I've been lurking on this site for a while; this is my first post. I'm starting to plan a master bathroom remodel - will be totally gutted. Current shower has 2x2" glossy ceramic tiles - with lots of grout. I'm considering thin porcelain, large-format tiles or slabs for shower and bathroom walls and, possibly, for the vanity tops and tub deck. Would like to hear about your experience with these products - installation, functionality, and durability. I am thinking about the 30"x30"x1/4" field tiles, although they come in 5x10' slabs as well. I called 2 vendors of thin porcelain slabs; both directed me to local tile distributors to get samples (I was hoping to be able order samples over the phone). So far, I've looked at samples of Artistic Tile's Max Fine line, which comes in 3 colors, but can be ordered in custom colors. I was thinking about the "Thassos" white color, but it looks like "whiteboard" to me, so now I'm leaning toward something other than pure white. The calacatta look-alike samples I saw were too small to see the veining and patterning. I was quoted a price of $38 per sq ft, not counting installation.Weight is 2.76 lbs per sq ft. They recommend 2-person installation, even with the 30x30 field tiles. I'm planning to look at Stonepeak's Plane series, as well. They have more color choices.Their website shows an entire bathroom clad in Plane slab.

I just saw that I was mentioned re: metal roofs and yes I do try to talk my clients out of them because we had one on a house we bought. We hated it. If not carefully designed with proper snow guards and heating they can be a serious safety risk. Google "killed by falling snow". With my rant about metal roofs over it appears the design is with flat roofs. Metal roofing is not recommended for that application and would be a total waste of money since it wouldn't be visible. I love the look of the weathered IPE above. I also use a lot of Alura and Hardie. You have to be really close to either product to tell it's not painted wood. It's reasonable trade off since they're much more durable, require less maintenance and are fire resistant.

I agree with the lists that've already been shared, but I'll add a few things: - Convenient access to the garage or family entrance so that groceries don't have to be carried far. - Place a large doormat on the inside and outside of the garage or family entrance. Taking several steps on these two mats will STOP a great deal of dirt from being tracked into your kitchen. - I don't love tile (makes it easier to break dropped dishes, is hard on the knees and joints), but -- if you go with tile -- choose tile the same color as your dirt. So we Southerners would choose red clay tiles, while beach-dwellers should choose sand color. - Don't neglect to plan a place for your trash can (and recycling), and consider the pathway you'll use to take the trash outside (again, you don't want to carry a potentially drippy trash bag through the house). - Excellent lighting everywhere, including natural light. Light switches at every door. Lights that dim or under-counter lights that could provide a low-level night time light. - Small size -- too big a kitchen attracts clutter. Build a kitchen for every day /not big holidays meals that don't come around often. - A large pantry (preferably walk-in), which provides excellent storage -- and is much less expensive than housing things in expensive cabinets /under store counter tops. - Consider how you typically entertain. Do you need space to set out pot-luck dishes, or do you need space to "stage" dessert, or do you need a space for mixing drinks? - Avoid (or minimize) open shelving, which will need to be kept neat all the time /will collect dust and grease. - Consider an "away spot" where you can keep your coffee pot, cookie jar, bowl of fruit out of the main work area. This could be a butler's pantry or a cabinet run set apart from the main work area. Consider that you'd want people to be able to access these "always outs" without walking through the cook's area. If you're not a heavy microwave user, this might be a good spot for it to be placed too. - Full extension drawers (so you can access the stuff at the back) with heavy-duty hardware (so they'll last). - Drawers that extend to the back of the cabinet (what I mean is, my current cabinets are 24" deep, but the drawers are only 18" deep, and I hate that space is wasted at the back). - Avoid fancy pull-outs for spices, etc. that are "one trick ponies". - Avoid cabinets with deep, decorative groves that will require cleaning. Similarly, avoid overly fancy hardware that'll trap dirt. - If you have barstool seating, consider that little feet may "kick" the back side of your island (or peninsula). Consider tile or easy-to-clean wood for this space. - When choosing cabinet hardware, avoid knobs that may "spin" in place or open-ended pulls that'll "catch" your clothes as you walk by. Consider that larger pulls may double as towel holders. - Glass front cabinets are lovely, but they do require that you keep your dishes nice and neat -- and they require more cleaning. If you're putting glass fronts up high-high (above people's heads), consider using glass fronts instead. Glass front cabinets are also more expensive because they must be "finished" inside and outside. - Wide cabinets give you more storage /waste less space for hardware and edges. A few wide cabinets will cost less than multiple narrow cabinets. - A seating area -- could be a breakfast table, could be a barstool. - A refrigerator that isn't set against a wall -- this means the door can't be fully opened /makes it hard to access for and makes it difficult to get shelves or crisper drawers in and out for cleaning. - Position your dishwasher in such a way that your silverware and glassware are within easy reach -- and place your glassware near your refrigerator. - Choose a simple "one hole" faucet. Less to clean. Consider a farmhouse sink ( or a bumped-out window over the sink), which will give you a few extra inches behind the faucet /will make cleaning that always-cruddy area easier. - A built-in soap squirter at the sink means you don't have to keep the dish soap out all the time. - Plenty of electrical outlets. If you have an island or a peninsula, place an outlet on the back side of it. - Design a spot to store mail OUTSIDE the kitchen -- the kitchen is too busy a place for that kind of clutter. - Do you need a place to store cookbooks? - Choose a place for a fire extinguisher.

Fully agree with bpath on the wall mounted toilet. You'll never have to climb around behind the toilet to get between the wall and the porcelain. The same goes for the sink. Ikea has some sink options that hang on the wall; HOWEVER, they require a little different plumbing. In the US we seem to have our water supply oriented equidistant from each other outside the drain pipe in the wall. With the Ikea sinks, it would be easier if the drain were to one side and the hot/cold water were together on the other side. Ask me how I know. The curbless shower will be a huge (HUGE) mistake. I lived in hotels for 8 years with a traveling crew of researchers. The one thing everyone complained about was getting the handicapped enabled room with curbless showers. They said the floor was wet after every shower. If you currently have a tub, use the entire area for the shower, but put a curb at the bottom. I have glass side and door at 6.5-ft high to allow for full air flow. I clean the shower daily with a mix of vinegar (100 ml), alcohol (100 ml), and water (to make 1 liter/quart) sprayed after every shower. If that gets away from me, I use a 50/50 mix of vinegar and liquid laundry soap to clean the walls. Spray it on, let it sit for an hour, and wipe it off with a Scotchbrite pad DURING a shower. The floor will be very slippery, so be very careful. We used large format tiles for our master. If you decide to mix/match tiles, you have to see them side by side in the store. We carried the greenish tile over to the wood-toned tiles and found only one in the store that had a greenish cast to it. You'd never know in this picture, or to look at it in person, but all the rest looked awful next to the greenish cast on the riverbottom tile. We also used 12x24 tiles for the floor. Concrete is the most porous solid surface you can have. Eventually all the stains it picks up will be called, "patina" and you'll go on not hating your decision. You might be able to avoid that by sealing and waxing continually, but for a low maintenance bathroom, concrete is not what you're looking for. Porcelain tile is much easier to keep clean even with the grout. Get a high efficiency ceiling exhaust fan. They are silent and will keep the bathroom from getting too humid during a shower. I get one rated for about 1.5x the size of the room, so for a 100 square foot room, I get a fan rated for 150 square feet. I always use whitey white grout so I can tell when the grout is dirty. You cannot tell when you use dark grout. If you just want it to look uniform, use colored grout. If you want it to look clean, use white grout. Encourage him to sit down to pee. There's no splashing when he sits. Also encourage him to wipe up water spots around the sink before he leaves the bathroom. This tip is not so much for cleanliness, but more for longer term maintenance. Consider using Moen faucets. Why? Because Moen has not changed their cartridge design in decades. If one leaks, you can replace the cartridge from any hardware store (and some grocery stores) for under $20. You don't need a plumber to come in. Delta, Pfister, and other brands change their faucet designs every year, so they have catalogs of parts for every year model. Before you can get the parts to fix a Delta you have to know what year model it is and have the exploded parts diagram for that model. Then drive to a specialty plumbing store (always closed on weekends) and wait at the counter for help. I've had various combinations of Moen faucets over various years amounting to 115 faucet-years and only once did one of them leak. If you keep a spare cartridge on hand you can replace it in about 20 minutes.