We relocated to CA a few years ago and don't see the negatives listed above. The traffic is no worse than when I lived in the NJ/NY/CT area and then in Boston. In all those areas you have to pay more to live in towns with the better schools and commute. Try commuting into Manhattan and LA starts to look pretty good ... you have to make sure you are comparing comparable cities/towns. It has been great not to deal with snow and I think the coldest overnight low this winter was around 45F. Summers without humidity and bugs are truly amazing!

They are talking about that right now on the Building forum. http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3354573/siding-options-cedar-hardie-clapboard?n=16

Thanks. It's an original O'Neil Ford home built in the early 50s. We're trying to preserve as much as possible while updating. My wife's been on a tear with finding vintage fixtures and furnishings. It's going to be an MCM museum when we're done, if I'm not broke by then. Any opinions on a backsplash behind the cooktop? We can get a piece of that granite to fit it for about $500 or do SS.

I'd change the shower shape so it's something like this red line: It takes advantage of your space and eliminates the need for that odd little door-opening space. It would also allow for a linen tower or small closet down towards the shower -- the spot where you're going to want to store towels. I'd put the shower itself on the right side (so it'll share the water wall with the sink), and you'll be able to have a towel rack (or hooks) on the far end of the towels -- without them getting wet. I've been carrying a tape measure to hotels and friends' houses for years now, and I consider 4x5 to be an ideal size -- my own current shower is 3x4, and it's adequate but could be better. 4x5 is very comfortable, even generous, but not so big that it's cold. You could include a stool in such a shower. I don't know if you're thinking about aging in place (many of us are), but if you go wider than 4' wide, you're reaching the point that your grab bars are too far apart to be useful. I agree with the above comments on pocket doors. They're great for, say, a laundry room door that stays open most of the time, but they're an awful choice for a bathroom. More difficult to open/close, and they do wear out over time. He drew in a built in tiled tub but I will use a modern free standing tub. I don't see that fitting in with MCM.