patser: The home is 1880, but that side of the house is more like 1950. The second floor seems well constructed. Currently there is no tub in that bathroom. We want a 6 foot soaker tub (looking at Kohler Archer, tub weights 80 lbs, 72 gallon capacity). I would see us filling it half full maybe 1-2 x a month. I'm not aware of any work that would have cut into the floor joists. The second floor looks like it was added in the 50's or 60's, was immediately decorated in rust colored shag and old time car wallpaper, then not touched since. Currently floor is carpet. Right now there is a shower, about 3x4, that is tiled. Our overall goal is to bring in the two closets that are behind the bathroom, relocate and rebuild shower, add tub, relocate sink making it a double vanity, leave toilet where it is. We plan to gut the walls (paneling) and remove subfloor to eyeball the joints and to move plumbing. Thanks!

I do something similar to Trinity. I wrap them and put a code word on them. One DH and I know the code word. It is great fun having them try to figure it out! I became much like Talley and Steve only after ruining my own Christmas when I was 9. For some reason (can't remember the details) I knew my mom was away from their bedroom long enough for me to peek under their bed. So I rustled through the boxes and found a box with a pair of turquoise denim bell bottoms with a matching jean jacket (dating myself!! LOL!) While I loved the outfit, I felt terrible, had to fake surprise, and then dealt with guilt for years (especially when I wore the outfit). In fact, I don't think I ever did confess it to my parents!! I never peeked again after that though. Brenda

Sophie, If I move the range to the short wall of the L, I only have 2 inches of counter on the right and 30 inches of counter over a corner blind cabinet on the left, which is the right counter of the sink.....Seems too close to the sink for prepping food before cooking and there will be no access to that corner cabinet. What about across on the other wall? Have to move the gas line a good distance for that to work. Is that feasible and not too expensive?? AnnKH, Removing the soffit is an option, but we were trying to save $$. In many pictures if they don't have a soffit, it is open space or they build up the crown molding...seems like a waste. Our family is all tall to reach the top cabinets, but the next owners might not be :) If we didn't use the pantry, there is a funky soffit that extends farther than the rest (to accommodate a larger cabinet), which my contractor didn't like hanging over a 12" upper cabinet. It's a very small area. Is that a bit deal? We did use the two eating tables, the smaller one for 2-3 and then the formal dining for company. Somehow it didn't feel that crowded. I used the bar all the time as a counter to serve food on as we entertain quite often, but we never ate at it because it was too low. The bar is gone and it already looks so spacious.... The dining room table can become a banquet table....which we use at holidays. Ideas on what to put in all that empty space? What about an island similar to before, but higher and back into the smaller eating area with chairs facing toward the larger table. We could do casual eating there. Or open up the wall on the left side of the galley kitchen for an island? My head is spinning! Thanks This is after...the bar/smaller table are gone. Ideas on the space? New cabinets....not installed. Note the soffit over the pantry. There will be a new fridge and top cabinet for a built in look. Notice the place for the range with small counter on the left. I was hoping for more counter space on the left of range. Cabinets on left are just props. Thank you for your help.

Bad news! I used a different solid surface shower. I had it in a week. Go look at Bath1.com an see if any of the showers there appeal to you. I used Transolid. They made a few goofs in sending me trim and they sold me an extra loose panel that I did not need, but they worked well with me to get what I needed. I only had the trouble with the trim because I was covering my ceiling, which was not part of the shower package. They had not done it before and did not think through how the trim would match up with the wall-to-celing transition. Since you are gutting, you can consider the Transolid New Construction type showers and get the dome with lights in it. You have to stick to their holes for fixtures, though. But the new construction Transolid showers have an aluminum mesh attached to the solid surface panels and because of this, they do not require that drywall be put up behind it. The Remodel type goes up over drywall and you can put whatever holes in it that you need. Fitting walls together is a matter of scribing the panels to your often unplumb walls. If your guy can scribe for doing drywall, it is the same skill. Transolid showers use a corner trim molding, too, so the corners are not even visible. If your guy has not done it before, then this style is more forgiving. Here is a picture of mine. There are a lot of other colors.Lots of sizes are available. This one is the largest, the 37.75 x 63 inch wheelchair accessible set with a trench drain. Bath1 sells Swanstone, too. Other brands, maybe, too. Some are acrylic, some are solid surface.