We have hooks and heavy 33x66 bath sheets and have not had any problems with them drying - I have found that they don't dry as well on bars because the towels have to be doubled over to fit on the bars if you don't have room for 36" bars. Double bars were even worse IME because there ended up being eight layers of thick fabric in a small area. Two towels on one double hook (Delta Victorian, not one I'd recommend) dry just fine. I live in coastal New Hampshire where it is downright malarial in the warm months and arid in the cold; towels are laundered once a week and we have no problems with funkiness. We do also have the issue of towels not being hung neatly on bars, and I think decorative towels are silly (I am pretty much a failure as a girly-girl!). :-) Here's a picture: One way to evaluate whether towels dry sufficiently on hooks where you live would be to get some of the cheap over-the-door hooks from somewhere like Walmart and give it a shot before installing anything permanent.

What capacity washer do you need? How much do you want to spend? Do you need a gas or electric dryer? What depth and height is available in the closet? The installation spec on many large capacity FLers specify needing about 16 inches above the top of the stacked dryer. This means you need an 8 ft ceiling. Are there any special venting considerations? Even without stacking you can still use the space above (respecting any installation clearances) a side by side W/D pair for storage by putting up shelves.

Definitely. That style is a bit like the one on the Rachel Ray set, though not the same color. (And, needless to say, your kitchen is nothing like hers.) But if you want to kind of squinch up your eyes, you can use your imagination. Glass tile obviously comes in a lot of sizes and finishes -- that little glittery type to big glossy ones, so you should be able to find exactly what you want. Those look like they'd both meld well with your greenery-yallery hallway. Just don't get too hung up on matching. Go for "complementing". I think it's a look that mixes well with a variety of styles. It's just modern enough. And, not that you need reassurance, but I think it's masculine. It doesn't scream "my ex picked this out!". You're getting there.

I've been dating a single dad for just over a year now, his 5.5 y.o. son and ex live about 3 hours away. My BF has had to go through some nasty (and is still somewhat going through) custody issues and now finally has access to his son's medical, school and other official records, is one of the emergency contacts for his son, and is *supposed* to get him one weekend a month. So thank your lucky stars that you don't have to deal with a psycho ex (i'm assuming she's not crazy, since you didn't mention her and the visitation seems to go smoothly). Trust me, having a SO's ex who hates him and is jealous of you is horrible, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. That said, it's still a difficult situation whenever there are kids involved. Realize that his daughter is the most important thing in his life. You're important too (he wouldn't be dating you otherwise), but she comes first. Sounds like an obvious, but sometimes it's hard to remember that when your weekend plans get cancelled for the bazillionth time because his kid is unexpectedly coming over. I love my BF's son and truly enjoy spending time with him (and vice versa), but sometimes it's just plain hard putting myself second. Also, don't force a relationship with his daughter. This one was hard for me since BF and I live together and I LOVE kids. Kids need time to develop their own relationship with you and you're never going to be her mother, even if you and BF get married. Do stuff with her, have fun together, be someone she can grow to care about, but don't try and rush things or replace anyone in her life. Talk with your BF about your role in his daughter's life. Make sure you're both clear on boundaries, with each other and her. I live with my BF, so my relationship is more of a stepmom relationship than you might have, but you have to know if he's comfortable with you telling his daughter "no" when she does something wrong, and if you're comfortable with it. The big thing is just to communicate and be on the same page with him where the kids are concerned. Dating my BF is one of the best things that ever happened to me and I wouldn't trade our little family for anything (although, I might send his ex to Kazakhstan or something). It is hard sometimes trying to balance our relationship with his relationship to his son and trying to figure out where exactly I fit in, but trust your instincts and TALK about anything you're not sure about with your BF. It's a lot of fun having a kid around! Good luck!