Thanks sue_b. I'll try again! What color granite (or other boy-proof material) would you recommend for a rather traditional boys' bath with the floor pictured below? The cabinetry is white. The bathroom gets a great deal of natural light via a skylight for most of the day. Initially, we planned to use blue pearl granite, but the baby blue chips in it seem to clash with the unusual blue in the floor. The blues do not seem to complement each other at all. The floor tile color varies from the amount of natural light. The photo with bright blue squares is a photo from a website that sells the tile; the other two photos are from the actual room (tile has not been grouted yet). There are quite a few gorgeous granites with blue (blue bahia, azul aran) but were ridiculously expensive given that we would be forced to buy a full slab. Also, the countertop is only 66" with two sink cutouts, so not much countertop will be exposed (just enough to drive me crazy if the floor and countertop clash!). Any help with specific suggestions as to material is appreciated. (I'm trying to avoid the 80's theme of black and blue.) Is there another color family that I should consider? TIA!

Oh my gosh. . . you guys are great!! Justgottabeme, I've added pictures of the floor and shower walls, but my thinking right now is that the whole shower stall will come down to the studs and be rebuilt so the issue will be to find tiles for the "all new" shower that will work with the existing floor. Love the idea for the trim in the shower. . .I used some Sonoma glass in my kitchen. . .will check out what they might have. And, for you and Les, I will re-think the mirror (loved the link!!)...I just got really excited about getting another electrical outlet, but I suppose I could have them pull something down through the wall on the right or I suppose I could have a new mirror cut with cutouts for the outlet. . .hmmmm). Dianalo, are you saying a 36"x36" single piece of tile for the floor?? And definnitely not a solid countertop!! Les, the colors you recommended are drool worthy and will serve as my springboard!! I will definitely re-think the mirror. Re: the lights, I had "swag" lights in another( 70s) house and had more than one weak-kneed moment banging them into the mirror when I cleaned the mirror (I am a "spatter" in the bathroom). I do love the ones you linked however!! Another "re-think" issue!! Gsciencechick, thanks for the link...I'll check it out. Anne, I think your son was very lucky to be able to re-use his old tile. Unfortunately, I don't think that will be the case with mine. Again, I thank you all so very much for the time you took to think about solutions/ideas and respond. It will probably be at least a month or so before this is all over with, but I WILL provide pictures of the final results!! GWers are the greatest!!

Well I'm NOT a blue person. Indoors I have NO blue. My husband doesn't understand this. I have no idea why I feel this way. Outdoors things are different! I have a blue/yellow/white garden bed which I love. Yes, delphineums, catananche, campanulas, baptisia and more, are mixed with trollius, coreopsis moonbeam, peony Claire de Lune and low growing white clematis and aquilegia. It is a big mix and wouldn't be any fun at all without the blue! There are loads of clematis that are purple or blue/purple, but also some very nice blues I think. You do get into the question of "what is blue?" My husband and I think this could well be a male/female issue! Also, by saying a flower is blue, perhaps a catalogue gains more sales? * Posted by: coolbeans (My Page) on Sat, Feb 2, 02 at 13:12 This is my VERY favorite thread, and I totally agree with all those who feel that there is just "something" about blue flowers; they ARE magical, they ARE very special; and they make me happier than any other color flower. Don't know why...I just started a flat full of Bluebird delphinium seeds I saved from my one lonely plant last year. A bunch of them germinated, so now I can't wait to have a huge stand of them! Maybe they won't bloom this year, but maybe they will. And also "true blue" penstemons, I'm trying for the first time. I can't get enough of this precious color. * Posted by: Anne_Marie_Alb (My Page) on Tue, Feb 5, 02 at 17:47 WOW....... Did anyone realize that this thread started almost 5 years ago... on Feb. 15, 1997!!!!! I am amazed it has survived that long. Probably, the oldest thread still on the top page! I wonder if "Clare B" (who started the thread) is still an active member of the Garden Web!!! I personally love blue flowers (I mean blue, and not purple, which I also like). I can't believe how many blue flowers I am starting from seeds this year... and that was just a pure coincidence! I also love RED flowers.. Maybe, I should start a "red flower" thread! I will first check the archives! * Posted by: Clare (My Page) on Thu, Feb 7, 02 at 20:34 Yes, Ann_Marie, I am still here! I will be a bit sad to see this thread fade away when it hits the 100 posts mark. After that, the threads are closed. I don't think I have any true blue flowers still. "Victoria Blue" Salvia is the closest thing. I use it a lot. It is such a heavy, long bloomer, and about one in twenty of them will survive winter here. Just wish I could predict which would survive so that I could save seed from those alone and perhaps work up a more hardy strain. By the way, the Hydrangeas in Memphis, Tennessee are incredible. Some are so saturated blue that I'd have to call them navy. * Posted by: Dswan (My Page) on Sat, Feb 9, 02 at 22:37 I'm going to add to this extremely long thread only because there really is something to true blue. I grow from seed a very difficult plant to propagate called Penstemon cyananthus or Wasatch Penstemon. I cold stratify and plant these every year in hopes of gettting one or two in my garden every year. Absolutely gorgeous. * Posted by: Rosa (My Page) on Mon, Mar 11, 02 at 10:24 Did no one mention Gentians-now those are blue! (along with my favorite penstemson of course-some are indeed blue). * Posted by: pineshade7b ) on Mon, Apr 15, 02 at 11:02 i agree with gloria mc coy. i love blue and green , they are my favorite colors in anything. just look in my house and closets. blue..ocean, blue jeans, my own eyes are blue and my husband's are green. many reasons to answer -why blue. although i do not "hyperventilate" , if i should go into a nursery and ask for a blue -flowering plant and the staff looks down their nose at me, i'll know now that they are only doing it because they think I'M a snob. until i adopted gardening as a serious hobby i had no idea that blue was a "snob" color. i just naturally began to look into flowers in the colors i liked personally. you learn something new everyday. i would have been hurt and confused to walk into a nursery and be looked at like a pariah, what did i say? now i know, thanks clare. * Posted by: DesertGardner (My Page) on Fri, Apr 19, 02 at 12:38 Wow - I never knew there was such a controversy over the color blue in the garden. After reading all the posts, I now understand why some gardeners prefer the color. And I have to say that I've never met any gardeners whom I would consider snobbish. Most of them are really quite down to earth! (if you pardon the expression...) I recently tried planting a red, white and blue flower bed, with 'Victoria Blue' Salvia being my blue color. It's a little too purple and doesn't look right as a "patriotic" design. I will probably tear out the red and white and keep the "blue" (purple) since it seems to like this desert heat. Someone mentioned black flowers, and I remembered seeing black pansies in the most recent Burpee catalog. They're a beautiful velvety black with a spot of yellow in the center. I think I'll plant some this winter, and start an obsession with black flowers! (just kidding Clare...) -Kara [* Posted by: yeona_sky (My Page) on Mon, Jun 24, 02 at 0:37 I just bought a blue poppy and am nervously watching its progress. My success with blues has been an up hill battle, but that hasn't changed my desire to spotlight it in my garden. Why blue?, again it's a passion with me. Clare, I hope you get the last word on this thread, and I hope you understand Why blue, a little better. * Posted by: Duster (My Page) on Wed, Jun 26, 02 at 23:56 I agree with the many others about getting annoyed when purple is referred to as blue. Maybe that's why I take up the cause of truly blue flowers! 99% of my Delphiniums are the true electric blue ones. I'd love one of the Himalayan Poppies but just not right for my little yard. I like the blue flowers, rather than the blue foliage plants. And no, blue is NOT my favorite color - I have nothing blue in my home decor. I just like the uniqueness of the TRUE blue and my stubbornness to get people to stop calling it purple!!!!

how high are ceilings? I wanted to find the recommended height of pendants/ island lighting. Maybe leaving the topmost level would make for shorter cord lengths... it'd go with other rounded parts like the arches -- not as though it's the awful fluorescents with the fake wood box... I would not say a thing if you removed it, goodness....