Lovely sense of style! Bravo! We investigated porcelain marble look-alike tile but we decided on real marble which we will have to care for without any acidic products. Beware that there is a repeating pattern in marble look-alike porcelain tile like (on wall paper which will give away the secret.) We found great deals on Amazon and at Lowes for Bianco Carrara subways, pencils, chair rails and floor and shower floor hexes (1/3 the price of tile stores). We found a gorgeous remnant for our shower bench at a marble and stone shop at an amazing price. I can't wait until it's done to post photos! But back to your house... it's gorgeous!

Teacats, funny you mention my daughter's room as a sanctuary-all day yesterday I kept thinking how as a teen, I would have loved to have something like what we were creating! I never had a room of my own growing up; there were six kids so it just wasn't possible. I can remember trying desperately to carve out some private space in our laundry room and once in a closet(!). Not to sound too pathetic because we always had what we needed, but I truly feel how important her personal space is for my daughter. Plus, now that she is 14 there are many, many moments when it is a pleasure for the WHOLE family for her to have someplace to go :). And Julie, you are right on target-I kept feeling like such a wasteful idiot for having bought such a wrong bed. I still won't break even but with what my sister is paying me for the old bedding the money hit isn't all that bad-and it really helps her since she needed a new bed anyway. And now the room looks so incredibly better, there is just no comparison. Today I kept things moving: my daughter and I finished going through her closet and drawers and that yielded 2 more huge bags for Goodwill and another large sack of trash. As per a tip I read here on OTH, I even took everything out of the closet, exchanged all the nasty dry cleaner wire hangers for plastic ones, and then we arranged her clothes by function. After that I primed and painted the bookcase. She had picked out a very royal blue for the color and at first I insisted on white (my preference). But I"m glad I gave in-she really loves the color and hey, it's her room. I"ll give it the final coat tomorrow and then the room is really done. Whew. Ann

I love this thread too! So many beautiful homes! Amber, I just took a look at your photos... such a terrific home! I liked all your bay/alcove windows, your fireplaces and your stairs best! I'd love to see some pics of the exterior. Looks like you have a victorian? Our home is modest compared to many here, but I love the victorian door hardware, and we have a twist doorbell too. The bell is still there but it makes a clacking sound more than a ring most of the time. Needs new inside parts! I also love our heart pine floors, wood work and porch. Maybe I'll post some pics later, just for fun. Hope others will post more photos. I love looking! Cheers, -Kim

From what I see in my research, it is all a matter of preference and type of style you are going for. Mostly today you see a lot contrast with colored walls paired with bright white trim, doors, and baseboards. This creates a lot of contrast if the wall color is particularly dark. I personally grew up in paneling hell in a sixties ranch house and everything in our house was stained wood.... walls, doors, trim. Yuck... I don't think I have ever seen doors painted the same color as the walls but, not the trim but, I am sure there are some that do it. I always assumed the doors would be the same as the trim except when you do interior black or dark, dark doors. In the house I am remodeling now, I painted the living room walls one color and the trim, doors, buildins and baseboards a slightly darker color but in the same color family for subtle variation when using shades of white. My husband swears he can't tell the difference in the colors and I had to convince him that was on purpose. I love the way it is just a hint different. In the dining room which has really low ceilings and is small, I decided to experiment and paint everything except the ceiling the same light blue color from Farrow & Ball. I love it too. I didn't paint the ceiling the same only because I understood that would make the ceiling seem even lower than it is now. Here's an excerpt from washingtonspaces.com/blog from a talk given by Farrow & Ball (the famous paint company) national sales associate and color consultant, Ann Palithrop. "... there are times when you might think about subtle color gradations on the trim, walls, and ceiling, rather than sharp contrasts. Paint the ceiling in a variation of the wall color, for example. That way, the ceiling will seem to disappear and make the room seem larger. If the ceiling is a stark white, it creates a sharp cutoff from the wall, confining the space. "Its all about layering colors," she said. Sometimes, its best just to use one color everywhere, especially in rooms where there is lots of trimwork all around. One consistent color allows your eye to roam around the space, instead of stopping and starting with each new piece of trim. As a result, other items, such as the kitchen shelving below with its colorful dishes, stand out more. Read more: http://www.washingtonspaces.com/blog/articles/2009/10/16/color-tips-from-farrow-and-ball#ixzz0Wc0V5lSj I just finished painting my dining room with walls, trim and doors all one color except in different finishes. Flat on the walls and eggshell on the trim and doors. I am liking it but, some people don't. Again it's personal preference. Here are some pics: My dining room You can see it better in this picture with the chair in it: This picture from House Beautiful also has walls, trim and doors same color Black doors are considered by many very classic In this pic they make the room very sleek and modern, with a high gloss finish Q: Should the trim color always be lighter than the walls? A: For contemporary settings, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, co-founder and editor of the blog apartmenttherapy.com, suggests painting trim one shade lighter than walls -- even if the walls are white -- to bring out "complexity and detail." In most traditional interiors with colored walls, white trim creates a clean, classic look. That said, darker or stained wood trim may be historically appropriate in period house styles such as Craftsman and Queen Anne. Just keep in mind: "Dark trim creates visual interruption that can make a room look busier and smaller," points out Susan English. This Old House: How to paint a room This is what is most typical now I think in most homes if they don't have stained woodwork.... doors, trim, baseboards in some shade of white Notice how the contrast is very stark but, also very pretty.