for your spider mites! I had some hitchhike in on new plants, and infected all of my orchids and succulents. If you catch it early enough, you can save your plants. First, any spider mites or fluffy white stuff you can see - spray with 70% isopropyl alcohol and use a cotton swab to remove from the plant. Then sprinkle all of your pots with Bonide Systemic House Plant Insect Control and water in. This completely got rid of all my insect problems. I repeat every month or two as a preventive.

You bought a beautiful house with high quality wood trim, not the run of the mill wood trim, that I usually see. I wouldnt paint any of it. Its gorgeous. In any case, dont rush out and paint it all right away, live with it a while, and see how you feel about it. You can always paint it, but, its a huge job to get it back to stained, if you decide you made a mistake. As to darkening the stain, thats not an easy job either. It requires all the finish varnish or poly being sanded down, and that will remove some stain, so when you stain darker, it will be blotchy. You cannot just go and stain on top of what is there. Stain, needs to penetrate the wood, and not just sit on top of the wood.

These guys are hack hillbillies and you can tell them I said so. Replace.

This had to be Installed at a high angle versus horizontal due to the door trim. If you insist on tighter remove the door trim and agree to repair the drywall etc after at your cost. Their caulk joint is laughable.

Thank you for the kind words, @chicagoans!

Here’s my soapstone galley kitchen, with Celadon green tiled backsplash:

Soapstone is in! Now on to figuring out that backsplash …

I could love a color too. Especially given your woodwork.

https://mercurymosaics.com/products/3x6-subway-tile-913-old-copper

"our living room will house a Ping-Pong table and a carrom board with a seating of 4."

'current dining will be a music room for piano, drum set, guitar, etc.

No offense, but I stopped right there. Maybe park on the street or lose the ping pong.

Three ideas.

The walk in closet in the master br can be an office. Add a wall of closets in the room.

Saving the guest room for ocassional visits while you work from home every day seems like an upside down priority. Furnish the office with a murphy bed for the once in awhile guests and give yourself an organized, dedicated work room.

Making the living room a game room makes sense if that is how you live every day. In other words, if you and the kids play ping pong daily, be good to yourselves and enjoy. But isnt ping pong an evening thing? Can the game room do double duty? Office by day, game room by night?

The pattern had to align with where the floor changes from the main room to the slope in the shower. There is no way to eliminate all small tiles when there are fixed obstructions like that. Those small pieces won’t be what you focus on when it’s complete

Lots of options for tiles that go with Taj Mahal and not everyone will like what you choose! So pick what you like.

I went with this marble mosaic. The white (honed) marble works with our BM Chantilly Lace cabinets and the brown (polished) marble works with our wood floors and ceiling beams.

I tried samples of every tile out there and took over 5 months to make a decision once the rest of the kitchen was finished. I had gone through a similar search years before, because I had also used Taj Mahal in my previous house, but that kitchen had stained cabinets and was a different style of house.

that is good to know! Makes it easier now looking online for photo examples when its the same as other more popular brands! Thank you for your kind words-im a bit nervous but of course excited to see how it turns out!

Nice to see your new stools in the space. Great combo with the shelves behind them. I continue to be blown away by how well this space turned out. The tile, counter, and marble blend so seamlessly. It makes the room all about texture and finishes, and looks so period appropriate yet completely contemporary as well. A real challenge to pull off. And you cookbook shelves. Rare that I see a kitchen on here - either in the discussions or a professional posting, that makes me think - wow, I'd love to have that kitchen. Yours, I'd love to have.

I thought that prefinished was the only way to have a bevel - unless you paid someone to bevel by hand. I made sure that my European oak floors didn’t have a bevel (if they do, it’s the tiniest bevel I’ve ever seen!)

Just responding to yours, in kind. There was really no reason for you to comment "Why would anyone want a bevel at all?", seeing how the OP likely has no other realistic options. And my real world experience indicates that bevels being "such a magnet for dirt and debris" is more myth than fact. My old showroom had some French parquet patterns with fairly substantial bevels and lots of traffic. We never had any issue with dirty bevels.

So, I was able to locate a mill in Wisconsin who will be able to ship to make and ship to me in time. Once I received and like the delivery I will share the business. So, far a super positive experience.

Regarding bevel or not. Yes, I do have a significant amount of beveled natural bona finished oak floor. I do not want to rip out. Personally, I really like bevel. It makes the floor more interesting to me. I know this is personal taste. Perhaps if I went in a new house for wide plank natural interesting floor I might reconsider bevel.

I have the same bevel (3/16) in the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Never noticed dirt accumulation, even with vacuuming and clean only twice a week. To be fair, in the kitchen area I will do find a little bit more film like dirt in the grooves. But I never had to do more than once a year deep cleaning there either.

I am a plant “newbie” - last summer was the first one that I made my own containers/pots + took care of them all summer. I also moved WAY too many inside - but was able to keep 80% alive this winter (zone 6a/6b - my city is smaller - it’s a suburb of a major metro area - but it’s split - not sure where exactly). The ones that were in my basement didn’t receive the same attention as the ones upstairs.

Anyway - the previous two summers, my SO had a local nursery put containers/pots together and deliver them over to the house. When he finally gave me a straight answer re: how much $$$ he spent each year, I decided that I could do it myself.

I went a bit overboard - and will try to cut back a little this year. I received a lot of compliments - but it was too many.

Everything I purchased must have been difficult to kill - because I only had one problem (powdery mildew on my zinnias at the end of August).

I tried to make pots that looked similar to ones that the nursery put together - it’s actually pretty simple - you need a filler/spiller/thriller. So, one taller plant in middle + some plants that will hang down over the sides of your container/pot + some plants to fill out the rest of the container.

Here are some photos:

I actually asked for some advice on the two hanging planters on the right - they changed throughout the summer as the plants/flowers became more prominent at sifferent times during the season. I made the hanging basket on the left for my SO - I’m not a big fan - but he likes them so I included two of them (there’s another hanging one on the other side of the patio). I made all my hanging plants first - that’s why the rest of the covered patio looks bare in this photo. These two baskets got really big - and had very pretty (and long) ”spillers” as the summer progressed:

I made six of these to hang along the back fence (cedar fence looks much better now - it was power washed and sealed):

I planned on spray painting the holder in the below photo - but never go around to it (it’s on my firepit - so, I decided it was better to not have it directly on cover for fire pit - it gets pretty hot).

The two similar ones on the right and left side of photo below have the same two spillers hanging over on the backside of the sit wall (I planned on having matching colors of sun patiens in them - but my SO planted a bunch of sun patiens in a bed in the front yard before I made the second planter - and forgot that I asked him to leave certain ones for my planter):

This is the planter in the middle on the sit wall in above photo:

I’m not sure what the flowers are in the above planter - I need ro find out because they were really pretty + bloomed all summer/fall. Here’s a close up:

Here is the only plant/flower that I had issues with - I didn’t know anything about zinnias and powdery mildew. It looked beautiful until the very end of August + I had a lot of fresh zinnias in vases all summmer + made an arrangement with a couple zinnias + other stuff for one of my sisters every other week.

This photo was after we had a bad storm three weeks earlier - this pot was actually launched into the yard - and everything came out of it:

I used a few varieties of ornamental sweet potato vines in various planters - they grow fast and can make a container look nice for hardly any $:

The lime sweet potato vine in this rectangular planter filled the entire next level down by the end of the summer - we tried growing lavender TWICE in that area - but even with amending the clay soil exactly as instructed, all of the lavendar died both times (we were hoping to have it as a perennial). Since the lavender died, I just let the sweet potato vine fill up the area. Not sure what we will do this summer.

I did two hibiscus containers with just creeping jenny - easy.

Here is a photo of those two hanging plants - they really kept evolving as the summer went on + into the fall:

This is the inside of my covered patio - must have been end of Sept because I have a few cabbage plants added:

My crotons didn’t grow tall enough to handle the oranmental sweet potato vines in these this year:

this is another color of sweet potato vine that I used

Everything was easy to grow - so, if you like any particular plants/flowers, let me know and I can tell you what they are.

These are purple hearts - very easy to grow - and turn a vibrant purple with little pink flowers (flowers are closed because it had just sprinkled):

I’ve kept several of these going over the winter - the photo below was when I first planted them:

If you are looking for the plant Dani shared, it is acultivar Tradescantia. T. pallida 'Purpurea'

It sometimes helps to have the botanical/Latin name when you are looking. I have the Tradescantia species and I love it Mine are green with blue flowers. They do close up here in the afternoon though.

What zone are you located in? Are you looking for plants/shrubs that can be planted in the ground or in containers (I think that there may be a bed there for plants to go into - but I wanted to check). Annuals or perennials?

Will the coping be wide enough to sit on without squashing the plants? A 3 foot tall shrub could be as wide as your bed.

You might want to check your local nurseries for plants and shrubs they have for your zone.

Jan that is hilarious that you knew she was in NJ! Yes, you are probably right about the wall.

Courtney, I am so sorry you are going through the this. How dare they expect you to have your fridge stick out that far making your kitchen look like someone goofed big time. Which is exactly what they did!

They are going to try and guilt trip you until you cave. Calmly stand your ground. I would keep it as simple as possible. Say something like,

”The fridge door banging the pantry handles and making a big dent in the door is not acceptable. The plan I signed off shows the pantry handles on the right. I wanted the pantry to open to the left so I could use the countertop as a landing without walking around the door. It also does not show the fridge pulled out passed the door hinges on the top. Here is your rendering showing what I signed off on.

AND NO. I am not going to pay extra if a filler does not fix your mistake. I am not the expert, you are. That is what I paid you for. Please do your job.“

If they had followed the plan and figured out a solution before continuing, a small filler between would have worked. They should have listened to the GC. Who knows, maybe no filler would have worked. It all depends on if the two rollout drawers can extend with the door stopping at 90*. Some pantries need the doors to open all the way for the drawer to slide out. Maybe put something to act like the door at 90* and see if the drawer opens. If they do then they screwed everything up for no reason.

But, there is a problem with just flipping the hinges back to the left. You will then see a bunch of ugly screw holes where the hinges were. They could fill the holes and paint it white to match, but it will probably still be noticeable. That is what I would push for though. The pantry opening to the right is just awkward.

The other option is to add filler wide enough to keep the fridge door from banging the door pull. If you want to mock up the filler size needed, open the fridge door and hold the pull to where the door cannot hit and then measure.

If your family memeber gets mad, then so be it. They will get over it, but your fridge sticking out like a sore thumb will bother you and take away from the joy of your new kitchen forever.

The door on a "counter depth" is always proud of the cabinet housing! Even on a 10 k Sub zero .

Unless that fridge is integrated. that is why God made the specs and clearances to be followed.

Go back to the picture you sent, and the FACT that your housing for the fridge is not complete and is missing a side.

Had that side been in place? The pull would have fit on the cabinet, and yes, even without pulling the fridge forward. The fridge doors are NOT wider than the fridge, and you pantry door would fully open TOWARD the drawer base at right.

Yes, that missing 1/2 inch makes a difference, and none of the side of the fridge would be visible.

If you want them to BUY you a 33" version of what you have? that is up to you, But it would not be MY MONEY, that's for sure.

You don't need the inch, both sides! You need the 3/4 inch on the left of the pantry, and the right of the fridge. The MISSING SIDE PANEL!! Crown molding bottom, to the blasted floor!

Frankly, 3/4 allowing the side of fridge hidden is all that matters and WHICH way the pantry opens is very quickly becoming irrelevant. It's food. It's snacks. You will eat.

Someone had the same F up, look at the fix.....on the crown to bottom. I repeat.....dead giveaway and they did NOT fix the upper trim. Look under that recessed light, and slightly right of it. Bet me same company??? and an add on piece to face of pantry cabinet only

Millworkman - the reason I posted my comment originally was because HU - ########’s comment implied that it would be more difficult because OP purchased a spec home - I was simply arguing that since the construction defect statutes apply equally to all residential homes (except some may make an exception for manufactured homes), it didn’t matter that it was a spec home.

I agree with you that the builder isn’t going to agree to rip out four showers. I don’t know if there is a way to adequately address the niche and shower bench issues without ripping everything out - obviously, not my area of expertise. In any event, based upon my experience in this area over the past 25 years, I strongly believe that OP’s builder will be liable for these defects and required to remedy the same (or pay damages if a lawsuit is required). I added information for the OP about the construction defect statutes just so he would know that there is a statute that covers these types of construction issues. While codes may not be written that strictly, all of the statutes that I’ve reviewed have language substantially the same as what I’ve written above.

The appellate courts in my jurisdiction have interpreted the statute to require all work to be completed in accordance with TCNA + manufacturers’ specifications, in addition to codes/laws/regulations/etc.

My understanding is that waterproofing a niche is an accepted trade standard (as is waterproofing the shower bench) - and to not have done so will not only violate statutory requirements re: residential construction - but will also be viewed as negligence. I’m not sure how any builder could try to make an argument that leaving open gaps in a niche and underneath a shower bench - that will allow water to flow behind walls - does not violate accepted trade standards.

Also, these construction defect statutes typically provide for recovery of attorneys’ fees by the homeowner - without which would make filing such a lawsuit cost prohibitive.

There are also other causes of action that could be plead in a petition = various legal theories that may be used OP to recover damages in the event his builder refuses to address the above issues. In my state, consumer protection laws would also apply.

The Right to Cure laws in various states vary but generally do NOT give the builder the unilateral right to attempt the repair. The statute(s) gives the builder/contractor the right to offer to repair the defect, to offer to pay to repair the defect, or deny that a defect exists. Again, depends on state.

This is "just" a bathroom ... makes you wonder what shortcuts the builder might have also taken with the foundation, framing, insulation, plumbing, electrical, etc, etc.

OP, you might want to hire a licensed Professional Engineer to come do a thorough inspection, in case there are more issues that you need to present to the builder.

Lot of these lights are awfully small. Is there no other light in this area to compete/coordinate? If so, then I'd do something interesting, for sure. But, um, not 9 feet! %^) "Modern organic" means amost nothing to me (is organic a shape or a material??), but I'll do what I can to brainstorm.

5-Light Double Drum Shaded Chandelier Ceiling Light · More Info

(silver metal, organic outer layer)

Inverted Pendant Lamp, Bubble Seashell, White · More Info

(actual seashells, neat shadows, more a contrast than a melding with what's there)

Capiz Seashell Rain Drop Pendant Lamp · More Info

(same)(

Miseno ML72599 Annata 6 Light 20"W Drum Chandelier - Weathered Iron · More Info

(little more on the transitional side, would echo wood, organic metal)

INK+IVY Cyrus 6-Globe Light Architectural Metal Chandelier, Gold · More Info

(modern, non-rigid form, gold metal)

45 - Light Unique Contemporary Rose Gold Modern Chandelier Pendant Lighting · More Info

(statement, organic in form, might not be bright enough for a stairwell)

Beijing Chandelier adjustable Round, Integrated LED, Dimmable, Chrome · More Info

(very modern, not that organic, chrome metal)

3-Light Modern Simple Led Tube Sputnik Chandelier, Brass · More Info

(good statement, modern take on a sputnik, gold)

Daisy Integrated LED Dimmable Chrome Chandelier with Smart Dimmer Included · More Info

(very cool, very modern, passably organic?)

Craftmade 55790-LED Pulse 18"W LED Abstract Chandelier - Champagne Brass · More Info

(same)

MIRODEMI® Menaggio Gold Crystal Wave Light Fixture, 11.8'' (4 Lights) · More Info

(How glam are you comfortable with?)

Hexagon combined ring lamps for living room, dining room, bedroom., 12'' · More Info

(throwing this one in to echo the inset in the ceiling...)

Esmeralda 20x50" 6-Light Modern Large Pendants by Kalco · More Info

It looks like you're on a lake, which is nice. The ceiling does seem to be darkening the room. But it is hard to paint knotty pine - it won't be inexpensive to have it done. You're only showing one room. Is there pine trim throughout the house? If you had it painted in your living room would that just lead to your wanting to have it painted everywhere? If so, get a quote for painting all of it so you're not surprised later when it all adds up. It's not uncommon to change one room and then everything else looks wrong. If you don't want to create a cascade effect maybe leaving the pine alone is the way to go. But if you're really hoping for a big change, it would certainly brighten the room to paint it.

I think it would be lovely painted. I also agree it needs special treatment. Years ago we had paneling painted in a prior home, though not knotty pine. Like ikloes, we also used Swiss Coffee…on the entire room. It did take some extra time/work for the painters to prep the paneling, but the end result was so nice! The room just came to life.

This is one example of the entire living room of a lake house painted white. In this case it’s SW Extra White. However, softer whites can look great depending on your lighting.

I refer people who want to paint knotty pine walls, ceilings, etc. to Sarah Richardson. Years ago, she renovated a cabin in Northern Ontario. Her husband was Team Knotty Pine. She was Team Paint the Pine! In the end, she white washed it. STUNNING. I refer you to YouTube where you can see how she renovated, modernized, yet kept tru to the Cottage’s Charm. Google Sarah Richardson Cottage Life Renovation. Enjoy!

I’ve seen that drizzled glue before but it always just rubs right off…

A tile that is high maintenance and damaged right out of the box .... sounds like a lousy tile for a backsplash.

I would ask for a refund and pick something else.

Stop. I don't like being reminded of tedious projects that need to be done.

But following, in case anyone has any magical suggestions.

I would run new separate ducts, and I prefer timers, I put them in every bathroom.

Did they stack the edge or bevel it? Regardless that looks like a repair that could be improved.

Push the issue with your fabricator/installer. Show them your sample - in person - tell them to come look at your countertop + sample in your kitchen. Send it to them in writing if at all possible (need to keep a paper trail).

They are used to people dropping the issue once they tell them that it was something they did - they are not used to a homeowner pushing the issue.

If they won’t come look at it - the next step will be a letter. . .

Let me know!

also - look up “how to remove oil stain from quarzite“ on here. There are ingredients that you can use to try to draw the oil out of the stone (baking soda/baking powder is one of the ingredients). You put the poultice down on countertop + cover with plastic wrap + painter’s tape (I think - it needs to be ”sealed” in order to work). I think you leave it on for maybe 12-24 hrs.

There are also ones you can purchase - I bought one made by Stonetech to use on my marble countertop in one of my bathrooms. It seems like people have had good luck with homemade versions though.

It doesn’t work when silicone bleeds occur on quarzite countertops - but I think it almost always does for oil.

Ask them if it’s okay for you to try a poultice before you do it. You don’t want them to try to use it against you later = you damaged the stone by using it. Make sure that is in writing - or record it (I need to check something first re: recording it).

Okay - it appears that you are able to record a call or conversations in person without their knowledge because Ohio is a ”one party consent” state.

The above is not legal advice - just information based upon a quick google search re: recording conversarions in Ohio.

I’m sorry this is happening to you! Did they reseal first and then put on the white paste? I’m not a pro but it seems like the poultice would need to do its work first, and then reseal happens. Maybe someone can clarify.

Are you sure the sample you were given is the same stone? It looks different.

Wow, Jennifer, you really hit the nail on the head.

As opposed to what some pros always say, no one lighting situation is best for every home and every homeowner.

And just to reiterate what I always say: YOU CAN'T DETERMINE TRUE COLORS FROM A COMPUTER MONITOR!!! You have to see the room in real life, at different times of the day/evening to perceive color.

Tried to reach to the designer and have not heard back as of yet. Like Jan said earlier the backsplash may work to some of you but i cant stand it. i have tried to live with it for a month now and it has not grown on me though changing the color temperature overhead has helped. i will take the advice of many of you and replace the backsplash with a warm white. Last night i even floated the idea of buying more Britannicia warm to my husband. He is not on board with that idea (yet)

Kathy,

Go with your instinct you know what you like. Soothing, warm and handsome. This backsplash is not for you. Very beautiful but it's not for you. The right one will come along. Gosh, I sound like I am giving advice to a young woman concerning the right boyfriend. Same advice, the right one will come along and when it does you will know. A spark, a wink, a perfect smile and it will win your heart.

Wishing you joy as you find the perfect fit in your new backsplash.

Wow! Looks beautiful!

Thank you Joe!

Update for everyone and Joe was right (we knew he would be!) it’s just a natural vein and they will be coming back out next week to do a better job of polishing that area.