Sanctuarygirl sums it up well! I don't complain to anyone about my woes except DH (& c'mon, they are not woes at all - just annoyances at times) - I even keep a lot of that to myself because DH doesn't want to hear me constantly beotching & moaning about this process. We are trying to enjoy it to the max. Several friends & family have mentioned they are jealous of us (not in a mean-spirited way, just they wish they were in the same position financially to build a dream home). I am extremely careful about talking about this process with ANYONE - including my mom! When someone asks how the process is coming along, I give short answers & change the subject. I kind of think of it along the lines of planning a wedding or planning for that first baby; you are so excited & at times want to stand on the mountaintop screaming how excited you are. But at the end of the day, no one really cares so deeply about any of that, except for the 2 people going through it (well, & the parents & grandparents of those people). It helps to keep it all in perspective. I guarantee 95% or more of the people in this world would give their left foot to trade places with many of us. I'll end with a newspaper clipping I look at sometimes. Sorry, I don't know the source.

How exciting a new place for yourself! My girlfriend just had her entire million dollar house redone in natural oak floors. And she has amazing taste to go with her money. I do not think natural is out. If you visit Kraftmaid, Thomasville, Yorktowne, Merrilat, Diamond.. (Visit finished kitchen blog too) kitchen cabinet sites you can see med maple or dark cherry with the oak floors you are thinking about. I personally like a contrast between cabinets and floors. But, there are 1000 of combinations that make people happy. Make yourself happy. Here are some images to visualize. It always helps me to see. Please know I put in a bunch of different woods not specifically what you said. But a few have blk counters. And perhaps you can see if you like the contrast or not. All good to think about. ~boxerpups socketsite springwoodbuilders realestate ad

Rectified tile is quite common particularly in porcelain tile. Just look at the edge, if it is nice and square (from top to bottom) it is rectified. Rectified tile is cut on all 4 sides to make the square edge perfect, regular tile has a molded edge. You can use smaller grout lines because rectified tiles are quite square and you are not using the grout to compensate for tiles that are not square. It is hard to lay because the height's have to be perfect since there is no taper from the body to the edge. You need a top quality tile setter who is really anal to lay it well. I lay my own tile and I struggled last summer when I did a small bathroom and ended up with a couple places of lippage that I don't like. I did another small bathroom last month and did a better job but it took me a really long time and I need use a lot more boards and levels to make sure I was keeping my tiles even. I pulled up more rectified tiles (when the mortar was wet) in a 6'X6' bathroom and releveled them then I normally do in an entire kitchen and entry way with unrectified tile. Berardmr - perfect is hard to do but a quality tile setter will control their lippage. Laying regular tile is very doable for a DIYer and most contractors but rectified takes alot more skill, patience and attention to the detail. If you are not happy with it now, I don't think you will be much happier with it when it is grouted although it helps a little. Kathec - Have you looked at some of the vinyl tiles like Congoluem Dura Ceramic or Adura by Mannington? They were pretty impressive and a durable alternatives if you want something softer than ceramic tile. I considered both before settling on Marmoleum Click since I really wanted to float the floor over my cement slab. I am starting to lay my Click this weekend so I have no idea how it will hold up under my two rowdy dogs but my rowdy children are adults now!

If you’re buying plain old raisin bread, the pieces of the loaf are very much like each other. If you’re slicing marble cake, where the pattern changes the deeper you slice into the cake, each slice will be a bit different than the previous one. That's a good analogy. Where I went is a warehouse with rows and rows of stone - most pieces had 3-4 of the same type stacked behind. Is this somewhere I should look at each piece specifically? That's exactly where you'd expect to look around. You'd choose the stone you like, then look at ALL the slabs available with that stone. You'd determine whether they have enough /whether their slabs are appropriate for your space. Then you'd take a picture and watch them label YOUR STONE. And you'd specify your favorite bit to be cut for your island (or whatever happens to be your most prominent cabinet). However, we're giving you general advice here. "The real answer" is whatever your company says. Yes, I know how many of the posters here feel about "tract" homes. Tract homes are fine -- as long as you understand the pros and cons going into the deal. My daughter lives in one, and I like her house quite well. Tract homes come in a wide variety of prices, and from your description, it sounds like you're getting a high-end tract home. You're choosing from their limited vendors, who offer good prices because they're guaranteed to do this whole neighborhood -- and they're looking to cut corners.