Most Stone issues can usually be corrected such as etching, scratching, cracks, chips and stains. Contact lens cleaners, facial, creams, perfumes etc can all be acidic and etch acid sensitive stones like marble. The higher the luster the more it will show the etching. If you want your marble polished than the it will require maintenance if you want to keep it looking new. I mean we clean our carpets, window treatments, rugs, upholstery professionally. We service our cars ,lawns, pools,and refinish our wood floors. Heck even the dogs get serviced(grooming). The marble floors,countertops and vanities can all be refinished. Using progressive grits of diamond abrasives and polishing compounds these surfaces can all be restored to factory finish or in most cases better. Also if you have a polished surface and you have tired of the upkeep you can change the finish to a uniform silken matte finish(honed). A professional refinishing company will make no dust, no mess and leave your home clean as a whistle. In most cases he or she will will address grout issues, caulking issues and even have good info on daily maintenance. In any case you needn't live with worn marble.

didn't have one installed on granite installation. wished i had. I am disabled, (wheelchair, arthritis, fatigue issues), so going under the sink for the bottle is more work for me, and with a modern kitchen design, don't want clutter of bottle on counter. Did have moen auto detection (senses when you put your hands in front of it. One can also disable feature, so win win). Godsend. Aides like it too. Figure is next buyer doesn't like it, they can get their own. Will be installing soap dispensers in kitchen and bathrooms myself soon, though I doo like the bathroom auto dispenser , yet it takes up space.

I know how frustrating it can be to do a plan and then have everyone tear it apart, only to make those corrections people have suggested and then have someone ask why didn't you do it the way you had it originally. What I found worked for me was to have a clear vision of what I needed for my home. For example, I knew I wanted a U shaped home with the main rooms opening onto the backyard/pool area. I wanted a master retreat area, and DH needed a small office and I needed a larger studio. Since the average age in our area is retired, we knew that we needed an elevator for resale. And we had lot restrictions such as only being allowed 2124 square feet under roof on the first floor, and that included the porch and garage. Write down exactly what you and your family need. Then do a second list of what you want. However also be mindful of future resale because it may not be your forever home. So for resale purposes, I think you definitely need something that says foyer. Without one it will severely limit your resale. Then figure out where you want your views out to be and which rooms inside you want to have take in those views. Sort of like I did with saying I wanted a U shape. Then think about flow through all the rooms so that you never feel like you're bottlenecked into one area. It's not easy and I started the process the end of March and just this week approved our drawings and layout, (and I have a design background!). Once you have a clearer idea of what you need, then when you post it here, you can pick and choose what works for you. I listened to everyone's ideas, thanked everyone for their ideas, explained to each person why it may or may not work, and then on several occasions found out that while what was suggested wouldn't work as proposed, it did give me an idea to improve my layout or elevation so it could work in a different way. Be open to everyone because you'll never know who gives you that kernel to move your home in just the way you want it to be.

I wanted a feminine but not cloyingly "girly" look. I think you have hit the mark in the beige-y tiles -- and any number of colors would work as accents with this tile, so you'll be able to change your look over the years. I would not frame these tiles with the copper hexes -- I think the frames would be somewhat jarring and would ruin the soft, almost watercolor-y look of these tiles. I think I'd do the majority of the shower with the large tile in the lower right ... the flower-looking tile as an accent band ... and put the copper hexes (which I do like -- just not as a frame) on the shower floor. The small tiles will give you greater grip on the shower floor, which is important since you say you value aging-in-place. Yes, they'll require some scrubbing occasionally, but you're not talking about a big area -- and safety matters. Are these marble? I would not go with marble in the shower -- not matter how lovely -- it's not an easy-to-maintain material. Yes to porcelain every time. It's essentially "forever", moderately priced, and so many choices. Yes, labor will cost more than you expect. You can minimize this a bit by going with large sized tiles on the shower walls ... and by using a simple layout (simple square layout rather than herringbone, for example). Yes, labor should be about the same regardless of whether you use marble or porcelain. Excellent advice above about putting in grab bars now. Let the tile installer do it now ... let him PLAN the tiles around the idea of grab bars ... rather than having someone come in later /in future years and plop the bars in the middle of your lovely tile. Excellent advice, too, about taking photographs while the walls are open. Maybe you'll never need to know what lies behind your walls, but it'll take little effort to take the pictures, and it could be very useful someday. While you're planning this shower, go with a larger storage niche than you think you need ... and think about NOT using your expensive accent tile in the back of the niche ... you're going to cover it up with shampoo bottles. I'm not clear on this: Are you talking about tile for just the shower floor ... or the bathroom floor PLUS the shower floor? I've decided to use same wood-tone LVP literally everywhere in my whole house ... except the two showers. I have tile floors in my bathroom now, and I do not love that they're cold underfoot. Also, tile is harder on the joints as you age -- I like the linoleum in my kitchen better than the tile in my bathroom. Perhaps this is a mismatch of qualities /materials, but -- as you said above -- I'm building to please myself. Last thought: Do it right. Tile lasts a long, long time -- you'll likely never re-do this. So don't skimp.