I have slightly high ceilings, and I had a really hard time finding a floor-to-ceiling wire unit. At first, the only one I could find was from Frontgate, and it was more than $100!!!! Then I found one at Bed Bath & Beyond that could be made long enough to reach all the way. It's definitely sturdy enough. And the price was right--under $30. I think the wire pole has more visual clutter. That's about the only drawback, I think. And they don't look high-end. Were I starting from scratch, given that my home is mid to high range in my neighborhood, I'd probably try to do something more permanent, less "jury rigged" looking. I sometimes consider getting a wall-mounted dispenser instead. My sis had a problem w/ all the shampoos falling on the floor all the time, bcs there were too many for the little niche, etc. I got her a 'The Dispenser," and encouraged her to tell her teens that they had to use the same brand of shampoo. I think that's what she did.

I doubt people in 1910-20 washed their hair as often as we do. Forget about conditioner. My stylish, socially active mom had a weekly appt. at the hairdresser's and never washed her own hair. She'd even go in for a mid-week comb-out. I think those little wire baskets look nice if you need to retrofit the space. Nicer than bottles lining the ledge of the tub. For a new build, I don't understand not considering a niche, as long as you don't go overboard in number and size. The spray in my shower doesn't reach mine. It doesn't really get wet inside. Once a week I wipe the bottom in case there's a drip of shampoo I missed. My bathroom isn't particularly contemporary (it's a style I actually avoid) and my niche doesn't add to it.

Your ideas are possibilities, Funkycamper. We talked about doing glass over the beadboard, too, but I do wonder if it would look funny.(?) I also wonder how successfully we could blend "real" beadboard with ceramic beadboard. That's part of why I was considering transitioning to a totally different medium behind the range, so that it wouldn't be real and fake right next to each other. Thanks for your vote of confidence! I revel in all of the possibilities, LOL, it's making a "final" decision that's tough! Thanks for sharing the tile you got, iroll. Since you did the beadboard only behind the range, I'm curious what you did elsewhere. I don't think crackle snaps or pops for DH, unfortunately. I found some gorgeous (or so *I* thought) crackle tile by Enser. DH response was "Oh, yuck! What's wrong with that tile?" So much for that, LOL. Your question of how much the eye "needs" is a good one, Rococogurl. I don't know. I love color, and I like neutrals, too. I'm not sure how much my eye, or the eyes of my family can handle. I also know that I love to change things around, so committing to a color feels a bit constrictive. I get you on the difficult appliance choice. So glad to hear that your final decision is made! You must be relieved. I was talking to a friend whose son works in China. He said, "Mom, life is so much simpler over here!" She visited him and saw that they don't have much kitchen to speak of, they wash their dishes in the bathroom. She questioned his idea of "simplicity", but he then explained how if they need a fridge there are only 2 choices at the store. A big fridge or a little fridge. That's it. There is no agonizing over which thing to choose. I don't care for the medallion/mural in the picture I shared, either. I didn't associate it with a certain era, necessarily (says the girl who just put her 1997 Chevy van to its final rest...) but I think I'd tire of the same picture back there, day in and day out. My daughter and I were talking about how we can't wait to turn the calender to see the new picture each month because we're tired of the old one. So, no stone murals for this household! : ) I don't mean to be a tease! ; ) Let's put it this way, right now I feel like I'll be as surprised how this kitchen looks as you will be, if that's any consolation. I plan to post pictures, no worries! Thanks for sharing the picture of your beadboard tile combo, diymom79. Both my mom and my MIL have the vinyl beadboard in their bathrooms and love it, too. MIL has hers with the wide plank look. It's very pretty. I feel like I'm at a beautiful beach cottage when I'm in there. : ) I picked up some fabric samples today from a local store. They are quilt fabrics, so I don't know if they'd be a good choice for curtains, but they do give me an idea of how the colors work with the cupboards. Fun! I like them both--Oops. One is light colored background with blue flowers, and the other one is a black background with pink and cream flowers with green leaves. Maybe I could make both summer and winter curtains?? I need to go to the city to find decorator fabric, but the weather isn't being very cooperative for that endeavor. So, if I must, I'll stare at the cotton samples for a few days. Here's a picture, so that I'm not teasing, LOL. This post was edited by laughable on Fri, Jan 30, 15 at 23:10

Catlady999 the light over the shower was installed by a licensed electrician who was doing a bunch of other work in the house but thank you for bringing that up! *Update* good news: my mom said she's going to tell the guy to stop working in the bathroom area and just focus on getting the other things (painting, drywall) so hopefully this means we'll be getting a real professional who knows what they're doing!