beverly, I had been trying to figure out how to keep the piano away from the windows (supposedly bad for the piano) while also needing to keep the piano's opening to face the room (to allow the sound to carry). so your placement is brilliant, thank you!! the only thing is DH and I do need extra seating in there so that our whole family can hang out, otherwise i think this room may never be used (like our last living room). justgotabme, i finally drew my room and furniture to scale. the chairs and the piano are a lot larger than I had drawn before, unfortunately, so the chairs on either side of the bookshelf will not fit and piano in the lower corner will jut out too much. inspired by all the layout changes, i played around some more to try to squeeze in a chaise or sofa. what do you all think? will it feel too crowded? i was wondering what the minimum aisle space is needed to access the sliding doors? nosoccermom, thanks for the link to that loveseat. it is really nice. the lorimer chaise also caught my eye and is also on sale, so i will stop by westelm tomorrow to check them out. thanks! msrose, the duchateau floors have held up fine. we have been using them for 3 months now, prior to that, our sloppy contractor installed them too early IMO and they got a lot of abuse by his crew. we have not oiled them at all yet. i am not sure how easy it will be, but my understanding is that it is just like mopping.

I'd have to say Ruth McDowell too. I have always loved her landscapes particularly the plaid ones. There's also a local quilter named Sue Rasmussen. I don't believe she's ever had a book published and I don't know if she has a website but I linked to some photos I found of a couple of her quilts. She works in so many styles it's amazing. Many of her quilts are highly detailed and many others are very whimsical. They're all knock outs and beautifully made. Here is a link that might be useful: Sue's professional photographer's site

Since the focus is on finding fault, and not finding a solution, the one at fault here is primarily the homeowner. She can not have really expected everyone to do the same level of work for semi free / discount as she would have gotten by paying full price. I volunteer my services with several non profit projects, but in no case does anyone receive the level of hand holding and decision coaxing that a fully paid client would receive. You want to be that much of an indecisive PIA? You gotta pay for the privilege. Otherwise, pick beige or gray, stop whining, and move forward. The trades are also at fault for agreeing to do any of this on a less than fully paid professional contract as well. They paid the price of a priceless education though. TANSTAAFL. Things get paid for one way or another.

I agree with you that shower doors make one feel somewhat closed in, especially for a taller or larger person, and they are a hassle to keep crystal clear. It is wonderful to shower in a wall-free space. The wall-free showers I have been in seem much larger than yours, although it is difficult to discern the measurements of your space in a photo. I am sorry you got the proverbial pig in a poke with this interior designer. She may have a degree but not that much experience, especially with bathrooms. There is a sub-specialty of interior designers that are certified kitchen bathroom interior designers that have extra training and experience in kitchens and bathrooms and pass examinations, etc. Just in case you get over the disappointment of this re-model and think about doing another bathroom or your kitchen. I hope you come to an acceptable solution.