raehelen, Congratulations with starting you project! Starting the project means 50% of work is done, just don't forget to multiply estimated time by three! Thank you for the link. Believe me or not, but I prefer old fashion toggle switches, they are more convenient and are easier to handle in the dark. I will replace bathroom switches with the fancy ones anyway but for another reason, I have a z-wave network at my home that allows to control lights, locks and other stuff but old fashion z-wave toggle switches discontinued and only rocker z-wave switches are now available. When you turn lights and fan in the bathroom on, Z-wave controller will automatically turn them off after 20-30 minutes. Very convenient feature. Good luck with your project, have fun!

Believe it or not, decent looking ceiling fans exist. On every design show I've ever seen they're the first things to be thrown out, but I have them in every bedroom. Mmm slight draft at night without the sound of floor fan... I pspent no fewer than 18 weeks looking (off and on) for a "pretty" one to go in my master. I have lived with a 4 poster bed. My experience - unless you have really high ceilings, and I'm talking like 10 ft, and a sizeable room, it will turn your space into... tiny. Once upon a time in a previous life I thought I had a big bedroom until I put a poster bed in there. I like your computer nook. I always wanted a space like that, which I could separate from the rest of the room with some romantic drapery tied back. I might force that idea on my formal dining room. :) beds/headboards coverin ga window do bother me. I don't like anything to cover a window (couch, table, or otherwise) -- but that's just me. And if it came down to a queen bed, or covering that window, sure - the window would get covered! We have single panels on our two bedroom windows, mostly because they're skinny and it looked silly to me to have two panels. If you need to cover the window, something that seems to help (at least when I've seen it done) is to pull the bed away from the wall a foot or so. Then you can go with two panels, and it looks kind of intentional instead of "didn't have space." Something else to keep in mind with blocking windows -- does the sun come directly in such that it would fade your bedding over time?

The most economical solution would be to bite the bullet and paint the desk from your teenage bedroom set that you are using as a vanity. Then ditch the teenage dresser and move the vanity. The shelves in your towers are currently being under utilized and you say you need storage for folded clothes. I would put curtains on the glass with top and bottom rods and use the shelves for the folded clothing. If the only reason the black curtain is there is to hide the cords, I would remove it and fill the area with wicker baskets that have covers. This will hide the cords and offer more storage. Paint the purple shelf black. Since you say you are willing to budget some money for improving the looks and function of the room I think you would be happier if you just got rid of the teenage furniture altogether. Sell it on CL. Then get a second hand secretary desk that looks more grown up and use it for a vanity. Get one that has a hutch to fill the wall space and you can use the cubbies for storage too. One that sits on legs would look light and airy in the room, but if storage is an issue, get one with drawers below. The flip down work surface would stay up most of the time so as not to crowd the room. These secretary pieces can be found on CL for cheap. You will feel more like a princess doing your routine at one of these than at you old teenage desk. If you sell the desk and dresser, and get a secretary the cost might be a wash. If you are planning on painting the secretary black anyway, you can even get a scuffed up one for very little money. Then with a secretary painted black being used as a vanity on the wall, and all the other furniture black, I think you could leave the two towers as they are as the economical option. You don't want everything to be all black do you? You just want to not have a myriad of wood tones and treatments. Your idea to get an entertainment amoire is nice. I think that a TV hidden behind doors is more peaceful for a bedroom and would look better being less cluttery. An amoire would have a smaller footprint in the room and also give that wall some breathing space. They are cuter too and you could find one that looks very feminine. Again, CL to the rescue. Buying a clothing amoire and adding a shelf inside for a TV, will give you style options that are more suited for a bedroom than a rec room. They are usually on feet and a big bulky thing like an amoire in a smaller room needs feet to make it seem lighter. There are some nice entertainment amoires made for LR TVs and they can be found on CL for a song. A nice secretary as a vanity? ===================== An amoire for TV and clothing? Here is a link that might be useful: Secretary Desk

(Sorry for the confusion about which post to reply to - I'm not familiar with forum ettiquet and had started a new thread when I should have stuck with this one). The 24anb6 is a single stage. All conversations are centered around a 3 ton unit. The ducts are in the attic space. The original house was 1140q ft. The addition is about 488q ft. The original house (1950s) has a metal ducting trunkline system that runs in a dropped ceiling in the 12' long central hallway. The new ducting is in a jumble in the attic of the addition, with a big box thing (a baffle?) and 4.5" ducts curling around everywhere - even back to the front rooms of the original house. Apparently code has changed and new 'jumper' vents needed to be installed in all the rooms? Before that ceiling was closed up, I got a glimpse up there and noticed that it looked like and orgy of Robby the Robots - probably not the most efficient thing ever. If it's true that with the ductwork currently installed would not support a more efficient unit in the future without ripping out walls, I think this makes an even stronger case for upgrading the equipment now. (I work at home and I plan on living at this house a long, long time.). I was told when to pick out plumbing fixtures, hardware, lighting, etc...I guess expected to be told when to decide on the other choices involved. If the GC had asked, I could be looking at paying 10 or 11K for exactly what I want - a 2-stage, high-efficiency, quiet unit. Instead I'm having to choose between paying nearly 9k for stuff I don't want or - it seems from this email - paying twice for the install and associated repairs in addition to the upgrade. I'm going to push for exactly what I want. The GC is working up estimates for the Carrier Infinity 17, 19, and 21 SEER units. I have no problem paying the difference in the cost of the equipment, or even the cost the have the install done 'right', which I assume means moving the trunkline up to the attic and having a single trunkline.* I'm sure things will get sticky when we start discussing who pays for what. It would be so helpful to be able to get objective estimates from a neutral party on what the original install should have cost and what the install that I'm requesting will cost. Is that ever done? I'll post any progress as it happens. Thank so much for your feedback. It has so helpful in getting clarity on this situation! ************ *The email I received this morning regarding my request to move forward with the estimates for the 17, 19 and 21 seer units: "The 17,19,21 Seer units besides being even more expensive will likely require more duct replacement, more sheetrock removal, etc. as this will snowball the work; time frame would increase accordingly. " and "Regarding the duct work replacement, it should be noted that the metal ducting trunkline system & some ducting that pre-existed in your home is still in place & that airflow supply system may need to be upsized as well, as the Seer rating increases, expanding the scope of other sheetrock & installation repairs as well." It would seem that he really doesn't want me to upgrade...From what I can gather the difference in cost of the equipment between the builder-grade Comfort series and the Infinity series is about $1,500 - about 1% of the total project cost.