I am in Northern Virginia too and vanities are the thing i spent the most time researching so you've come to the right place! I made a couple trip to Maryland and only found a couple places in NoVa. Thomas Somerville is a chain of bath/kitchen/plumbing stores with amazing showrooms. I found the one in Falls Church (lots are in suburban Maryland, link below to all locations and brands they have on the floor). I found it really late in the process. The salesman I met there sent me quotes on everything I was about to order, and you can see samples of everything. Vanities, faucets, tubs, shower doors, toilets, definitely worth a trip. They were higher in price than Lowes. You can make your choices there and order someplace else if you choose. You could also ask them to match a price. I went online to Lowes and applied for the Moving Discount coupon code (I was moving a bathroom around so I justified it!). I am now a big Lowes lover for all the great customer service and good prices I found there for everything. Check Ferguson Plumbing too. I suggest call first to ask what they have to show on the floor so you don't waste a trip. http://www.ferguson.com/Showrooms/showrooms_index.shtml Reico Kitchens carries the vanity cabinetry line I used: Executive Cabinets (search the thread here "expresso vanity" to see details and a photo of how I ordered and what I got). Reico dot com has a link to their showroom locator with one in Falls Church and one in Springfield. Here is a link to Reico's gallery of bath photos including a photo of a furniture style vanity http://www.reico.com/main/v-6-bath.aspx Plumbing Parts Plus in Rockville Maryland was worth a trip too. You have to take a number to be waited on but you can explore while you're waiting. PLUMBING PARTS PLUS INC. 12172 Nebel St. Rockville, MD 20852 Phone: 301.881.1001 Web Site: http://www.plumbingpartsplus.net/ The Great Indoors is in Gaithersburg but one Sunday afternoon I drove up there and saw lots of vanities, all high quality. Difficult to get a salesman that day so all I did was look. Don't discount ordering a vanity from a kitchen cabinet place. It's then called bath cabinetry and all the lines I saw made furniture style. You can order it exactly the width, height, depth, wood, stain and door/drawer combo you want and I found the prices were less than ordering somthing like a Ronbow or Xylem Iris online. It helps a lot to have the cabinet salesman advise you and show you all the wood samples and the catalog. I am really glad I did this. Know that it takes 8 weeks to arrive from the order date....that was a shocker to me and delayed my project but it's a perfect fit for my room. Here is a link that might be useful: Maryland & Virginia bath showrooms Thomas Somerville

runningplace, you describe the closets I have in this house. I regret not putting in systems. They absolutely would made better use of the space. That area under the hanging clothes if basically wasted in one of mine. The other one has shelves that are always a mess. I would have been better off with a couple of drawers to hold certan things and some shelves. Right now the space at the bottom of that closet is piled with cr@p and if I want something I have to take everthing out to reach it. So yes, figure out what you need to store and go for a system. Thanks for the article, quite informative. I'm not a collector or hoarder of things, but just getting to my stuff I need, is a hassle. While we're talking about closet organization let me throw this out. I was reading an article or something some organizer wrote and the one thing that hit home for me was one question to ask yourself about your stuff and tht is "Do you have things in your cabinets and closets that should actually be in long term storage, say in a garage?" When I read this I realized I was using my cabinets and closets for long term storage and was taking up needed space for items I use on a regular basis. jenanla, thanks for that information. I didn't realize Lowe's carried Rubbermaid. I've only been to HD to check so far. Since playing around with some systems on line, I realize the kits are the way to go, as you suggest.

I do not have time to read all of this, but want to encourage you to peruse and search this site for lawsuit, shoddy cabinets, etc. There are quite a few of us that ended up in court because we hired the wrong person. Knowing all that I know now, and knowing how the courts operate, I would never give my good CASH money to any small business again. NEVER. Now, IF you use a credit card and have a GOOF-PROOF, most excellent contract with every dot and tittle expressed, numbered, named, excellent drawings and inspiration photos all signed by you AND the cabinet maker so there is no mistaking exactly what you want or expect at the end of the contract, and have a finished sample door style and color (usually half goes to you, half goes to the cabinet maker), THEN and only then would I consider doing business. The credit card company will do and CAN do what no court will ever do without it costing you big dollars, the CC Company can credit you back for bad cabinets or not being satisfied. You see, the small guy has a contract with the CC co. and he is not guaranteed money "no matter what" he does. My case in point is just as suggested you do above, however, I paid CASH. I won in court, but CabFiascoGuy (as I call him here on GW) was incorporated and changed his business name. I would have had to hire another company to chase down his assets. The judge just said to call it even and we both go our own way. I got shoddy cabinets with a hideous finish, not as I ordered, crappy paint job, appliances did not fit, etc. (research my name). I am almost THREE YEARS OUT and am just now finishing my kitchen. I have hired five people to help do different aspects. Repainted four times (another story, but I ended up finishing them myself). Had to have all cabinets taken down, modified, reinstalled. 34 or so new doors ordered (all with a profile I HATE and did not choose.) . So, knowing how crappy it is to get involved with a company with not much to lose except a business name...is not anything I will EVER do again. I will MAKE myself be happy with something from a big box store. An extra month to wait for cabinets should something have to be reordered??? PUH=LEEZE!!! I have the patience of a saint now. I'm so patient now, I haven't bought a new car in almost 7 years because I'm willing to wait until the new models come out...then for a spring sale...then year end...and so on. I was NEVER like this before this cabinet fiasco. Thanks for listening. Be cautious. Even "nice people" can end up in court. Desperate people can do despearate things. Promise you the moon for the right price and persuade you to do business. I cannot afford to ever make the same mistake twice. PS. If a local guy will do business with about 25% down (using cc still), then I would be willing to pay cash once the cabinets were installed and I was smiling. This is about the only scenario I could agree with using a small cabinet maker.

In response to you wondefully, thorough post Mrs Pete: - You're using all your exteriors on windows /glass doors, which will allow for wide-open spaces and lovely natural light ... but where are your bookshelves? Your artwork? And you have little storage downstairs. Great point! And we do want book shelves and I have quite a bit of art. But I think once the architect is told that the study and tv room must be separate rooms completely it might bring in some more walls. - Is someone going to live full time in that staff room? If so, it needs to be bigger. I mean, the person'll want to have at minimum a TV and some books for evenings. Staff room is way too small! - How wide is that scullery /laundry room? I'm assuming it's going to fulfill the function of what we'd call a "mudroom" -- meaning, a place to hang your jacket, take off your shoes, children could leave their backpacks. I think it might benefit from a bit more width. Note that when that door opens to the courtyard, it blocks off passage through this room; a slider would be more practical. I think it's 2.2 metres but it needs to be at least 2.4 m wide (I measured our current one we're living in now which we like) - What's your thought process on the Lounge + adjacent TV room? With no doors between, you're not going to have acoustical privacy. I think these rooms might be more functional if they were separated ... how about flip-flopping the TV room and the guest room? - What's your thought process on the Lounge + adjacent TV room? With no doors between, you're not going to have acoustical privacy. I think these rooms might be more functional if they were separated ... how about flip-flopping the TV room and the guest room? Definite no go! TV room must be separate and with a close-able door - The feature staircase isn't going to be much of a feature if it's encased with walls on both sides. I'd think you'd want to open on one side ... maybe to the TV room. Haha! Great point! Wouldn't have noticed that myself. Thanks! - Why go with a hall bath right next to a guest bath? Inch for inch, bathrooms are the most expensive rooms in a new build ... I'd definitely eliminate the hall bath and have guests use the guest bath. As said we are planning to host a lot and so privacy is quite important for our guests. But yes this one definitely is up for debate! Initially I said no guest toilet but now I've changed my mind. I'll let my wife decide! :D - Upstairs, the linen closet is very deep, but that isn't useful. If the door is any indication of the width, you'll only be able to have shelves on the far end, and that's not much storage for such a large room. Yup no need for a walk in closet - Ditto for the study ... if you widen it just 1', you'd be able to include floor-to-ceiling bookcases, which would be useful for a study. This is supposed to just be an open plan desk and shelves in the passage way for the kids to do homework. Something like this - I hate the idea of walking into the master suite and immediately seeing clothing storage. Is that a folding window wall at the foot of the bed? Yet it goes to nowhere? You're planning two sinks, but note that they'll have no storage -- not even drawers underneath. Where will you store towels, toilet paper? Where will you hang wet towels? Note that to close the door in this toilet-closet; because of the door swing, you'll have to squish yourself between the wall and the toilet. This suite needs a complete re-do. Completely agree about walking straight into a closet!?!? Well spotted? Where does that bedroom door go to? I'm not sure about the bathroom sinks but generally they have cupboards underneath them? So storage is sorted. Will double check what his thinking is with the door and the toilet and shower?! Great spot - The kids' bedrooms look nice, but their bathrooms are quite minimal, especially the sinks -- note that, like the master bath, the kids' have no storage at the sink. I'd rather go with one nice bath for them to share instead of two minimal baths -- especially since your teen isn't there full-time. Completely agree. Also we need a bath to bath the toddler. Will cut one bathroom. Although in the luxury end of South Africa the craze is currently all bedrooms to have their own bathroom. So I'm fighting a little bit against the market wishes here. - Overall, I think you're over-bathed. Three full time residents /one part time resident don't really need 4 1/2 baths. I'd focus instead on making the baths themselves a larger /nicer. I'd give up quantity for quality and space enough for hampers and storage. - I'm not into all the double-high spaces, but that's personal taste. I will say this though because you mentioned hardwood flooring. We once rented a lakeside cottage with lots of this very-open double-high space ... and it was LOUD because everything was hard: hardwood flooring, ceramic tile, glass walls. We agreed that it would've been more livable if it had contained some softer materials /something to absorb some sound: carpet, window coverings, etc. I have a feeling this house could fit into the same category. Yup! Totally agree! But I think we need it for more light as south facing houses down here can be very gloomy! And I hadn't thought of the noise. Thanks! Thanks so much for your input!!