I'm a little gun-shy as far as trying another brand that I'm not familiar with. When I originally researched this, I went with the Cheviot tub filler based on not finding complaints. Boy, was that stupid. Because in hindsight, I didn't find glowing reviews either. The Cheviot tub filler continues to run full force for about 6 seconds after shutting off the water and then drips for another 10 seconds, leaving a puddle of water on the floor behind the tub. The wand does the same thing. According to Cheviot, this is normal. I'll be damned if I'm setting out a bowl to catch dripping water every time I use my brand new tub. I have had good luck with Kohler, Moen, Grohe, and to a lesser extent, Hansgrohe. I intend to stick with something from those brands. There is a comparable filler by Toto that's a stretch but probably no more expensive than building the pedestal, topping it with quartz, re-doing the wainscot, painting, buying a roman deck set etc. I need to find some glowing reviews about Toto!

I also have experience with both. Naturally, I agree it is a matter of personal taste, but a few additional pros/cons: * Having the deck to put candles, soaps, extra books, glass of wine, bath oils, whatever, can be very nice. * When comparing costs, remember that you save money on installation of the freestanding styles because you don't need to buy the stone deck top or tiles, and the labor to build the surround, etc. So while many freestanding styles cost a little more, depending on what models you choose and what type of deck top you would select, the freestanding may end up being less expensive. * To take full advantage of the beauty of many freestanding styles, it may depend greatly on your layout. They seem particularly well suited to being placed in front of beautiful windows, with ample space around them. Personally, I think they lose something if they are sort of shoehorned in somewhere. But of course, that's just a matter of judgment. Good luck! I think you can't go wrong either way--both styles can be beautiful.

How about ceiling mount- the kohler purist suite is really cool and would be very at-home in a zen bath :)

Is the den a feature of the master bedroom? How does the bath relate to the master? You don't want to get to the front door and remember to go back and get a jacket in that closet; what a trek! I think the den closets need to be incorporated into a gutted bath to add some square footage into the footprint of the bath. Put dual sinks under the two windows and put a free standing tub out in the floor area so it can be a feature, and so your housekeeper can keep the floor around it clean. You could also incorporate the WIC into the bath and change the den to a dressing room/closet.