I'd snatch the granite CL vanity top, and design around that. Paint the vanity to coordinate, paint the walls, add a shelf for towels/storage. If the vinyl flooring will look ok with the granite, I'd just keep it after cleaning it withing an inch of its life and coating with Mop and Glow or some other shine enhancer. If not, replace it with new sheet vinyl, or vinyl planks, it is not a difficult DIY project in a small room if you are at all handy. Probably a new light fixture too, as you can find some good-looking inexpensive ones at HD or Lowes. I just bought one for less than $80 that will work until that bath reaches the top of the list.

Hi Vesters. So many things you wrote struck a chord with me as we experienced the same issues with my SD, who is now 14. We've had custody of her since she was 5, after gaining emergency and then full custody though a very nasty battle. After DH and his ex divorced SM moved SD hours away. SD began sleeping in her bed, showering with her, being completely dependent on her mom. BM thrived on this - it made her feel needed and important. SD couldn't (or wouldn't) do or try anything on her own. SD became BM's 'bff' and confidant - all at the mature age of 3. This continued until BM found a boyfriend, and then SD was kicked into her own bed in her own room on a different floor and told to go to sleep. Once that relationship ended SD was needed again and back in BM's bed, all the while hearing about BM's relationship woes. Fast forward a few years. We have custody, SD sees her mom EOW. She's still trying to have SD sleep with her (between boyfriends) and be dependent on her. The 'bff' behavior is worsening and we're hearing all about BM's love life from SD. SD is getting stomach aches right before visitations and worrying about how to take care of her mom. All so appropriate for a mother/daughter relationship. And then there was. . . "BM also used to say things to SD (right after I came on the scene) like, "I'd never let a man come between us" and "You're the only one I need" which sounds innocent enough, but it was very much meant as a "look at your father, moving on with his life, I'll never let that happen to us." I could have written that. BM is always saying this. . . in between the men in her life. But what SD figured out about 2 years ago is that her mom is full of sh@t. She started to see all these behaviors factored around her mom and what her mom needed on her mom's schedule. She was blinded by the 'my mom needs me' and 'my mom loves me best' until then, but with the help of her counselor and a little maturity she started to figure it out. I won't say she doesn't fall back into buying her mom's crud every now and again, but for the main part she can she the behavior for who it is really about - mom, not SD. I tell you all this so you know you are not alone, and also to give you hope. Your SD needs help, and she needs her dad to help her receive it, but she can recover from this. I will tell you one thing SD's counselor shared with us that was helpful for SD and for our tongues as we weren't biting them so hard. When you say "I'm always a little uncomfortable when she talks so openly about her BM with me (because I know the "real deal"), yet I'm always very careful to make sure I speak loving and positively about her ." you need to stop. This doesn't mean speak negatively, but you don't have to put a good spin on bad actions. Don't try to make mom's bad action ok. Don't make excuses for her. Listen to SD, let her know you understand why she would be upset, help her with generalized, non leading questions discover why she's upset, but don't then tell her it's all ok and mommy knows best. Later, when she figures out mommy doesn't, you will be seen as a liar. It's ok to say sometimes mommy's get confused, or mommy's make mistakes. This is likely better pronounced by DH at first, but you need to know that you don't have to be positive. Just don't be negative, if you get what I mean. :-) Good luck. Keep us updated, and keep your chin up. You are doing the right thing.

Robo - I agree the room seems very big to me. One wall is also floor to ceiling glass or red rock, so it limits how much can be done with the room anyway. Do you think 36" will be a better width? Or even wider? The wider it gets, the narrower the closet and counter get, but I think you are right. That bothered me too. Lori, yes arcadia is another word for patio door. I hope I am not making that up? I thought that was the word my grandparents used, who lived in AZ. but were from MN. I think you are right about the powder coated glass. Well, never mind on the white glass. The landscape architect seemed horrified when I suggested moving the plants. I think I will just do a nice long 2 ft. window up high or a large powder coated window. I guess it will depend on the price. Annie, those are really good points. I agree the ma bedroom is in a wierd location. I think the that side of the house was the parents' wing and the other side was the kids wing. There was a sliding door, "A", that separated it (gone when I bought the house). The ma door was originally off the dining room where "B" is (moved before I came along). Ignore the kitchen because the butler's pantry/scullery is proposed. Given that there is another large living room area, do you think that makes the ma br door location any better? I dont know how I could do a vestibule in the ma br. I have thought about combining two back bedrooms to make one ma bedroom, but I dont think there is enough space. Then I thought of building a master addition off the casual room (C). I have three sets of plans from three different architects for this. The addition would have views of the mtn out one side and the city out the other side, be in front of the pool and hot tub, and should be quieter than the current ma br. If I did the addition, then I would do a quick cheap fix for the current ma bath and put the money towards the addition instead. But I just cant validate it. The house is 3900 sq. ft as is and I just dont need the extra square footage.

I recently added a little more than 300 sf one story addition to the back of my 2 story house (similar to yours and about 90 yrs old). Extended tiny kitchen by 5 ft, added an office (I work from home) with plans to turn it into my bedroom after retirement (aging in place, here I come!), a full bath. and storage closet. I also took out the load bearing wall between kitchen and DR to get more light and openness. Oy! that was a messy surprise. Had to move/replace all the pipes (including old iron sewer pipe) electrical, radiator pipes, etc. The cost of the consultation with an engineering architect for that one wall alone was almost 1k. Anyway, I also looked into buying a different home (with main floor bed/bath) as an alternative as it definitely would have been cheaper overall. The addition cost almost 160k (an hour from to DC). As luck would have it, nothing suitable was popping up on the market in the area so I bit the bullet. I live in a very desirable small historic district which I adore and wanted to stay. plus I got to pick out everything myself! So I get wanting to stay in your location. I wanted to share my experience, cost, and the plans (below)with you. I only wish I had made the office larger so it would be a more spacious bedroom later.