texaschaos, what does the rest of the room look like? Can you show us the whole space, rather than just parts, so that we can get a better idea of where lighting could be added? I wouldn't add sconces by the TV, for the reason mentioned. I could see them on the wall behind the couch, with a mirror in between to help bounce some light around the space. The artwork might have to find another home, another reason to see the rest of the room. I would also like to see the loveseat moved away from the window - it does interfere with the lighting a bit. You might be able to put a sofa table behind it, with a couple of lamps. Having the space between the loveseat and the window would allow more light to come in, I think. The idea of changing out the ceiling fixture for track lighting is good, too. Depending on the fixtures, you could focus the lights in different places to wash the walls with light, and make the whole space feel brighter. A lamp added to the passthrough from the kitchen would be nice on that counter, as well.

ditto beachem's thought. I think when you get around to it, a few more things done will help finish things for the feel you want. I wouldn't hesitate to just use clear caulk....you won't be paying attention to that edge. I would however plan to add an iron rod higher up and sheer curtains you can push back and forth......you can [remove or leave] mini blinds..... The addition of curtain hardware, along with a floating shelf or two, a picture or a clock on wall, will render the look more completed, and any focus of uncertainty about the tile won't really matter. With drywall returns on windows, I think doing something decorative for them is helpful.....but tile isn't the only way. I'd leave the tiling you've done as finished now. Beautiful floor and cabinets...

I agree with a lot of the advice you've been given. Your first step is to determine your budget. The second step is to find a reliable contractor that can work within the confines of your budget. Get a bid for all labor and services to be performed, line by line, in writing. Ask for references and don't be afraid to contact them. Ask for proof of insurance and licenses. Verify that those licenses and insurance are up to date. Do yourself a favor and spend time looking at youtube videos to learn about proper waterproofing techniques. Educate yourself about building codes so you know that what is being done is correct. Check with your city or town code office to see what permits and inspections are required. Arm yourself with information so you don't end up like so many others on here with dilemmas about improper installation and waterproofing and bad tile jobs. Remember that you don't know what you don't know. I had spent a few weeks learning about kitchen design and caught my cabinet guy in a few mistakes that would have been very difficult to correct after the fact. The pretty is the easy part. It's everything that goes on underneath that determines whether the pretty will still be functioning correctly in 5 or 10 years. As to what you've chosen, I would stay away from acrylic tubs. They can be cheaply made and don't always hold up well. They also don't hold heat well so if you like to soak in a bath, acrylic won't work as well as cast iron. Based on the color of your current cast iron tub, it's been there for 40 or 50 years. There's a reason it's held up for so long. You want to replace it with something of the same quality. When you look at toilets, consider an elongated bowl, comfort height toilet. They're a lot more comfortable to use. I just installed two with an enclosed trapway and it's so much easier to keep clean. I would also stay away from anything too trendy or difficult to maintain. Porcelain is easier to maintain than marble. Larger format tiles in the tub area are easier to keep clean than smaller ones due to less grout. Even easier are solid surface walls in the tub, such as Corian. Drawers in a vanity will give you a lot more storage than doors. Good luck with your project!

I have 22 foot ceilings in my great room, and used 8 inch shiplap. I will NEVER use someone like Mark Bischak as my architect -- I don't pay for arrogant condescension. My father, who is 93, was raised in a house with shiplap walls -- his father covered them over with the latest new thing (plaster) in the 1920's, which lasted 20 years. The Old Place, as the house was called even then, was built by my father's grandparents, who were adults when the Civil War started. Shiplap is not new -- it keeps being uncovered in old houses everywhere -- and obviously as styles change it can be covered and uncovered to suit, as it is a structural part of the house! It isn't like those lovely fieldstone colonial homes in New Jersey which were covered in stucco in the 1850's and now have to be painstakingly chipped away at, one inch at a time. Here in the south, high ceilings helps the heat rise, and shiplap swells and contracts (breaths) with the humidity, making the house very much a living thing. Go for it, Kaye! But keep it all one size..