Someone locally is selling a new, misordered white Kohler Purist tub for like 1/3 of normal cost, and I almost jumped at until I realized it had BubbleMassage and not the Effervescence i wanted (tiny bubbles rather than the usual big ones that quickly float to the surface and pop). I'm still intrigued with this tub - it, and its rectangular cousin the Kohler Sok, are like bathing in your own personal infinity pool. It's also a rare 2-person tub configured so you can either face each other or (my preference) face the same direction side by side, both in reasonable comfort. But I just can't fit a 46"w tub in this house (and thats before the obligitory deck built around it) so it will have to wait until my next move, which hopefully won't be too long in the future. Things I like in a bathroom that I really have: another Ikea Godmorgan sink cabinet (4' long x 18") with Odensvik sink - what an incredible use of space with those four deep wide drawers, thanks to the sink drain plumbing that's quickly pushed to the back, and the glossy drawerfronts, full extension drawer glides, soft-close feature, and wall hangability, along with the thick, glossy glazed ceramic top and nice chrome pulls I used, fool everyone into thinking it's seriously high-end stuff. As with a previous poster, the 18" rather than 21" depth went a long way to making the room feel roomier, since the deeper vanity would have been right up against the door opening. Since the Ikea sink doesn't have a backsplash, I put large ceramic tiles on the wall that look like Carrara marble. Nestled amonst those tiles between the sink and medicine cabinet is a 4" tall strip of glass/marble/metallic accent tile from Porcelanosa. Like everything else at that modernist boutique, it's expensive, but since I didn't need much it didn't matter, and the presense of obviously luxury-grade accent tiles further disguises that everything surrounding it came from Lowes or Ikea. Ditto the Pfister Kenzo waterfall faucet, which only set me back about $125. Looks 4x the price it is. California Faucets thermostatic tub/shower valve. Central lever controls temperature, with temperatures embossed in the metal, giving it the appearance of a dial on a nice wristwatch; just set your favorite temp and it keeps it. Below and above the large temperature control are two smaller levers for water volume control that can be used one at a time or both at once, for tub spout and shower, or fixed shower and hand shower, without the need for a seperate diverter control. All three controls fit on either a round or rectangular metal bezel, and there are loads of styles and finishes to choose from. Higher than average flow rate too. Much better than the Hansgrohe thermostatic valve I used in another room. An infrared heat lamp strategically positioned in the ceiling in front of the mirror and vanity cabinet, right under where you stand in front of the sink and mirror whilst drying off and styling hair. Also on the ceiling is a Broan QTR080L exhaust fan/light - very quiet, and the light uses a standard bulb instead of some funky compact fluorescent lamp that can only be purchase from an electrical specialty store, which is the norm for new exhaust fan/lights it seems. I put a retrofit LED bulb in there, which makes it even more efficient than the fluorescent bulbs most of these force you to use, and it gives off a more natural light too. Toto Drake II commode (or its skirted cousin, Vespin II). High quality, doesn't clog, perfect 16-1/2" height, cleans the side of the bowl extremely well (rare in 1.28gpf toilets), has two large water outlets instead of dozens of tiny holes that collect mildew so you can toss your toilet brush away. It's also slender so the space around it looks roomier in tight spaces. I used the Church 1720 slow-close seats from Lowes, which cover up most of their own seams at the back further easing cleaning (the lid on these sticks out about 1/2" beyond the seat and bowl underneath which looked odd at first, but that lets you lift the lid without touching the sometimes soiled parts underneath which I like). Also from Lowes, the Kohler recessed medicine cabinets mirrored inside and out, 26"h with several widths available, most for under $200. Would like them even better if the hinges allowed the doors (mirrored on the inside) to open further, but replacement hinges are available if you need that. Still, these look very elegant and are also very functional, with height-adjustable glass shelves. Home Depot has similar units with doors that swing open further, but they're not as well made. In another bathroom I used the Lowes Allen + Roth 31"w x 22"d vanity top in Blue Pearl, my favorite granite color, which was only $200 a few months ago but has risen in price some since. It's available in several other colors and widths too, all including an oval white undermount bowl. Still a good deal for a high quality granite top that fits atop loads of stock cabinets, though I'd prefer if it weren't pre-drilled for an 8" widespread faucet, generally ruling out using a single-hole or wall-mount faucet. These aren't stocked in stores, but they're not truly custom/built-to-order, probably sitting in a warehouse somewhere, and there's only about a one-week turnaround if you order from their website and pick up in their stores. These do include a backsplash, and a sidesplash is available too. Finally, nice sculpted lever handles on the bathroom doors, which allow them to be opened by pushing upward using the top of your hand if it's wet or soapy. I'm not a germophobe, but I like being able to do this before I'm about to eat a meal and want my hands to be clean and disinfected, and have guests over who may not have washed their hands after using the restroom. When used in the normal fashion, pushing downward with your palm, they're easier to open than round knobs.

3z3z3 - a separate post on kitchens would get you more help. if you want to set things up more for handicap/injury use be sure to post that. any of us can get an injury that will cause mobility problems at any time. about 14 yrs ago now (wow... that long ago?) I broke my knee cap. that was painful... and painful to move around. and I'll tell you it was painful to get down/up on/from the toilet. horrible pain. we don't normally realize how much weight / use we need from our hips, thighs, legs to do these normally simple normal life things. when I moved to my new place I did what I could to make things easier for me now and in the future. it started with it having a tubless shower. no more climbing over a tub edge! that's made a world of difference for me! I put in levers on doors and changed a floor (nice one too) that had a too high lip on it from the hallway and DR area. and have plans to change out the bathroom / kit faucets to 1 lever handle. I had some vinyl plank flooring put in cause I do fall frequently (more than normal people) and wanted a softer landing. also, if there's a leak, it'll be easier for me to pull up so subfloor doesn't stay soaked. no cabinet handles with sharp ends and at least a 1.25" projection - also at least 5" long. plenty of room for getting my fingers in/around the handle. the no sharp ends is in case I do fall, nothing sharp to hurt me. I also made sure the place was big enough that I could get around with a walker or wc. I have plans to have 1 lower cabinet changed to drawers in the kitchen (it doesn't have many cabs anyway). I do have a good sized pantry off the side of the kitchen where I could keep more things if necessary. and a ramp is in the back of my mind. unless something rushes it, it'll probably be 2 yrs or so down the road. I have 4 steps in/out any ext doors. I recently bought an AF to use instead of the oven (mostly). some of that is that I'm single and what I use the oven for is usually very little. I also bought a 1 pot cooker (3.5 qt) so I could hopefully use less 'pots' for cooking and not use the stove. this pot will cook something for the time set and then go to 'warm'. if I doze off or forget about it, it won't burn anything up like the stove burner would. I'm also considering an induction hot plate for when I do want/need an actual burner. I think it's less likely to cause a fire than my electric coil stove top burner. I can't remember when I ever had need of more than 1 burner. I lived in the old place 14 yrs with a 1 burner hot plate and survived nicely. Then i'll probably just detach the coils and cover the top - maybe with a piece of SS.

As long as there was a logical place to put a dishwasher without screwing up the latout of the kitchen I'd be content. I have no interest in a second sink in the bathroom. I could say the same thing. I am going to have a dishwasher one way or another -- I wouldn't mind installing one myself, but I'd expect the price to reflect the not-cheap additional plumbing and the appliance itself. I see two sinks as a negative in the master bathroom. Wasteful, something extra to break, something extra to clean. I wouldn't say I'd refuse to buy a house with repetative sinks ... but it would be a strike against that house.

Well,I’ve never seen a permanent match before! I suppose you have to replace the wick from time to time, but how cool! Well, now I need new lighters. But, I know a couple of the empty Bic lighters I have in a drawer are refillable, I just never have done it! I have a question about lighters. I noticed that when I set it down after lighting the candles for supper, afterwards the surface I set it on might be discolored, because the tip of the wand is still hot. Now I set it on a tile. Where do you keep your wand lighters?