If we sister the joists to make them, in essence, 6x10s (or 4.5x10s in actuality), that'll be sufficient, according to John Bridge. JB doesn't have calculations for engineered joists, so I don't know how parallams would compare with dimensional lumber. Would double sistering be cheaper/simpler than using parallams? We are not planning to take out the downstairs ceiling. Below is a 20x20 family room. It's got head room, as we have 9' ceilings, but a beam would slice across the middle of the room and not be too aesthetically pleasing. Unless we disguised it as a coffered ceiling. :-) WAY too much work...we'll stick with sistering joists. BTW, simple/stupid question, but do we just need to screw them to the existing joists, or do we need to make sure they're attached to the load-bearing beams? And do they need to be full length sisters, or can they just be under the heavier load part?

We went with quartz in our kitchen (3 years ago now) as I know I am hard on kitchen surfaces - lots of acids between citrus and vinegar, bright fruits like berries, & not too good or quick about cleaning up spills as they occur, etc. Best decision I ever made. Just installed marble in all 3 bathroom remodels as I know I am easier on bathroom counters than kitchens and was willing to take precautions. A moment of regret when water stained it before it was sealed, but it dried out and the (professional) sealing is great. We did plan ahead - using counter "coasters" for soaps and things, installed a master sink with wide ledges to put things on, etc. Very happy with the soft, cool, translucent look and feel.

That looks really nice. I like the gray floors and walls, and matches really nice with the Lago. In a way it looks similar to what we're doing, gray floors, gray shower floor and white step. Our shower walls are white though. Since the Covid started they just placed the tile and had to stop work. They are allowed to finish starting this week since we already had 2 inspections approved, I don't have pictures yet of my lago top and bench but hopefully by end of next week. I'll post them here as well, since I had a hard time finding examples of people actually installing this. Maybe it will benefit someone else too. Anyway, I'm glad it worked out for you, it's always nerve wrecking, you never know until it's placed. Thanks for the reply, appreciate it.

The paradox of neighborhoods like McLean is that there will be a certain segment of buyers for whom nothing is quite right and they have the means and desire to remodel almost any home they move into. My friend lives in a similar very upscale neighborhood and regularly watched new kitchens being replaced every few years when the home changed hands. Of course there will always be a segment of the population that does want a home with finishes that reflect the upscale nature of the neighborhood. Hell there are people who are buying their relatively inexpensive starter homes that expect high end finishes on a beer budget. You don't state why you are remodeling. Do you even need to remodel the secondary bathrooms? I know this is heretical but if they are almost never used what does it matter what they look like. Are they functional? Unless you are enjoying the end results or this is for some other reason, you are not going to get a return on investment anyway. By the time you have to sell, the primary bathroom is going to be older anyway even if it was rarely used.