Thank you @Dawn Martinez 🙏🏼

If he doesn’t use Mapei, then you will need to settle on a Custom color. I wouldn’t mix the grouts. I don’t think it’s like paint where you can mix pigment, but I could be wrong. You would probably just get splotchy color. You didn’t like Snow White? How about Alabaster? Ash is lighter, but for some reason it reminds me of your tile. It’s tough for me to compare the bright white to the Mapei, because it is in shadow and the grout comes onto the tile, which extends the color of the grout.

Thank you SO MUCH @Susie .
I will ask if I can look at more of his custom sample colors. Maybe ash will work?
The snow white is noticeably darker and gray. I was trying to warm up the tiles a bit and highlight the sandy undertones more than the gray. Plus, I read go slightly lighter on the grout to blend the pattern and to go slightly darker to highlight the pattern.

@Susie . I can’t remember the alabaster exactly but seems it was more yellow. Just remember it didn’t work. :/

The ash is very dark grey. But gonna look at the Snow White again. It has grey but so did the mapei white. Maybe it will work?

Sorry - it is so hard to see on a monitor! Good luck.

Thank you @Susie . for ALL your ongoing help with this. I'm thinking the Snow White will be our best choice after all. Considered another color option -- Canvas (left grout sample bar). It's the perfect shade but too dark.

Bright white on grout board and and right sample bar.

Snow White (middle sample bar).

Below is the countainer with the leftover Mapei White grout we used on the other sample board that looked really good. The Mapei White has a lot of grey in it which is why it works so well with our Sherwin Williams Pure White walls and cabinets.

On top of the Mapei White container is the Custom Prism Snow White sample bar.

The Custom Prism SW sample is a little darker than the Mapei White leftover grout. But I read that Custom Prism is lighter than the samples. If that's right then I think Snow White will be just fine. I'm gonna have our tile guy do another sample board with the Snow White once we get our boxes of tiles - to be sure it works with the variation in tiles. But I think the Snow White will work best of all the Custom Prism grout options.

p.s. overcast today so that's why these outside pictures are so dark.

Our GC wants to do undercabinet lights BEFORE we tile so this week we've been trying out different undercabinet lights. The LED ones all leave lines and dots on the counter. But I think we're going with 3000 k, 300 lumens dimmable - mounted under the front cabinet lip. The dots actually seen less onerous than the lazer lines. And the premium diffuser housing is so deep that it shows below the cabinet lip. So we're going with the low-profile case.

I'm also gonna check out the pucks just to make sure I don't like them.

Plus looking at window moulding. And need to order my dining room chandelier. Picked the chandelier below out a while ago but want to wait to buy till we're basically done with everything else to be sure it will work (have already returned 3 chandeliers).

Oh and also looking at window coverings.

Chandelier I like - 24" (planning on 54" round table, maybe darker wood)

Window coverings - something like this. Saw better pics on Houzz but can't find them now.

window moulding on other side of room/back yard window. 2 1/2 inches. But our bay window is so cramped prob need something 1 1/2 to 2 inches max. And doesn't have to be so busy/scalloped. Maybe something similar but cleaner.

And then we'll be DONE! (except we still need to buy rugs and some furniture lol)

We started the remodel labor day 2023 and it was supposed to be 3 months! But we added things and changed the flooring. And then the floor guys were all booked up. etc., etc.,

So here we are. I know I take FOREVER to make decisions but with all your help I think it looks AMAZING! So I have no (or few ;) regrets.

It’s always nice to see light at the end of the tunnel! I’m sure it will all look great when you have finished. And I’m sure you will be happy to have a functional kitchen!

Thank you @Susie . I am getting excited as the last few things are coming together. And everyone who sees it LOVES it. So thanks to YOU and others who offered suggestions - it is turning out better than I could have ever hoped.

And I do think the Snow White grout should be fine. Thanks for encouraging a second look.

And if you had any feedback on any of the above please feel free to share. ALWAYS appreciate your input. 🙏🏼

@Susie . Our GC suggested doing maple around the windows instead of white mouldings - inside and out. This will match our floating shelves. I think it will be nice because the backsplash won't go into the bay window. And the bay window area would be all white. Plus this will warm the bay window area up a little.

But the window mouldings on the far side of the room are all white so just wanted to see if you thought that would look okay?

And our plan now is to put similar blinds with smaller slats in the bay window. But I am open to other suggestions too. :)

Windows on either side of the room are pretty far apart.

This is from the far side of the room

(Please excuse the mess)

Interesting idea. I actually have a rental that has mixed trim - windows in living and dining are stained, while everything else is white. Previous owner did it, and I have just left it as-is, but it kind of bothers me. We will actually be moving into it in a couple years, and it’s on my list to paint that trim. So if it were me, I would just trim the windows to match the rest of the house/room and bring in warmth with window treatments, such as woven shades. However, if you like the idea, then go for it. Worst case, you hate it and you paint it.

THANK YOU again. I told him to just do white. That feels right to me too. Like you said we can always do something warm in window coverings. 🌸

Oops forgot to tag you @Susie . ☺️

And back to the Snow White grout…

The more recent custom prism sample bar looks lighter, which is perfect. But the tile guy said SW can go yellow. And I read that somewhere else too. But when I put it up against our Sherwin Williams pure white cabinets, it pulls grey. And I believe pure white has a little yellow as well as the black in it, so I think it will be fine. But I will do a grout board once we get the tiles - just to be sure. 🤠

If you don’t mind me asking— What is the Snow White like in your place? Do you notice any yellow? Or more grey?

Thank you again for all your help. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. You are a LIFESAVER. 🙏🏼

Forgot to say…

I am excited we are almost done with the hard stuff. Then rugs and window coverings. Plus some furniture…

But I’m a little disappointed to find that our pentalquartz counter is be pretty soft and easily scratched.

We’ve been EXTREMELY careful after I noticed a few stray marks and a tiny scratch.

(You can even see in the pics - all our dish towels under anything we put on the counter right now)

I’m not letting workers put any tools or metal on the counters. But yesterday our GC dropped a small piece of window moulding from about 6” above the counter and it left a noticeable scratch. Luckily it’s behind the sink toward one of the windows but STILL.

We actually called the place we got the slabs from. They suggested magic eraser.

But one reason we got quartz was because we thought it was sturdy. But it’s not really. And of course with white counters, any mark is pretty noticeable. I knew we had to be careful about stains but the counter fabricator said unless you take a knife to it it shouldn’t scratch. So this has been a bit of a surprise. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Has anybody else had this happen with quartz counters?

My quartz counters are six years old and I’m not sure they have a single scratch. My bathroom has plain white quartz and I don’t see a thing. I would talk to the distributor about it.

@Susie . That’s what we were hoping for. 🙏🏼

But I can’t imagine redoing our counters 😵‍💫

We're getting ready to wrap everything up - tile in about a week.

Hi @Susie .
Grout board with snow white - works fine. Not as buttery as the bright white for sure.

Counter situation resolved.

tile had to be re-ordered but just arrived and moving forward again. 🙋🏻‍♀️

Looks better with lighter towel. Almost there …

Thank you for suggesting Snow White @Susie . 🙏🏼

Great! I’m sure you’re looking forward to getting it finished. The Snow White does seem to work well. Ironically, that’s my daughters costume for a party tonight.

no way! I hope she has fun at her party!

(And thank you AGAIN :)

Yes we are looking forward to finishing up.

Hi @Susie .
Hope your daughter enjoyed her Halloween party. 🥳

Counter sealer question:
Our tile guy offered to seal our counter when he seals the tile. He said it’s a very good product and he’s very high end. I asked him to do a test sample on a piece of the slab we have.

Have you heard of sealing white quartz counters? Don’t want it to change the color. But it already has 2 scratches and maybe it will help prevent more. 🤔

Ps. The tile turned out great. Will post pics tomorrow 🙋🏻‍♀️

@Susie .
Sealing today. Hoping the sealer doesn’t change the matte look. 🙏🏼

Looks great!

Thank you! 😃

Has anyone heard of sealing white counters? 🤔

Concerned it will change the color? Now or later…

Noticed a few tiny spots where grout missing.

Should we try to fix before we seal today or just leave?

Hi - no need to seal quartz. It is not porous like a natural stone. I doubt that the sealer would do anything to the quartz, but it's just not necessary. Your tiles should be glazed and fired and also no need to seal them. It's really only helpful to the grout. How tiny are the spots? You can ask your tile guy about filling them in but the grout would need to cure again before sealing.

By the way, it looks great!

Thank you @Susie .
I’m really happy with it! (And much of it is thanks to you! ☺️)

Any suggestions on vent hood height?

(There's a chimney extention that allows it to extend further down the wall)

Our contractor said we can do 24-36 inches. I am 5’2” and husband is 6’ tall. The higher strip of orange tape on the right side of the long vertical orange tape is 36 inches. The lower strip of orange tape on the right side of the long orange tape is 24 inches.

(I think the orange tape at the bottom is the range height)

Hood height will depend on a lot of things: gas or electric range? CFM on the vent? Local code? I assume the contractor gave you the range of height based on the manufacturer’s instructions, because that’s the most important guideline. For a gas range, the minimum is usually 30-36” but it could be different depending on other factors. If you are concerned that the hood will obstruct your husband’s line of sight you can get some cardboard and cut it out to the depth and width of the hood and tape it up between the cabinets and test it.

I like how your tile came out!

Yes he said 24-36.
This is 27” and 29”. I wanted 29” since my husband is taller. but he is concerned about the heat and grease on the cabinets. So I think we’re gonna do 27.
Our vent is 800 CRM.

Thank you again @Susie . 😊

Remeasures - lower pic is 28”

@Susie . Hope your new year is off to a great start. :))

We're still moving forward bit by bit. We have a range and hood! And decided to not seal the counters. Here are some recent pics. Thank you again <3

@Susie .

Now I'm working on window treatments. I was looking at sheer cellular shades but now thinking about just doing the same 2" faux wood blinds we have throughout the house. (3 day blinds)

What do you think? It's kind of a small space with little windows. But we like that we can leave them open so you can see through the slats. And you can close them to block out the heat - because this window gets a lot of sun. I just did a more modern valence than the rest of the room/house.

The right set of blinds looks large in the bay window pic because the perspective is off. And these colors are all wrong but the dimensions are about right. (picture - bloomin blinds visualizer)

one big room now

the end of the room opposite the kitchen has the 2" faux wood blinds on the big windows.

And I am thinking about redoing the doors and trim myself since the paint and cabinets are all in SW pure white - thanks to you! But we had already painted the trim (and fireplace and beam - but not touching those!) in SW High Reflective white before I started on Houzz.

Except painting trim is hard! I did the moulding last weekend and the paint was very sticky. I saw videos that recommended a paint extendor (floetrol) so the paint flows better. Plus a 2" Purdy brush. any thoughts???

Hi. Sorry, I’ve been busy with a project and haven’t been online at all. I think matching your existing blinds is great! Thinning paint can sometimes work. Floetrol works great for water based (latex) paints. Just don’t mix in too much. If you have an oil based paint you need to use a paint thinner for oil based - “paint thinner” is usually what it’s called. Having a good brush is important also.

Thank you @Susie . Hopefully it has been a fun project. :)

And so glad you like the idea of matching existing blinds. I was worried 2" might be too big in that small space but I think it will work. And Bloomin Blinds says they have 1.5" which would be perfect. Have a consult Friday (plus Bloomin Blinds has much better reviews than 3-Day)

Our paint is latex. I'll try thinning the paint and doing a less conspicuous places before tackling the living room doors. If it's still sticky will try the Floetrol - can you just follow the amounts it says to add?

I know these last few things are pretty minor. But want to share updates and pics because it's looking so good -- in large part thanks to you! :))

@Susie . Just ordered 3-day blinds. The designer recommended placing the valance/blinds directly on the window moulding/frame since it is such a small space. (And inside won't work.) I'm just concerned the 2" blinds will jut out even more from the windows.

Have you heard of this before? Does it sound right?

She also suggested the more ornate coronado valance to match the blinds across the room. I went with the more simple crest modern valence.

thank you AGAIN (almost done)🙏🏼

p.s. Happy Valentines Day ❤️

Do you think this 48" round table below will work in our space?

We did a cutout and it looks small to me. For perspective - the pendant light above is 24".

We currently have a 36x60 rectangular table but wanted round for better flow between rooms.

The plan was 48" round table with an 8' round rug. But it doesn't look right. Maybe we need a square rug? or a bigger table? Hard to find round tables I like. This one is simple and coastal which works for us. Most are chunky and/or ornate.

p.s. Ignore the big rectangular rug - it's going in the bedroom. And ignore the husband ;)

48" cutout table

48" round table I like

current 36x60 rectangular table

From this perspective it looks okay.

Not sure if we need a different shape/size table or rug?

(This 9x12 rug is going in bedroom). Had planned for 48” round table and 8’ round rug but not sure now.