Erik Vaughn Staley Design Soft modern is exactly the type of aesthetic design that I tend to work with. It's an updated look to classic modern without it being too overbearing. The look remains timeless and yet liveable so that it's not too cold but inviting.

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Agree Erik ! Have fun with it. Charmean

vnguyen1210 What is the paint color you used on the walls?

BeautifulRemodel.com Hi vnguyen1210,

Thanks for the inquiry. I designed this project several years ago, but if memory serves, the paint color is Ralph Lauren's "Sisal". One of my favorite colors. However, the photo makes it look a little different than it is in person. If you're looking to get the best representation of what you see here, you may want to show this photo to a qualified paint store rep so they can give you their best suggestion.

-Steve

Jamie Herzlinger Sorry
Terrible typist! Regards, Jamie

BeautifulRemodel.com Some gorgeous tiles Becky, thanks for sharing.
@ Statements - The outside edge profile on the Modcraft photo looks like a Schluter strip to me

Chris Gloede Totally agree with John Whipple. W Hotels use these tiles in some of their properties and the workmanship errors show. Matching up joints is time-consuming and best left to a very very patient pro!!

The Vero Stone The waviness in some of these applications reminds me of the marble "onda" from Dedalo, usually set a few inches from the wall and backlit to highlight the beauty of the natural veining.

trasgorshek I have no idea how you do it! You use time sooo efficiently, you inspire me to do more! It truly is amazing what you accomplish in a day. Believe me, if I lived closer I would probably be your most frequent shopper and would ask you a thousand questions. Lol

Anita Roll Murals Congratulations Charmean!

ASVInteriors I decided not to poke a holding the granite, and bought a very elegant stainless steel dispenser that I place on top of my counter. Never had a problem and much easier to refill.

BeautifulRemodel.com All of the soap dispensers we've installed are refilled by simply lifting up the top. You don't even unscrew anything. Doesnt get much easier than that :)

BeautifulRemodel.com Hi karebrad

I think the detail your builder is suggesting will look very odd and create other issues such as a debris trap and limited access to the windows. Are the windows operable? A better solution would be to re-frame the window openings to raise the sill so the bottom of the new window, including trim (if any) sits above the backsplash of your new counters. This will look so much better. It will also give you the opportunity to make the windows operable if they currently aren't.

Fwiw, the reframing procedure for a scenario like yours is relatively easy IF you stay with the existing header location and width. If you have a brick or stone exterior, its more involved than for a framed wall, but well worth the expensive compared to the odd detail it would create using your builders idea.

-Steve

BeautifulRemodel.com I understand, and its shame that the detail limits your choices. However, this is a detail that really would benefit from the input of a great designer or architect. When I'm faced with limitations similar to what you're describing, I try to turn that into a cool detail or feature, if it cannot be tastefully masked.

Without seeing what you're currently working with and the design aesthetic its hard to make meaningful suggestions. If you post photos, a floorplan and elevations etc of the current conditions that would help. If construction issnt at that stage yet, then just the existing layout and proposed plan would help

-Steve

karebrad About 5 days ago I submitted a Design Dilemma about this same issue. It has the unbelievably clever title of "need help with kitchen layout" !!

I included a floor plan at that time, along with extensive detail of wall dimensions, etc. The overall house is lowcountry style, and it is being built near Savannah, GA. So the style is fairly traditional.

BeautifulRemodel.com Hi spun_sugar66

You'll have more design and layout options with a tiled in place shower pan vs a pre-made one, but the latter will generally be easier to maintain and less expensive. However, there are some inexpensive plastic shower pans that are not durable or aesthetically pleasing so its best to stay away from those. Choose a high-quality fixture because it would need to last, and needs to look good with your subway tile. Also, make sure your installer knows how to install them correctly; most require a wet sub-base (typically plaster etc) so they are more rigid once installed, and therefore less likely to deform and crack.

Another option is a pre-cast sub-pan, which can be tiled. There are many companies that make these, such as http://www.finpan.com/preformed-propan/preformed-shower-pans.php.

-Steve

spun_sugar66 thanks for your words of wisdom... I do believe that i am going to tile the floor....... will for sure look into the site you provided.

Designs by Cori Ann tile looks much richer

BeautifulRemodel.com Hi susiejunej

There are a few factors that come into play with regard to the best location, but generally speaking, rainheads work best when they're ceiling mounted and centered in the shower. Pressured heads (incl handhelds) are best located so they do not spray directly at the shower door, but also depends on whether you plan to use it at the same time as the rainhead. In addition, would the shower heads be used for two people showering at the same time? etc. Its mostly a personal decision, but worth discussing in more detail with a great designer as there are other factors relative to the space you have available, the components you plan to use, and how you'd ideally like to use the space.

- Steve

OnePlan also worth considering is having. a flexible shower fitting for cleaning the shower too ?!

susiejunej thanks so much , you made some points I had not thought of which were very helpful.

Julie Monagan Barnard I hope you don't mind, but I have a couple follow-up questions about your mirrored toe kick. The corner where the pieces of mirror meet, how did you avoid that from being sharp? How did you join the mirror on the outside corner? Is it some kind of miter? Or does one side overlap the other? Were all of the glass edges polished? Or were they left sharp? We have not done this before, and we do not want to reinvent the wheel trying to figure this out when someone has already done this. Thank you for any assistance you can provide.

BeautifulRemodel.com Hi Julie,
All edges are polished ("eased") and the outside corner is mitered along with the adjacent piece. However, its really just a slight back bevel, not a precise miter, it cannot be a tight or sharp as you can with wood etc. Also, the mirror is sitting on 1/16" silicone spacers, approx 3ft apart.

For this project I had to partially scribe the mirror to the floor (my glazier wouldn't do that bit) because even though the floor was laid very flat, the mirror will accentuate the tiniest wave and double it. I then used a bead of clear silicone along the entire bottom of the mirror as it meets the floor. (To protect the mirror from water when the floor was cleaned)

I've done quite a few mirrored "details" like this over the years and its important to do a mock up first, because the mirror can create problems that aren't very apparent in advance. It will reflect whatever is butted in to it, so that needs to be either painted black, or finished just like the face of the material.

For a project like this one above, the flooring needed to go under the mirror, not butted into it, or you'd see the cut edge of tile and thinset reflected in the mirror. Subtle, but still not good imho

Hope this helps, please post photos when you're done!
-Steve

tcufrog I don't know what this says about me but the budget friendly kitchen is my favorite.

chynesniang honestly, i was a bit disappointed. :((
if these kitchens were the best the show had to offer, then that's really frightening! they were too overdone or busy, or something...just didn't do it for me! if i had to pic a favorite, it would be bryan reiss!

Stephanie Baron Wow! 80's much?!? They are all ugly and the large ones are made for a staff of minimum 10 or if you have rollerblades. Those comments don't apply to the last budget-friendly one. So cute I wanna have its babies.

BeautifulRemodel.com Thanks for the question. The spacer size was 1/16", but the tile isn't rectified so the space appears closer to an 1/8".
-Steve

BeautifulRemodel.com Hi iloveittwo,

I'd say the handrail in this photo is approx 3 - 3.5" wide by 1.5" thick. I don't think your 1.25" is going to be too thick, it may actually look a tad thin, if its not paired with the correct proportion of railing and posts. Also, I would personally use tiger wood (not the golfer ;) for the handrail, I would not introduce a third wood as your contractor has suggested. If however you're restricted to either oak or maple because its a milled, stock handrail, then choose maple and stain it to match the floor.

-Steve

BeautifulRemodel.com I'd suggest the maple because it has a more subtle grain and stain it to match the tigerwood floor. This will help it blend with the other two woods so the combined look isnt too busy
-Steve

iloveittwo IM WAITING FOR PRICING FOR TIGER WOOD ON MONDAY. I KNOW IT'S GONNA B OUT IF MY BUDGET. THE STAIR NOSE WAS $100 FOR 6FT SO I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE RAILING. THANKS U ALL. MY CONTRACTOR WON'T MAKE IT TO SMALL BC HE SAYS IT'S NO GOOD TO SMALL FOR THE HAND GRAB. CODE I GUESS.

iloveittwo OK TIGER WOOD ISN'T EVEN AVAILABLE IN A HANDRAIL. THE CLOSET TO IT IS BRAZILIAN CHERRY AND 23 FT OF THAT IS @ $900. IM GOING WITH MY $200 MAPLE THAT HAS TO BE ORDERED N I WILL HAVE IT TO MATCH THE TIGERWOOD. THANKS EVERYBODY.

BeautifulRemodel.com Hi kitchenremodelhelp,

Floating floors like those you're considering can technically be installed over a solid substrate like a tile floor. (You'll need to verify that you're not voiding an installation warranty though) However, there are other factors that usually make doing so a bad idea. The combined build-up of both tile and wood can affect your appliances, especially those build-in like a dishwasher etc.

I've seen some examples where the thick flooring "trapped" the DW and compactor under a countertop. The added floor thickness can affect doorways and transitions to other flooring, such as carpet etc. It will also throw off the tread riser height ratio, if that has a different flooring material. In short, if you are going to seriously consider leaving the tile, then you'd need to address all of those issues first, because you could be causing a much bigger problem than the hassle of removing tile.

Lastly, in high humidity areas its wise to stay away from laminate wood floors, because they have a core of mdf, which while it has some great uses, is like a sponge for moisture. I'm not a fan of floating floors, but the best type for your situation would be an engineered wood, with an 1/8" min, wear layer.

- Steve

BeautifulRemodel.com You're welcome!

I would definitely NOT put the floating floor under the cabinetry. You MUST have very solid and secure "foundation" for the cabinetry and counters, and a floating floor is exactly the opposite - its not secured to the subfloor/slab/tile at all. It is FAR easier for the flooring company to do the floor first which is why they've suggested it. If you had a glued down floor or thinset tile, my answer would be different (with some exceptions). please do not let them do the flooring first, you will regret it at some point.

If this were one of my projects, I'd install the cabinets first, shimmed at the correct height to factor-in the extra thick floor. The finish kicks and room baseboards remain off, the floating floor is installed (with vapor-barrier etc) including adding flooring under your appliances such as DW, compactor, range, fridge etc. Make sure the installer leaves a 1/4" space around the perimeter of the room and cabs etc, for expansion/contraction (per the manufacturers recommendation, to ensure warranty). Then the finish kicks and room baseboard can then be installed over the gap, on top of the floor.

Btw, when the material arrives, make sure its acclimated to the room (typically a week or less), and READ the warranty and installation sheet that comes with the floor (Theres one in every box). Lazy installers often do not read this and could be voiding the warranty with incorrect installation procedures. No matter how much you may like your floor company, its best to "trust but verify" so you're not making their problem yours.

-Steve

BeautifulRemodel.com You're very welcome, glad I can help. Regarding your floor in general, your best option would be to go with a glue or nailed down hardwood floor, (for slab vs framed) not a floating floor. I realize it will be more costly but aside from the odd sound and feel of floating floors (imho), repairing damaged sections of a floating is very difficult and labor intensive.

I'm a GC and have repaired many floors, floating floors are the worst because they require disassembling entire sections to get to the damaged piece. (Including removing baseboards etc, and of course the damage is rarely near a wall which would be easier). While there are "tricks" to repair floating sections without going to the effort of doing it right, they affect the longevity of the patch imo.

Conversely, repairing a glued or nailed down floor is much easier. Its not easy however, so you'll need someone who knows what they're doing. Do consider this when you decide on your final choice. If you really do plan to live in the home for a very long time, it will get damaged so repairs will be necessary.

-Steve

kitchenremodelhelp Gret points, Steve. You have given me good "food for thought". I appreciate your time and expertise. I hope you have a nice weekend.

BeautifulRemodel.com You too, thanks!

BeautifulRemodel.com Hi amanij,

There are many, many tricks and techniques to learn when it comes to upholstery, and you've tackled a piece which requires knowing many of them. I admire your bravery! :) Generally speaking, when you "deconstruct" the fabric from a chair, you should be paying careful attention to how it went together, and in which order. (Hence deconstruction, not demo) Gentle deconstruction also means you can often salvage the removed pieces and use them as templates for the new fabric.

I realize its probably too late for that with yours, but hopefully not. One detail that does stand out for me is that it appears you've tried to make the back in one piece? because its a compound curve, you'd typically need to create 3 panels, sewn together, to correctly form the fabric to the back. If you have fabric which stretches quite a bit, that may not be required, but that can be a bugger to sew for the other areas, so it can be tricky no matter what.

Keep looking for how-to info, there should be more out there, but books (where digital or paper) would be a much better way to find the help you need. If you can, start practicing on a simple piece first, like an ottoman or dining chair seat, and build up to the trickier pieces like this. Best of luck!

-Steve

Crisp Architects The commercial version of a Garland range needs the recommended 6 inches from cabinets since it does not have insulation. The Residential version, however, is manufactured with the necessary insulation allowing it to be placed between base cabinetry as shown.