I was definitely worried about hiring a contractor who didn't know what he was doing. I did a fair amount of research so when I spoke with them, I could tell how comfortable they were with the requirements and in our case need to modify the joists below the floor. Some even opening admitted they hadn't done one but were willing to take on the task. No Thanks! I monitored several forums on the web and set up a google alert for "curbless shower" and tried to get a sense of experience. One of the forums is particularly good and turns out one of the contributors was from our metro area. I could read how he communicated and also sense how the other experienced guys on the forum respected him. It was amazing to me how in such a large metro area where we live, how few contractors have much experience with this. From what I can tell, it was rather difficult though since our house has a "pier and beam" foundation, that made it a bit more straightforward. It was also very expensive but the guy I hired is good and he knows he's good so didn't have to low bid the job. (I also liked that his bid didn't change during the job). We have an old house and he personally lived in an old house so was accustomed to the eccentricities and surprises of old houses. Overall, I felt VERY lucky. Maybe in time, contractors will get more experience but for now, it is scary what a risk you are taking hiring someone for this job. If I hadn't had the extra information for this contractor, I might have just chosen one of those "kits" - check out the Schluter web site (linear drains are a bit expensive but worth it) and definitely the forum run by John Bridge. I think a homeowner shouldn't try hiring for this kind of job without doing a lot of research and having a lot of confidence in the contractor they end up hiring. Angies list had a couple of reviews that looked interesting if I hadn't of found the contractor I ended up with. Good luck.

threeapples, we bought honed hex marble tile for our floors and polished marble subway tiles. Even though it was the same stone (Calacatta marble), the honed hex for the floor was a totally different color than the subway tiles. When we started laying the floor tiles, we thought it was a mistake in our order and that the hex tiles were a different kind of marble. They weren't. According to the person who sold us the tile, honing marble can take out some of the warm tones and change the color of the marble. We ended up swapping out the honed hex floors for polished. I did not want polished floors in a bath because of the slippery issue, but we had no choice as we had already installed the polished subway tiles in the shower.

Take a cabinet door & floor samples to the stone yard & see what looks good with it. You can always use a remnant for a bathroom. Are you going to paint as well? A lighter color would really brighten up the space. As far as quartz goes, I really tried to like it because it's what's "new & hot", but I just can't get on board. I like it in other peoples' kitchens, but it's not my style. Go with what you like.

Every so often, you read about people fully restoring a decades-old gas appliance. There apparently is a market for things such as old O'Keefe & Merritt stoves. And yes, from what I recall, this sometimes requires replacing the enamel coating. So, I know that this is possible. I don't have any idea whether it is cost effective and who would actually do this type of work. But if I was in this situation, I'd start by calling up places that restore old O'Keefe & Merritt stoves and ask nicely if they can offer advice. They might or might not be able to help you directly. But at least, they could probably point you in the right direction. When you have your answer, please report back here. This would be a useful resource to know about for other Houzz forum members.