Sometimes the size/weight of the door dictates the hinge used, but that should have been figured out in the design stage. Top/bottom (curb mounted) hinges do need mechanical fastening to prevent shifting. So it's really a matter of design. Was the shower designed so the door literally can't be hinged to the wall? Or to an adjacent glass panel if there is one? If it's simply a matter of a non-imaginative installer, then that's another issue. If the doors were already ordered and they are detailed for a curb-mounted hinge, then the glass itself might need to be reordered to use wall hinges.

I don't have one of the colors you mentioned, but I do have photos: I LOVE our counters. They are LivingStone brand, which is virtually the same as Corian. The integrated sink is Corian brand. We are a young family w/4 year old and one on the way. I don't have time/patience for counter maintenance; DH and I both work outside the home and we do most of our own cooking. I wanted a light color with a matte finish. I didn't want laminate (too many bad experiences w/seams lifting etc). I didn't want to deal with keeping sink caulk clean. I didn't want something that would shatter dishes as I am a klutz--now that we have an unforgiving tile floor, I am especially glad we considered this b/c I have knocked many things against the counter in the course of working in the kitchen (and they are still intact, vs the tile where everything explodes into a million specks). An additional plus--our counters actually let some light thru, so the few base cabs we have (as opposed to drawers) are easier to see into. I can understand the appeal of natural stone and I agree it has depth/beauty that "plastic" doesn't capture; we looked at it, but in the end LivingStone was a better choice for us, financially as well as daily life. I embraced the choice of doing what worked best for me, not what is most popular. Our neighborhood is mostly starter homes, and few of the 1970s kitchens have even been updated. We not only updated but completely changed/improved the layout, which I think will have more impact for resale than natural stone counters. Secondly, we don't know when we might have an opportunity to "upgrade" so doing what works for us was the best choice. We've had our new kitchen/counters/sink about 1 1/2 years and I have had zero problems. The one "stain" I got was from an orange piece of junk mail paper where water was on the counter and the paper was left in the puddle for a few days and allowed to dry. Bleach took it right out.

Sometimes the devil is in the details. I have a shower pan in my bathroom, and it's impossible to keep clean. I think it's because the top layer has "worn away". I do not know the name brand, but I suspect it's original to the house, which was built in 1970. Maybe the real point is, they have a life span. What doesn't? In contrast, my girls' bath has a two-year old tile floor (mosaic shades of tan and brown grout), and it is easy to keep clean. I think it's a matter of a well-chosen color -- and new things are often easier to maintain than old things. I don't think these are typical situations.

Cat_mom...I love Kohler‘s cast iron receptor and would buy one in a heartbeat, but my 120-year old house (a converted schoolhouse) is built over a mostly inaccessible crawl space with dirt floor and my cast iron bathtub is always ice cold. That’s why I’m considering the MTI acrylic pan. It’s heavier than other brands and has some custom options, such as a foam base that provides a sturdy surface (no flexing) and radiant heat built into the floor. Pricewise, it’s similar to cast iron. The radiant heat option adds $800 to the cost, so I’m forgoing it. The no-slip surface is very important.