I really appreciate all of the input, suggestions and questions. The room is a big, ugly shell right now so now is the time for all major design issues to be addressed! John, thanks for the info on the drains and the flood test. Waterproofing is definitely a priority since our project has been complicated by uncovering evidence of water leaks that were previously unknown. We're in Michigan, unfortunately, too far away to take you up on your kind offer! I know that our door situation isn't ideal but it's one that we feel we can live with. We had considered using a pocket door but we're not able to relocate electrical switches to allow for it. I didn't try too hard to work around that issue though because I'm not a big fan of pocket doors personally. I'm definitely going to plan for niches right away, before the framing and plumbing is done. Emknc, thanks for posting a photo... You have a very spa-like room and I love your accent tile! Jglassdude, thanks for your input. I know that a 3rd sink would seem to be overkill but we (ok, mostly my micro-biologist husband!) prefer to wash our hands inside the lav area, before opening a door to come out and use a sink. Originally, the water closet fit within the square outline of the room and once we realized that we could bump it out and orient the toilet in the new space, we then added the sink where the toilet was planned to go. It's funny that you mention a bidet because we just tore one out... I used to use it for in-home pedicures and as a mop-sink for the floor! Lol! I should have mentioned that the shower head and control were shown on our drawing prior to the decision to hinge the door on the right. She correctly put the showerhead on the little corner piece because we can't run plumbing on an exterior wall but, as you pointed out, it angles straight at the door. We were thinking of instead having the NE corner of the shower built to accommodate a shower head that could angle more straight across the shower, especially since the door would swing away from it. It would seem that our controls then would be best on the south wall of the shower. Could you explain what you mean by "double acting door intent"? I'm not planning to hang towels in the tub area but there are raised areas on each end of the tub where towels can be placed while we are bathing. We've designed towel niches on either end of the tub step for extra rolled towels. We're planning to put a Runtal Solea towel warmer on the wall between the water closet and the shower. This is pretty much what the room looks like now... You can look right down into my kitchen and my dining room(!) The bifold door to the left of the ladder is my old linen closet door and will be walled off.

I'm not a pro, but I've done quite a bit of tiling around our house. I can tell you that tile without the sealer applied is dull (very flat) and the colors are washed out looking. The colors "pop" as soon as you apply the sealer. Some sealers leave a shiney residue. Based on your picture, it does look like this is already sealed. As far as grout, I think I would want grout. Otherwise, being behind the stove, it seems like the grease would get between the cracks. That being said, it looks like these are very small tile squares with very little room between them. Most grout requires a minimum sized gap. If you do grout, I can recommend Quartz-Lok Grout. This is much more expensivie than standard grout, but it seems to not need sealing, and is very durable. I used this in my bathrooms and so far it is very good!

I have found it difficult to compare brands and prices. Some companies do not have very detailed construction info on their websites. Also, cabinet shops are slow to get you a price and its a very time consuming process. I also have found that your decision regarding cabinet door style, glazed or unglazed, maple vs. cherry, etc. have a large impact on the price. I learned corbels can be $500 each (my designer had 6 in my plan). You need to watch what is on the design because the KD's won't give you a detailed list of what's included or how much each individual component costs. When comparing prices, be sure to include the accessories you want and the delivery charges so you can compare a bottom line price. If I was to start over, I would hire a KD to draw a good plan - or do it myself with input from GW- and shop that exact layout to various shops. Otherwise, you spend time at each shop going over layout details and small variations make it difficult to compare apples to apples. My best bang for the buck price was Jim Bishop cabinets. Also, there have been several recent threads about cabinet brands. See: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0912254112656.html?13 and http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0915500123556.html?18 and http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg091333033070.html?25

This should have all been handled in the prep. Was completely avoidable with the proper prep. But what we don't know (or understand) is why the shower walls were built out so far. One common approach would be to build jambs. Again, this is all part of the planning. Doubt the walls were that far out of plumb that you couldn't achieve a better result than you have. You should have been given your options before anything was done as what you have is not standard. There are so many ways to rectify this in planning. This stuff hurts my head.