Answering some questions: 1) How is the house so clean? The entire ripout happened in one day. The contractor -- who is a very good friend (hope that lasts) -- put plastic around the kicthen area and around all the stuff in the living room. Apparently they made a gigantic mess, like one full big truck full, but cleaned it all up by 5:30 p.m. Since then, of course, dust is settling everywhere. 2) What do the cherry cabinets look like? Here's a pic that shows the scaled-down cabinet door, the glass tile backsplash and the sort-of Typhoon Bordeaux granite (same lot, but not this piece): 3) Sound-proof insulation in the ceiling? Yes, we already had that and it will be replaced. Well, it was standard insulation. It does help tone down the plumbing sounds from above and the TV sounds from going upstairs. 4) Grocery store rotisserie chicken? Hey, good idea? We will get one Sunday when they are on sale! 5) Paint color, right now we are considering Benjamin Moore Wilmington Tan for all the downstairs rooms except the dining room. That will be Storm Cloud Gray. 6) What has happened since the rip out? The contractor drew out the coffered ceiling on the floor and today the plumber came and raised all the hanging plumbing to allow the 12-inch soffit.

Thanks, guys! Great info. MarinaGal, love some pics. You are too kind. Kitchen dude said the walls looked nice and plumb. I will go lay a level across the existing tile and see what I see. The house was built in '96 and nothing seems to have settled. Old formica was straight. But I realize there are no guarantees. It does worry me a little. Oceangirl67 -- peel and stick tiles to level it up, do you mean? And then lay your ceramic tiles over that? Thanks.

I am glad you are having them do it right. If it helps, I had similar tile put in a guest bathroom shower. It had to be torn out and redone by another contractor, who specializes in tile. Later the tile specialist contractors approached me about doing my pool water line, but the cost for installation for a large pool was over 20k! I said no thank you and bought standard pool blue tiles. BTW I orignally had mosaic tiles in the pool but I tore them out. They were too busy looking (too many colors), but yours are beautiful and I am excited to see the end product! I looked at a similar color from Oceanside, but was scared to go ahead with it with a different contractor, because the 20k was too much I thought. One thing about mosaics is that there is more grout to get dirty, so you have to stay on top of keeping it clean. I cant wait to see the finished product because these are exactly what I almost put in my pool until I got the 20k quote.

being there only for a short time, i would do the least possible. get a large indoor/outdoor rug for kitchen as stated above keep appliances if working properly keep counters if in good shape. you will have your 'stuff' on them so u won't see as much. why spend $$ for granite etc...?? i wouldn't even put a b/s., just paint put a big, bold piece of art on wall with double windows, it will take away from the elements you don't like... i would just minimize what u don't like and accent features that u do, like the fireplace and the view! you said u have a budget so money as an object, save it for the new build because you spend more there than you ever thought.....