I used to watch it. Some of it's first design shows were OK. But then it degenerated into more TV than design. When I found myself shouting at the screen over some crap they inflicted on someone or they had some self important and indulgent teenagers searching for million dollar homes, I quit watching. Unfortunately, it does seem to be popular with many of my clients. And I have to disabuse them of the notion that a kitchen can be done on 2K in 2 days. Even on one of the shows that actually does discuss a true kitchen budget, the labor numbers are always way low because they are subsidizing it. In the real world, there is no way that a 50K budget for a redo ends up with only 7K worth of labor costs. And, I think it's a huge disservice to their viewership to present such fiction cloaked as fact. "It's TV entertainment, not real life." is a line that I often have to repeat to people who didn't really do their research before beginning the process.

Oh my! I apologize for creating a stir. My intention was not to bash those that live in larger than average size homes. I think that we can all agree that some people just dont need as much space as others but itÂs not right for those people to discount other peopleÂs lifestyles. However living in a larger, less efficient home definitely has a negative impact on our environment and the new building trend is definitely leaning towards sustainability. This should be acknowledged and accepted by all. The purpose of the posting was to see whether or not 1,100 sq ft for a two bedroom unit is acceptable for most people. I think more accurately, my posting should be asking if 750 sq ft for a one bedroom loft is acceptable, as well as 350 sq ft for a studio. And yes, I realize that in Honolulu everything is much smaller. That was another purpose of my posting, to see if other parts of the mainland US are starting to shift towards smaller more efficient home design, something that Honolulu has been doing since the beginning of time. Condos and single family homes did increase in size since 1940. For example, a two bedroom condo or duplex in 1940 had an average size of about 500 sq ft. Today, the average size is about 850 sq ft. Single family homes increased from an average 3 bedroom home of about 1000 sq ft in 1940 to about 1700 sq ft today. So the increase is not quite as dramatic as that in the US mainland. We are seeing a slight shift in home size in todayÂs new buildings but I donÂt think itÂs as dramatic from what IÂve seen in the US mainland. But thatÂs probably because we didnÂt experience a "size run-up" like the mainland did. And for the record, I wanted to copy and paste a follow up I created on another category on the GardenWeb forums about a week ago. It describes how the 3 levels were actually split up to accommodate multi-person living. You will see that my design was not intended for ONE person , ONE couple, or ONE family to live on all three floors. The design is such that the home can be shared by extended family (for example grandma on the fourth floor, children on the second and third). But they have their own kitchens, bathroom and living area. I completely agree that a 1,100 sq ft home spread across three floors makes no sense. But if you NEVER had to access the spiral stair case at all, would it still be an issue? Hopefully the follow up I created below will lead to clarification. Original post follows (sorry, itÂs quite long) The units are being built and sold OR rented (I may end up renting the property instead of selling) as "hybrids". Meaning that the unit originally built as a 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath can be converted into a one bedroom loft AND separate studio with completely separate living spaces. Let me explain how this works and then maybe the elevator concept will make more sense. Imagine 5 units in a single row configuration, just like a typical townhouse layout in San Francisco for example. Each unit is tall and skinny (3 stories of living space, garage at basement) and butt up to each other. From the outside you will see units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, in a row from left to right with shared common walls. Each unit has an identical floor plan that consists of: First floor is a parking garage Second floor consists of a kitchen, living area and powder room Third floor consists of a one bedroom loft (you can see down to the living room below) and full bath. Fourth floor consists of a one bedroom, full bath and wet bar (essentially a full kitchen without a full size range). There are two staircases  one staircase is an average size if maybe on the smaller size spiral staircase that runs from the parking garage level to the top floor (fourth). There is access via the spiral staircase by door at the parking level, as well as a door at the second floor entry (kitchen and living) and another door at the fourth floor (one bedroom, full bath and wet bar). The spiral staircase, however, bypasses the third floor (it spirals past the third floor but does not allow access) and therefore does not allow entry to the third floor (one bedroom full bath loft). This is where the second SEPARATE staircase comes in which allows access from the kitchen/living area to the loft bedroom above (access from the second floor to the third floor). This second staircase is on the opposite side of the condo. If you wanted to get to the fourth floor from the living/kitchen area you would have to take the spiral staircase and bypass the second floor bedroom loft. The spiral staircase is essentially converted to a common area if the units were split up. If kept as a two bedroom condo, the spiral staircase is a private stairway much like any stairway in a house. The elevator would be of three-stop design. It would start at the parking level (first stop), then stop at the second floor (second stop) and the last stop would be at the fourth floor (third stop). Like the spiral staircase, the elevator would bypass the third floor altogether. Again, the third floor is ONLY accessible by the separate staircase (non-spiral) on the opposite side of the condo that is accessible from the living area (second floor). Confused yet? I apologize if you are. IÂm trying my best to outline my design via words. So the 4-story property can essentially be split into two separate living spaces  a one bedroom loft and studio. The elevator would allow easy access to the studio unit (if converted to two separate units) and I felt it was necessary. Who wants to walk up 4 stories to get into their unit? I figured that if the property was converted into two units, the resident of the studio would always use the elevator to access his/her unit, while the resident occupying the one bedroom loft would simply traverse the spiral staircase one floor to get to his/her unit. He/she living in the one bedroom loft could still use the elevator (all entries to each floor via elevator are keyed) in the case furniture, groceries or other large heavy items need to be transported. The elevator is large enough to fit a wheelchair and can fit most appliances and furniture. Large furniture may not fit. Reason for this design is that many people in Hawaii buy a home and rent out a portion of it to help cover the mortgage. Cost of living here is ridiculous, and housing is the biggest expense. Extended family living is also very popular here so the ability to separate one unit into two becomes very attractive. Keep in mind this place is being built in dense urban Honolulu, in downtown. The average one bedroom is about 600 sq ft, studio about 375 sq ft and 2 bedroom about 900 sq ft (we have to be much more efficient with space here). Without splitting the unit into two, the two bedroom is about 1,100 sq ft. If the property was split into a one bedroom and studio, the size would be 750 and 350 sq ft respectively, well within the acceptable size range for the area.

Place I'm staying during my remodel has polished brass. I notice it every time I walk in. And not in a good way. Even though it may be trendy now (this stuff went in a long time ago), it's still not common and stands out. I guess I don't want my hardware to stand out that much. The finish is also deteriorating. Ick. My alternative to chrome, which is just too bright for me, is polished nickel. It has a little color to it and is (to me) classic. And Cal Faucets has a PVD polished nickel which has a lifetime guarantee. As I understand it, polished nickel is fairly easy to match. All the faucets are coming from Cal Faucets but the bath drain hardware will come from Kohler. I'm comfortable that any difference won't bug me (I'm somewhere in the middle of pickiness on this: more than some, less than others.) I'm using oil rubbed bronze for my door hardware but polished nickel for all my plumbing hardware.

Those are all beautiful rooms, Holly. I think part of the problem with both beige and gray as trendy colors is how they are used. When you see a gray room without any contrast, color or texture, it's too much. The same goes for relentlessly beige and tan rooms I have seen, filled with brown leather sofas and not an once of color to relive the tedium. People who are not as attuned to interiors as say designers or decorating amateurs see a Joanna Gains gray interior, but they miss all the other parts that make the room work. The color is easy to pick out for everyone, the details, which make the design work blend into the background for those who dod not look at interiors a lot, or critically.