The biggest drawback to doing this is the amount of storage that you will need in order to house the items in a way that you can find them and lay hands on them when the time comes for them in the build. The other drawback is that for many items, you cannot see if they work or not unless you see them in the home already hooked up before they are taken out. Those type of items, like built in fridges, jetted tubs, etc. are ones that I would most likely skip buying second hand unless you are able to get a screaming good deal. (I'd skip buying a jetted tub second hand anyway unless it had never been installed--leading to the chicken/egg conundrum. They're pretty gross after they've been used.) One other thing to consider in your spreadsheet is your backup plan. There are going to be items that you think are right, but when it comes to install, will be the wrong color in the right light, or will have been damaged in storage, or you may have just not found seondhand. Be sure you know where you can get replacement items from, and rapidly. The longer your build goes one, the more costly it is to you, both in wear and tear on your nerves and your pocketbook.

I used antique walnut. After the first coat, I was running low (because of the 3 coats I did on the first try and I had a tiny container) so I bought another tiny java and mixed them together and that worked well too. I probably would have preferred all antique walnut. It's a nice dark brown without being super espresso.2 coats of antique walnut will be so nice. Brushing on with a foam brush and then wiping off with a sock in the direction of the grain will give you a nice, dark, stained (not painted) look. You will still see the grain for sure. I'll post some pics from my phone in a minute. I used arm-r-seal and it is very easy to apply. You wipe it on with a shop towel or old t-shirt. However it is oil based and so it has a longer dry and cure time than the water based. However the water based is kind of milky/hazy looking so I'm not sure how it would go over a darker wood finish. My table is wood on top with white skirting/pedestal that I painted. I used arm-r-seal on top (4 coats of gloss and the last 2 satin) and then for the base I did 2 coats of primer, 2 coats of white paint, 3 coats of satin high-performance on the pedestal and 5 coats on the skirt. I used all GF products, they have a good reputation and I'm happy with how they turned out. I'm doing the matching windsor chairs for the table right now (currently primed and about to do first coat of paint today). The prep is the longest and worst part but it's the part that makes the most difference in the finished product! Okay, here's the photo. top left, before touching the top, old orangey oak finish (after I painted the skirt and pedestal). top right, after stripping with citristrip and lightly sanding with 220 grit and cleaning with mineral spirits. Bottom left, after 1 coat of antique walnut, brushed on with foam brush, wiped off with sock in direction of grain. Bottom right, after 1 coat of antique walnut and 2 more coats of antique walnut mixed with java gel, and 6 coats of arm-r-seal (4 gloss, 2 satin). It is curing and we will start using it in about a week. We are a family with 3 young kids and I want to give it time to get as hardened as possible before my kids treat it like crap! citristrip is super duper easy to use, it's just a bit messy, but I did the entire thing inside because it was winter and also I don't have a garage so it was done in my upstairs landing area outside my bedroom! I had a tarp down, then a big flat piece of cardboard, and then I put plastic drop cloths on the walls around in case anything splattered because my walls were recently painted.

Do what you love because whatever you do will be out of style at some point down the line and unless you're planning on selling within 2 years, it won't make a hill of beans. Just keep the "feel" similar. So if your style is craftsman, keep it all somewhat craftsman. If your style is country french, keep it all somewhat country french. For example, we now have our condo on the market. Everyone thinks it's gorgeous, move in ready, etc. It can be seen HERE. Well wouldn't you know it, we have someone coming back today to see our place for the second time. She loves our place but hates that it has wood floors and not light tile (we are in FL) and she hates the granite countertops. My point being, you can't please everyone or even someone wanting to buy your place.

I just did the EXACT same project in my guest bath. Painted the vanity white, the walls seafoam green, ripped out an ugly cabinet & purchased the frame for the mirror (haven't put it up yet). This is the only pic I have handy to share, it was time consuming, but easy... i should've done it years ago. My advice is buy the BEST brushes/roller/tape your hardware store sells. Good luck!