Here are some resources on sound-reducing construction. The one immediately below, and the one that is hyper-linked, look pretty good. The other one (''Suppressproducts'') might just be an advertisement for their products, I am not sure. Basically sound is vibration that is transmitted from the source to your ear by rigid materials (sound travels well through hard materials like wood) and air. To reduce sound, you want to reduce the transmission of vibration. Air gap is better than a rigid connection. A heavy, soft material (e.g. rubber) is better than an air gap. Techniques are: - Double layers of drywall with dampening material like the referenced ''green glue'' between them (not simply screwing one sheet of drywall to the other) - Staggered studs w/ separate floor plates (essentially making two walls, no physical connection from one side to the other) - Sheet of sound dampening material between the staggered studs (reducing sound transmission through the airspace) - Sealing openings in the walls (electrical boxes, holes for plumbing, gaskets around and under door frame) - Special doors, or (less good) a conventional solid door, or (maybe an in-between alternative) a conventional door w/ a sound dampening layer on one side. - Dampening material between subfloor and joists, and between ceiling drywall and joists - Sound-proofing paint (I've not heard of this stuff before, I am skeptical it does much) Since the bathroom is a small space, you can use these techniques without too much additional expense, and just the loss of about 6'' if using staggered studs and double drywall layers. http://www.soundproofingcompany.com/index.php?/library/articles/elements_of_room_construction http://www.supressproducts.com/soundproofing-articles/Soundproof-Sheetrock.html Here is a link that might be useful: Link

It is also my way to post about ideas for something and then finally have time to actually carry out the project years later! About to do the same thing with the entry from out garage. It needs help!! Ha!

I would not want wood in my entry, but we have severe winters, so we drag a lot of snow in with us for much of the year. I would also worry about scratching a wood entry floor, since we don't take our shoes off until we get indoors. Wood everywhere else, though.

Those tiles look slick as the Dickens. Imagine coming through the door with heals on and ending up somewhere in the far wall. Or a slightly damp leather soled shoe - it would be like a skating rink. It's your choice. They are handsome tiles. It would help keep a sense of cohesion. I would lay tile to the end of the parquet. And then tile the powder room in the same. You could run the tiles all the way down the hallway but it would depend on the rest of the space and how they would tie in together. Remember: those BIG tiles are going to be a PITA to lay in a small powder room.