So many limitations in renovating this 1990's Shared Bath
Kelley W
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
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HALLETT & Co.
5 years agoKelley W
5 years agoRelated Discussions
How to create a style appropriate to a 1990s builder's house
Comments (48)Juliehc, it sounds like you're cooking. I like the cozy sound of saturated gray, but a white ceiling sounds both rather harshly contrasting and as if the white will set it off as not belonging with what's below it. That's a cousin to the problem illustrated in those initial pictures of a room that Hhireno so accurately described as decorated for a lower flat ceiling, with the rest just sort of...up there. A lighter neutral paint on the ceiling that was dark enough to blend calmly into the walls, or more accurately walls into ceiling as the eye travels up, would help make the ceiling part of the room. (I like beige with gray and wonder if that would be a place for it.) I was also struck by Hhireno's comments about the effect of furniture shapes in the pictures Palimpsest posted. This isn't the only way to decorate high volumes, but it certainly works exquisitely in those pictures. Allied with that is my own observation that in every one of those designs, which are meant to celebrate their wonderful high spaces and make them look their best (rather than "deal with" or ignore them as problems), is that dark, contrasting colors are kept low, while the rest of their volumes soar with little interruption to their lightness. Julie's going warmer and richer with grays and beiges, with a very different feeling in mind, but I feel sure there're lessons in there anyway....See MoreRefresh 1990's Oak Dresser
Comments (37)I see you found the answer . Thank you for liking my closet. No one that sees it guesses it's MDF either. I chose it because of now smooth it is compared to plywood. We were new to woodworking so we'd not discovered carpenters grade plywood like we used to build the bookcases in our library a couple years ago. Linelle I've heard that too about the grit of the sand paper. We usually use the finer grit only between coats of poly. I think I'll edit that above. I was trying to write it while working "in my head" and one always doesn't remember those little details. Thanks!...See MoreToo many baths?
Comments (55)If you can afford it, I would do it. I know I shouldn't say this, but we're down the rabbit hole already, so I will ... I disagree with building something over-sized just because you're able to afford it. Multiple reasons: - Will you be able to afford it tomorrow? I know any number of families who built "dream homes" at the top of their budgets and then experienced a downturn in their personal finances. If you're not 50 yet, you're going to find out that age-ism is a very real thing. My husband's in a tech-y field, and it's very, very common for people in these positions to be laid off in their 50s ... in fact, my husband was laid off recently ... and if you're still paying for that expensive dream home (and paying for kids' college at the same time), things can be difficult. To give one example, I have a good friend whose husband was the CEO of a prosperous business, and she didn't work ... about 15 years ago they built a house that's pretty expensive for our low COLA, and then he was laid off. He's been unable to find employment making anywhere near what he used to earn, so now they're both working fast food jobs, but they're still hanging onto their house. - Those over-sized items keep on costing. We're talking about bathrooms right now, which are high-maintenance rooms, and they continue to "cost" even after the building's done. They "cost" in terms of higher taxes and in terms of weekly elbow-grease to keep them clean. However, the discussion could be generalized to any over-sized portion of a house: Heating and cooling, taxes, maintenance and upkeep are far from free. - Higher priced houses are harder to sell. You've mentioned resale, so you're not looking to stay in this house forever. Keep in mind that when you build an over-sized house, you're limiting yourself to a smaller group of people who'll be able to afford this house, meaning that it'll be more difficult to liquidate this house when you decide it's time. I have a friend who built an expensive dream house just prior to the downturn of the economy; now she owes more on it than it's worth, and she can't get out of it. She and her husband have actually considered walking away from it, but they've put pretty much everything they have into this house. - Still on the subject of resale, remember the old adage: You want to own the smallest house in the most expensive neighborhood. This means that your neighbors higher-priced houses are pulling your value "up". I'm thinking of my good friend who "moved up" in terms of housing every 2-3 years and now lives in the biggest house in a great neighborhood -- corner lot, dual masters, gourmet kitchen, formal rooms, media room -- and she's been trying to sell it for ... oh, that sign may've been in her yard for more than a decade. She gets offers all the time, but she'd lose money by selling. Her three kids are out of college, living on their own, and she's a widow paying for a big house for just herself. - Can you afford it and do all the other things you want to do? We've all read dire reports about the average American's lack of preparedness for retirement. We're all aware that few families are able to pay outright for their kids' college educations and that far too many young people are drowning in debt before they begin their first jobs. What goals do you have other than this house? Travel in retirement, perhaps? Early retirement? The more you sink into the house, the less you have for those other goals. Perhaps you genuinely are able to pay for a 4100 sf house plus all those other things, but most people aren't ... and when we as a society say "this is okay", we push others to do the same thing -- yeah, peer pressure's real, even for us adults. So many reasons to stay modest in your size and design. For the record, I'm practicing what I'm preaching. My husband and I are building essentially without a budget; however, we're building an 1800-sf-ish house with 3 bedrooms/2 baths with modest finishes. I'm actually finding that being allowed to have whatever I want is making me ask, "Is such-and-such worth it?" more frequently. Feel free to rail against my thoughts -- it won't hurt me -- and admittedly, I'm more financially conservative than the average American, but I really think it's a healthy way to approach financial decisions. I say build what's "right sized" for you -- and it's hard to believe any family needs a house with toilets that outnumber their butts -- with a healthy dose of consideration for your overall finances, not just the question of "what do I want?" Reminds me of the old McMansion threads. One woman was always negative to those building large houses for 2-3 people. She always mentioned how she had 6 kids in a 2500 sq.ft. house and no one needed more room. She talked about large houses using up natural resources etc. What she never seemed to grasp was that her family (8 people) in a smaller house would end up using way more resources than the family of 3 in a large house. All her kids will need a lifetime of oxygen, water, houses, cars, stuff, they will also produce a larger next generation, etc. Fallacy of false comparison. Resources required to raise children are not in any way equivalent to resources required to build a large house. Eight children will (hopefully) end up giving back to society; they'll become teachers, firefighters, accountants, whatever, and they will participate in society. They will shop at our businesses and participate in our economy. They will pay your and my Social Security. A house, on the other hand, draws upon society's resources (materials to build, electricity and water to maintain), yet it benefits only one small group of people. False comparison. Time change, expectations change. Parents often want to give their kids more than they had... My kids certainly grew up with more than I had ... but we were definitely poor kids; if I gave them less than I had, CPS would be knocking on our door. However, we have purposefully given our children less than we could have given them, thinking that letting kids want a little something is a positive thing. It pushes them to be resourceful. They've grown up grateful for what they have, and they still don't realize how much money we actually have. This makes me think about a family at my high school -- big family, both parents are doctors PLUS they come from an old money family. They are all into white Mustangs. Ford cars, not horses. Every kid in the family receives a white Mustang on his or her 16th birthday ... it's traded in for a new model when the kid graduates from high school ... and again if the kids graduate college. These kids are all notoriously lazy in school and have not done well after high school. Too much, too soon -- but they are a pretty extreme example....See MoreDecorate Newly Renovated Guest Bath?
Comments (14)Thank you so much for all of the kind words and helpful feedback! New bath mat, a couple of sprigs of greenery, and a wall art piece. Check, check and check. I was so afraid of the feedback because *internet* but turns out I had nothing to fear. I really appreciate everything you all shared. You're making this such a wonderful community. nhb22 the shower curtain is from Signature Hardware. I knew I wanted a long one for a more dramatic feel but didn't have the energy to find one to be custom made so my options were limited. They delivered on close enough to what I wanted though! tartanmeup thank you so much for your suggestions. Love them! I wasn't sure about what type of greenery to use, and an olive branch is totally the right move. I had small banana leaves in my head but something about it seemed off. morz8 love the adds! I had some of the guest stuff tucked away like nail files, q-tips, cotton balls, even deodorant and hand sanitizing wipes, but not the meds, magnifying mirror, or band-aids. Definitely going to add those! You're really right about the wall art. Need to figure that out....See MorePatricia Colwell Consulting
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoKelley W thanked Patricia Colwell ConsultingAJCN
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