But let me ask you this--which way would the cut size face? Or do we "buff" it to look like it wasn't cut? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Would the corners be mitered? Being that the field tile will be cut into the design, and the rhomboids would be full tiles, I'd think you want to keep the cut edge out toward the field. I know about the bullnose pieces for the sides, but do people use those along the top, where the backsplash hits the cabinet? Does it look more finished? You SHOULD just about have full tile under your cabinets. There should be just about 18" between countertop and bottom of the upper cabinets. In fact, I'd measure and lay some tiles out dry jut to make sure you wouldn't end up with a gap at the top. Either way, though, Just use field tile at the top. Where it goes up by the hood, you ca just continue the field. If you have other places where it'll be open on top, you can simply add a piece of bullnose to the top of the field tile, so that the bullnose extends up past the bottom of the upper cabinets, as shown in the following picture:

I have seen homes with what the builder called a "bonus room" that could be finished out later. They are usually off a hallway and closed out, used as walk-in attic space until someone decides they have a greater need for the space finished out. I don't think anyone would offer less for a home like that than another 4 BR home of similar square footage and other features. In fact, they might offer more because of the easy access to seasonal storage and easy conversion to another room if they need it. I wouldn't expect to be able to sell it as a 5BR with the higher square footage though. It would compare with 4BR 2500 sq ft homes but have easy access storage space (called a TX basement here) or a potential additional room -- a bit of a bonus, but likely no as much as that space finished out. It sounds like you are underwater now -- the house is worth less than when you bought it. Finishing out the space may or may not change that. I think what happens in the marketplace will make a greater difference on your bottom line, but I don't see that you couldn't expect to get at least the $6K back at resale. I'm in TX, not the NE, so its a very different market, but 400 sq ft could add $40,000 - $60,000 to the price of a newer and/or custom home in a good neighborhood ($100-150 sq ft). If you added a bathroom, the price could go up another $10,000 or more. But that assumes there is a demand for larger homes with more rooms and that the house wouldn't be overbuilt for your neighborhood in terms of BRs and sq footage. The other thing I would consider is that you have different market trends -- smaller and more efficient houses on the one hand and homes for larger families and extended families on the other. Yours might play well into the later with more rooms for families with a lot of children or space for mom and/or dad when they can't be living on their own. That's something that's hard to put a value on (though senior care can be $3-6K month or more), but I've personally known several families who have had those place for Mom & Dad searches. For them, the right place was priceless. The question is whether your neighborhood is attractive to the families that will face those issues in 5-10 years. If not, having a built-in storage room might be the more attractive option.

Lori - I don't have Pure White or White Dove trim. I do have BM Ballet White (eggshell) on my walls with Swiss Coffee baseboards, doors & ceiling. The Swiss Coffee was painted many years ago and is likely Dunn Edwards brand or a paint match to that color. The Ballet White was painted last summer and I used the BM brand. It was so much work to paint myself, so I left the doors and baseboards to remain their original Swiss Coffee color. I did paint the dining room chair rail Ballet White (semi-gloss) because I really wanted it to blend in with the walls. I hope that this summer I have the energy to paint the doors and baseboards because I would like them, also, to be Ballet White (semi-gloss). Ballet White Walls with Swiss Coffee Trim & Ceiling Dining Room Photos Below are: Ballet White (eggshell) with Ballet White Chair Rail (semi-gloss) and Swiss Coffee Baseboard (semi-gloss)

My go to is finding a tile in a collection. Floor Floor, walls and shower floor choices that already match. Our recent bathroom, we used Happy Floors Citrus. Shower walls polished, floor unpolished and an unpolished mosaic ifor the shower floor. I have trued coordinating myself, it just doesnt work once I got the tile samples home to view.