Hi! I'm not sure if this is the look you're going for but I had the same dilemma with Kohler Biscuit! I wanted a light bathroom but it couldn't be white, so I went with a tile that has white and then cream veins in it for my accent tile because I also had Biscuit Kohler sinks and a tub. Then I saved $ by going with a Daltile CrossCut Porcelain tile that mimics a marble (the polished version really looks amazing! I think it's called San Michele and the color was "crema") and the same product in bigger 12" x 24" pieces for our shower. I was nervous that those big tiles would look to modern but they are laid in a 70/30 pattern and the marble/veining looks really pretty while also giving it a slightly updated look. Basically I covered the most square footage with the less expensive tile (I think it worked out to right around $6-8 sq/ft) and then use the accent tile (Cloud 9/Del Greco, it was called) more sparingly b/c it was more expensive. Our marble countertops and the tub surround are then Breccia Oniciata marble. It's a creamy, dreamy marble that - importantly to me! - ISN"T white or light based so that over time, it will age well. Here's a few pics - you can see the porcelain on floor, the accent around tub and sink backsplash and then the marble. and then a link to the Cross Cut tile b/c it was the biggest savings. Can provide more info if you're interested. Let me know if you'd like me to get more specific information or the names of any of the particular tiles! Good luck! I lived in analysis paralysis for months and months. Once I pulled the trigger, I just moved to the "love" stage! Here is a link that might be useful: Crema tile (look for that color on this sheet)

I got sick of mold forming on the plastic rubbery holes on shower and hand-held heads. Looking at hardware stores, I could not find any hand-helds that were not plastic. What I tried, and what worked for me, was to get the smallest solid brass shower head, which has an on-off valve, and attach that to a metal hose. I needed a brass fitting to attach it to the hose, since it is threaded for the shower arm. Click the linky below to see it, it is quite small. It makes it so that the hanging hose sprays downward, not outward. This works well for me, since I have a fixed shower head at the top. I use the handheld for aiming at specific places, and find that this small hose-end spray is better for directing water than a traditional hand-held. I also use it when shaving my legs, when I turn the water at the nozzle on and off as needed, right there, as I am bent over, without having to stand up again to do so. This hand-held set-up works best, however, at washing the dog. The spray is directed downward, toward the dog, and there is less juggling and dropping involved in getting the dog soaped and rinsed. I still am using a tub-shower combo. I was a little concerned that the heavy brass fitting might chip the tub if I dropped it and it swung too hard against the porcelain. It has not done so. I love the set-up. I know that it is unconventional, and that it is not going to work as a hand-held on one of those adjustable-height poles. But if you find a fixture that you like - except that the hand-held head is plastic - keep this idea in mind. For $23 at Ace, you can get a different fixture to put at the end of that hose that is solid brass. Do you really need it to spray at you from the wall, or do you need to use it as a hand-held? If you want to use it in your hand, this is a good solution. I suppose if you are at a good plumbing store, you might even be able to find plumbing parts to give you a 90 degree turn. Then if you had the right diameter pieces, you might be able to hang it on the height-adjustable wall bracket. I am sorry that you home suffered damage from plastic parts in your high-end plumbing fixtures. It is almost like nothing matters today, as long as it LOOKS good! I will remember your story as I go about my buying for our bath remodel that we expect to do in a year or so. Here is a link that might be useful: Small showerhead

I have a comment to make about the Waterstone warranty. First, many of their finishes are living finishes - not offered by many companies. These are delicate patinas and anyone offering Waterstone should fully explain the use and care and what to expect. I have done that for well over a decade with zero complaints from customers. Secondly, I would like to mention a great company that many of you might find very helpful. The company is New York Replacement Parts Corporation. They are located in Manhattan, NY. They manufacture faucet parts for well over a hundred brands of faucets, including many that have gone out of business. They were able to replace a Concinnity shower valve for me after the company had been out of business for 10 years. The owner told me they buy up the drawings of companies going out of business and they have the equipment to make just about anything. Here is the interesting part... I asked how they were able to make a profit (in Manhattan of all places) selling parts for faucets without lifetime warranties or for those companies that are no longer in business. Well, the answer was stunning. He simply said, "Try and get the part under warranty!". A month after he told me this, my California Faucets shower valve stopped working and it was under warranty. I used to be a dealer for California faucets. In fact, the owner visited my home and we played guitars together - however that was almost 15 years ago. So, I called California faucets and explained I needed a shower valve under warranty. They explained that since I was no longer a dealer I would have to go through a dealer. I said no problem! They gave me three companies and their phone numbers. I left messages for all three with no return calls. So, what did I do? I called New York Replacement Parts and paid $175 for a part that should have been free under warranty. I am going to provide a link to their website in case you might need a hard-to-find part. New York Replacement Parts Corporation The owner ordered a sink and Waterstone faucet from me and I looked through the huge list of brands and noticed the only brand not listed was Waterstone! I called and asked the owner why they were not listed. His answer was simple... somebody has to call, LOL. He also said that is why he ordered a Waterstone faucet with his Rachiele sink. There is much to be said about stated warranties, but the facts are the facts folks. There is a reason Waterstone is NOT listed with virtually all of the other brands. Waterstone stands behind their lifetime mechanical warranty and the rest of the group keeps New York Replacement Parts in business! One more time for the link...New York Replacement Parts I hope this helps many of you.

Beckysharp- can you please tel me how you trust the Starcraft Builders website? There are just so many spelling errors, how can this be a reputable source? Jill, I'm an editor, researcher, and former reporter and particularly sensitive to typos and spelling mistakes. But I'm willing to give a company and website like Starcraft Builders a pass for the very important reasons that 1) there is so much information on their website, and 2) their business and expertise don't involve writing and editing. For the same reason, I generally don't point out typos, and grammar and spelling errors in Houzz posts unless the company name has an error (like Barber Wilson or Barber Wilson's instead of Barber Wilsons) since being able to find out more about a product is paramount, because I know most people post in a hurry and/or from their phones and, unlike me, aren't professional writers or editors or don't have a copy editor on standby. I've been on Houzz/GardenWeb for the past 10 years, and many of the posters here who I trust and respect share opinions and thoughts about much on the Starcraft Builders website, from faucet and toilet reviews to pantry planning advice. I've also been married to a builder/contractor for more than 25 years, so I know Starcraft know well the building aspect very well. Creative a comprehensive website like the Starcraft Builders one would be quite the effort for anyone in a different line of work without also updating and maintaining it for years; I'd much rather have whatever Starcraft staff member responsible for the website use his or her time to keep the site and reviews updated than to check for typos. It's clearly a labor of love from which many homeowners have benefitted for their new construction, remodeling, and renovation projects. My original reply was specific to Newport Brass and I don't know Jen or mumkin, and I'm not overly familiar with Barber Wilsons, in great part because my heart belongs to Moen and their fabulous lifetime no-questions-asked warranty. I looked up Barber Wilsons and the Starcraft entry for them, and since their product is not made in China, it may be a question of not bothering to submit their products to US and Canadian authorities for testing because they may be resting on their considerable, BRF-approved laurels; for some, especially a British company established in 1905, a royal warrant likely eclipses, as far as the company is concerned, US and Canadian government certification. Starcraft reviews, and Houzz/Gardenweb posts, should be just part of a homeowner's due diligence. You could/should also try to find out more about the lack of certification, for example by writing to inquire about it.