Hi hillarie - sorry that I didn't see this sooner! I LOVE my Donna Sandra tops - they have a few amethyst type spots, but nothing really "sparkly". Do you have a pic of the slab? It's possible that this batch is different. I used to have pics on here... but for some reason the links look broken - I will try to fix. I will say that one of the best things about my tops is that it's hard to tell when they are dirty due to the movement in the stone... you really don't pick up easily on crumbs, spots, etc., which is so great with a husband and three small kids who can make a quite a mess :) Romy - thanks for your post! I am so glad you love your deep drawer - I still love mine as well! Do you have a reveal thread yet? Just from that little peak I would bet your new space is amazing!!

I think you'd be a LOT better off, unless you have a great deal of time on your hands and are just terribly bored ;-) just popping off the old moldings and installing new in a larger size. There is a very CHEAP, pretty quick, and attractive way of doing a good bulky baseboard - it involves a piece of 1x6 (which is really 3/4" by 5 1/2") lumber and a small type of molding called a "base cap" which is available at any lumberyard. Home Depot can order it, if that's your only option get in touch with me and I'll see if I can dig out the stock number for it. Base cap is usually around an inch tall and is inexpensive. Sand the plain lumber until it is nice and smooth (beg, borrow, rent or buy a belt sander), prime it, and nail it to the wall at the studs after predrilling. Attach pre-primed base cap to top of board using little dots of construction adhesive (glue to the board, not the wall) every foot or so and some small nails through predrilled holes. Always predrill your moldings, I had one moron of a "professional" carpenter ruin many hundreds of dollars in clear oak molding by busting out the nail gun and splitting the wood! Fill nail holes with paintable wood putty, sand those spots, and prime those spots. Caulk the top profile of molding and where base cap meets board with paintable caulk. Paint. If you absolutely must, add a piece of quarter-round where it meets the floor; I don't care for it, but some people think a baseboard looks incomplete without it, so it's up to you. FWIW... I live in a ca. 1900 house now and except for the living and dining rooms all the baseboards are simply plain square-edged 8" tall boards with no fancy trim at all. It suits the house very well as the window and door casings are equally plain. In the LR/DR there is another inch of slightly fancier molding topping the board, but it's still clear on close examination (if you know what you're looking for) it's board+trimming, not one single piece. Piecing has been a very common way of doing trim for many, many decades.

Here’s design 3. Downfall is the designer didn’t add a pantry cabinet Or a microwave. Two massively important items. Also concerned with the sink in the island. To me an island is for entertaining and laying out food, not for a main sink with washing drying etc. also the small space/walkway in between work area and around the island.

We are doing a house renovation and addition that was started due to a kitchen slab leak. I am not sure what to do about these stair railings. I need some ideas on how to freshen up these stair rails. Carpet and walls will be changed out too. I'm open to ideas for replacements as well, but we are going to be in a tight budget due to having overages and other issues we found with the house that has to be fixed.