don't like the merge much. I always found GW folks very helpful while Houzz is full of designers and builders modeling their wares (eye candy) and who often have no data on the items in the photos - you see lots of remarks such as "the owners bought it, I didn't keep the file, I don't recall but you could look at color X which is similar, we built that custom so contact us and we'll tell you how many thousands it will cost to have one just like it - - etc" or in most cases don't even bother to answer. I think if they post a photo to advertise themselves they should be required to list the appliances, main fixtures, paint color, and things like countertops that were used. That would reduce a lot of questions on Houzz and make the photos more useful. I depend on the knowledgeable people on GW who actually have experience with these things for reviews and opinions. A bunch of user names got changed in the merge which was not helpful. I'm attempting to use the forums again and I hope it improves. Chickadee I hope your health continues to improve. Welcome back!

Weird - I didn't even notice that the number of pictures went way down. It's very good information for anyone doing a reveal thread who enjoys before/after pictures. All the pics are copyright (me), not anyone's site. With the laundry room we're caught between a rock and a hard place. It's in the garage right now, a long trek from anywhere and it's complicated but there are water/drain/dryer vent issues that cannot be reconciled at that location. To move the washer/dryer to the area with three bedrooms we would completely lose a bedroom or bathroom. We no longer plan on having it directly off the master bedroom, however by process of elimination it will either be off the master bathroom or (large) master closet. Luckily both areas are ideal in terms of utilities/venting and where laundry is generated, and they're reasonably easy to access from the other three bedrooms. Wish we could have a dedicated laundry room but the floorplan of the house pretty much eliminates that possibility.

Lavender_lass, I don't know the details about your mare and little one, but it sounds HORRIBLE. I am so sorry you've lost your baby. And I hope the little one(s) recover. On another note, I can't decide if it's a blessing or a curse to be so easily recognizable. What if I want to go incognito? Huh? Ahhh well. It's a good thing that even IRL I stand behind what I say. I remain someone you either totally dislike, or get to know me and love my snotty little soul. :) Things continue to improve, although it's interesting that improvements involve giving back what we had in some form on GW. Being their first real venture into forums, I think they're doing a heck of a job. These boards are absorbed along with some very notable boards so it's a conglomeration of many details. Of course, iVillage didn't give a flying crap about what we'd like, given they'd already decided their format. I'm liking Houzz farrrrrrrr better.

Not only the Before & After forums get ugly comments, but other places bring out the "best" in people too. There was a photo that was published in a Caracole catalog. I really liked the fabric and was working with a client at the time who wanted a few Caracole pieces. I contacted the designer of the room and simply asked if the fabrics in the photo were custom or was it something Caracole offered (because I couldn't find that hot pink velvet in their selections). They told me it was custom. That was all I needed. So, I saw someone else post a question about where could they order the curtains in the picture (it was posted on Houzz). And no one answered the person, so I took it upon myself to let them know I found out that they were custom, and to check with an interior designer to help them out find something similar. Someone (not the original person with the question) left this comment: lizzybee17 I think that's a pretty ugly remark when you post photos on this site so you can advertise your work but won't answer someone's question . What a jerk! IM a designer and the only designers I know who won't give up sources ( especially for fabric ) are the ones who are not doing well. IM shocked at your arrogance. If you are that creepy about it you should have just said we DONT know! I sincerely hoped that they weren't directing that at me. I did a little looking and it was at the time the only post that this "lizzybee17" had ever made, and had not other photos or ideabooks linked to their profile. But it really reminded me of how someone can feel perfectly comfortable sitting anonymously behind a computer and just lashing out. I'm not sure where this person got the idea that anyone who posts a picture actually owes anyone anything. It's a photo. It's an inspiration. Someone paid that designer a lot of money for that design.