All fall leaf colors are the result of specific chemicals/compounds being left in the leaf as the tree begins to withdraw nutrients back into the stems and trunk for the winter. I beleive Maple colors are highly dependant on the sugar content in the leaves. So you might want to try a little light fertilizer (organic if possible) and see if this perks up the colors. Weather also plays a crucial role here, which you can't do much about I'm afraid! I bought a Hogyoku this year which I have planted in full sun. So far its doing pretty well (see pix) I'm anxious to see if the colors turn out as advertized! Regards, K4 Hogyoku

Hmm I'd never thought about the taller toe kick before - that's a great idea! Are your LEDs hardwired then? I'm not as sold on the built-in bench as DH. I think he imagines more "steamy" shower sessions than I do (IYKWIM). I've been looking at those fold down/wooden benches and I think he's warming to the idea. I also am not totally confident in built-in benches for water tightness. Will definitely consider this. The code here for toilet space is indeed 30" - we have a little less in our current bathroom (like 28) and I'm not sure how we passed inspection. Anyway, the pony wall kind of defeats the purpose of the curbless shower but if we have to go curbed I'll definitely reconsider this. It'll be cheaper than glass! enduring that vanity is amazing - I love the idea of furniture as fixtures. Very classy and thanks for the advice! We'll have an exhaust fan installed where the heat lamps are currently - those things terrify me!! All the electricity is wired to the exterior wall, you are correct. We're having new ductwork run through the entire house, so I'll have to consult with the HVAC guy next week about where to put the vent - it'll come up from below so I'd probably have him mount it under the glass block window on the floor. I do like the idea of putting it under the vanity though - and it would be even easier if we did the tall recessed toe kick like you guys have mentioned. Do you find that your lotions and stuff stay nice and warm in the winter? Haha added bonus! Again, great ideas! What do you all think about in-floor heating? Would it work under a "wet-room" situation? I'm having my doubts about the life expectancy of those electrical systems and doubly worried about it setting my house on fire. Since we're ripping out an existing bathroom, I'm not sure what the subfloor looks like. Would the thickness of the electric tiles under the floor screw up the slope for the bathroom? We're having hardwoods installed in the bedroom and I don't don't don't want a transition strip in the doorway - in fact I'm not even sure if we can with the pocket door. Either way I'm worried the extra thickness plus the mortar he'll need to use for the tile plus then the tile on top would put us above where we'd need to be to have a flush transition with the wood. Did you guys contend with that?

I think everyone found it...lower RH corner, the green pipe has been extended in the right picture...covered by a black pipe in the left.

You probably can mix and match components from different vendors; once a pipe leaves a fixture, valve, etc., the next item in the piping doesn't care what was before it.