Chroma Design It's a great idea. Yes, you need to plan your seating arrangement now so the outlets are positioned best. If you intend to float your furniture (not having to against the wall) then you'll want an outlet for a table lamp. Don't stress yourselves out that you need to be exact, but accuracy is important. A short extension cord will get you where you need to be. The idea is to have the cord be discreet as possible and to remove any tripping hazard.
And in today's computer centric world, I wish I had an outlet by my sofa for my power-eating laptop while surfing.

Chroma Design Also, don't worry if you change the arrangement or wish to put a rug down. Floor outlets and their covers can be set precisely flush to the flooring so you wouldn't notice it under a rug. A brass outlet cover is typical for floor outlets and are very handsome and traditional.

tcufrog We have some and I find them to be useful. I would try to make sure they are the same color as your flooring so they are unobtrusive. I have a rug over one and it's not a problem.

B Tag3 Thank you everyone. I wasn't going to do it but you have convinced me otherwise. I didn't even think about the Christmas tree. Gotta write that down.

Chroma Design On a per square foot basis, I can't think of anything cheaper than GWB. Gypsum wall board aka Sheetrock.

Dytecture much more labor intensive.

Rockin' Fine Finish Sheetrock is the least expensive that looks good everything else that is cheaper in cost will look cheap

sktwilson thanks Chroma designs for posting photos of floors the Chestnut is in Synergy collection flooring, actually in their newest brochure in room, we have the sample.

Chroma Design Good to know chestnut color can be had in flooring. I was just going off of what was listed from teragren's postings on houzz. I'm assuming you are doing the whole open space shown in your picture. And since the space has an open, contemporary feel with a Florida vibe, I'd do chestnut. If you're more daring, the variation in java would make a statement.

Chroma Design I like "b" the shifting stripe. It is tone on tone so it remains neutral and has visual texture.

olldroo I like the shifting stripe, it is a nice fabric but in your case I prefer the solid fabric. The stripe comes up opaque and with the sheer curtain behind the solid fabric has more contrast. I also like the structural look of it when you consider it with the picture frame and the fireplace mantle. Can you take the rod higher though so the curtains hide the window architrave.

jshale Thank you everyone!
@olldroo .... we are actually going to put a cornice above the window (same fabric as drape) and raise the rod so the drape is just above the ground. :-)

Chroma Design Nice space. You have some ideas and direction, which is great. But because you need so many furnishings I suggest working with a local designer who can help you bring your ideas to life with a cohesive design. Good luck.

JAMEITE Hand-painted Silk Wallpaper Co., LTD You can consider our wallpaper design。

Chroma Design I'm surprised the fabric samples didn't come with a rub count. For upholstery, I've had good experiences with polyester and viscose/cotton. Because it it a velvet texture, I personally would go with the poly, all other things being equal. It holds it's body better and less likely to "crush".

On another topic, did the gold modern floor mount tub filler I suggested work out for you? Was it what you were looking for?

ASVInteriors Thanks chroma, good advice. For the tub filler I am just at gathering stage for all sorts of materials, elements so not there yet. But many thanks

Chroma Design The house is georgous and a classic. I hope you intend to only change landscaping.

julieellen Some fresh paint on the front steps would be nice :-)

houssaon Beautiful house!

I would prune the azaleas you have to about half the current height. Use a hand pruner so that they do not become little round balls or square boxes.

Paint the porch floor a real light cool gray and the porch ceiling a pale blue. Paint the shutters a real dark green: Duron Historic Charleston Green Paint.

When it is time to replace the roof, get architectural shingles: Huestis Tucker Architects, LLC.

Chroma Design So tell us, what IS the decision?!?

Dullea and Associates Inc. Honed white marble is not a great fit for a kitchen. I feel the salesperson has given you good advice. If you had selected a dark color you could get away with it.

feeny Are you going to be bothered when it shows some wear and tear, acid etching and possible red wine or tomato stains? If this natural wear and tear isn't a problem for you, then absolutely follow your heart. I love the look of aged marble in a well-used kitchen. But many people are attracted to marble in its pristine state, and expect to keep it like that, which isn't realistic if you actually cook in your kitchen.

Chroma Design Looks like maple to me.

Chroma Design Have someone skilled take off the transition strip that leads to the room on the right side of this photo. It will allow you to see if the wood is solid or engineered. If it's solid I'd be more confident about restaining. I agree it looks prefinished which will require more aggressive sanding. Staining maple isn't that difficult. The main thing is it can come up blotchy so a conditioner should be applied first. I recommend you have this done professionally.

Chroma Design Just noticed your question at the end.... I would explore refinishing before consider laying a new floor. It was put down before your baseboards and runs under them. So they would have to be removed to lay a new floor and surely one will be damaged and need to be replaced. And all wood work would have to be repainted after being reinstalled because of the nail holes.

Ashley Shaw Thanks for the advice - I hadn't thought about the baseboards. I'm going to contact an expert to come take a look and hopefully it can be refinished!

Nancy Walton Even engineered hardwood can be sanded and refinished at least once or twice, so I've been told. The so-called "handscraped" engineered hardwoods can't, because of the high and low profie.

Chroma Design Here is a pic of applied picture frame molding as you described. Treat it as trimwork, meaning paint it white or off white in semigloss.

olldbobbi If there is a Home Depot near you, they sell paintable wallpaper in a bead board design. It doesn't look like much before it's painted, but after you paint it a nice semi-gloss it will look just like real bead board. $12.95/roll !!!

rita5154 Thanks, everyone! I'll try to upload a pic.

Chroma Design Have you considered board and batten siding? It is an inexpensive option.
Cottage Addition - Exterior
Custom Agrarian Style Residence

And here, used selectively to coordinate with shingle
Candlelight Homes' Custom Home

ethansophia Thank you bluenan. We lost our house to hurricane sandy. Building a new house was not in our plans, we are still fighting insurance, and doing the best we can. I do appreciate the other recommendations but as previously stated... It's just not possible. Thanks

bluenan I thought I had read in another dilemma of yours (the 9" ceiling in the kitchen- I suggested using the extra space above your cabinets for beams) that you had lost your home to Sandy. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and the many others who have found themselves in a similar situation. We don't have hurricanes where I live, but tornadoes are a real threat, and so far we've been fortunate to only have fences blow down and the side of our barn blown out. I can't even imagine what it must be like to lose your home...

Chroma Design Calidesigns makes an excellent point about the floors being the first and main concern since they go throughout the home. You have more options for the stain of your cabinets than a lighter or darker version of the floor. I suggest changing the hue slightly as well. It gives a bit more contrast between the two and looks more dynamic.

mlse Thank you everyone. Originally I thought of painting the cabinets a lighter cream color. We have had a few people that refinish cabinets come to our house. They have all said that our cabinets are great oak wood and to maintain the integrity of they wood, they would not paint them. They all recommended staining. In addition we are under a time frame. This needs to be done in the next month. We were advised to have the cabinets done before the floor is refinished. Lastly I will change my cabinet hardware. What look would you recommend and where would I go for them. I live in the Chicago area.

Delfina I am really stuck on painting them. We have done both--with paint you have so many more choices in colors- it really is up to your preference. As far as handles what is your style? do you not like the handles that are on there now?? sometimes all you need to do is paint the handles. We have used bronze hammerite rust cap paint, it does not rub off--ever!!

Laurie Evans Can you wallpaper on a textured wall?

Chroma Design You certainly can. You will first have to apply a liner to the wall, then paper. Or you can select a wallpaper that is heavy duty and is made to go over textured walls.

feeny You can have wood radiator covers made that function as window seats. They have a wood grill in front for the heat distribution. Here's an example:

Chroma Design Epoxy grout is great and comes in a wide range of colors. I use it for my shower floors all the time. I don't think it looks commercial. I haven't used power grout so I couldn't compare.

Chroma Design Ugh! My brain confused the two. I've used urethane grout, not epoxy grout. Thanks, home design center! Urethane grout is awesome, check into that.

sharilynrotta Thank you for your feedback..will look into this.

Chroma Design You're putting in stainless steel appliances.... You already broke the seal on farmhouse authenticity. Do what you like the most and complements the other elements in the room.

Carolyn Albert-Kincl Design Blue Pearl does not look modern to me, but it does look dark, and with dark flooring and island, it might be better to lighten up on the countertops, even though your wall cabinets are white. My real problem with your granite choices is that are both very small scale dotted looking. When I mix granites, I try to have one with movement in it and the other either solid of dotted so that they work well together. You might want to consider using a white quartz on the island and a granite on the wall cabinets.
Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID

Chroma Design As for your grout, I would select something that matches the tile as closely as possible. A lighter grout will not have the power to make the tile seem lighter. In fact, the opposite because of the contrast. And the contrast between the tile and grout would draw your eye and make the individual tiles stand out.

handymam You could just go a bit darker than the mirrors, but not as dark as the tile if possible. I do like the color you had, I only thought you would think it was dark with the tile.

madeleine_aguirre I think adding a darker tile or even a wood color would fit in a bit better than the color tile u have. I hope my suggestion helped at all and good luck!!:)

Chroma Design Asv- Italian co. La Torre has the tower tech collection. Floor mount tub filler with single handle function. It comes in Inca Brass but I haven't seen that finish in person to know if it fits your requirements.

ASVInteriors Hi Chroma - thank you so much for your info - onsite it doesn't seem to be showing it - but I know a local distributor whom I can contact. All the best, Antoinette

Chroma Design You're very welcome!

Chroma Design From a paint store operating perspective no, I would not have retail employees giving advice in general or specifically about color selection or decorating. There's too much liability for them.

-- custermor comes back to paint store after buying a color chosen by a employee (frequently just a tinting jockey) and says " so-and-so said this would be a great color and I don't like it and I feel I should be given new paint!" And that person is likely not even working that day.

They have no way of knowing your design style, existing furnishings, accessories, natural light, spatial qualities of the room, and flow. This is why it is beneficial to hire a designer or decorator who will take the time to come to your home, get to know you, evaluate the space and consider your furnishings. Designers and decorators build relationships with their clients and by doing so can more accurately serve their clients.

flasthrnbel Ben Moore paint all the way. I often shop for colors other places (Sherwin Williams has great colors) but I always have BMW color match. Only paint my husband, the painter, will use!

Dytecture There isn't a right or wrong answer. Everyone has their own favorite brand of paint to use.

Chroma Design I took a peek at your ideabook. Everything you saved resembles your first choice and you have nothing of this late stage alternative. I think you know what you want. Good luck, you have assembled a great combination of materials.

see_ Definitely the left. The granite is way too busy and the combination is not as harmonious.

judyg Two comments, no suggestions: I would question why the seam is going there and the glass tiles will look blue when installed.

Chroma Design Thanks for your question. The tile is limestone in a color called seagrass. It's a beautiful blend of grays with a green undertone. They have a matte finish and were sealed after installation. Please look at the project as a whole, you can find it as "chews landing rd. master suite remodel." There are many different perspectives of the room which show more detail.

S. Thomas Kutch Okay.... now you've expanded your question from the post to the entire porch construction that includes things like foundations, bases, masonry installation, etc., etc.... and I don't think there is space or time to convey all you need to know here. Everything you've described here is an extensive DIY project.....Foundations require specific depths depending on your frost line level, they require specific reinforcing. concrete and construction techniques. Then you've got the stem wall with it's elements, the back filling, whether or not you're going to provide a slab base for your stone floor or dry set it and then we have the finishes and their installations..........all this going on while you temporarily support your existing roof............all these elements are connective parts of the whole and by asking, I can assume that you haven't done this before...........

I'm sure you could probably find all the instructional videos and information you need to do this yourself online. But, my advice would be to hire a contractor to help you with this project and walk you through it if you want to do it yourself. The first thing you're going to need is a permit from your local building department or authorities. That will most likely require some sort of drawing with the plan, details and possible load calculations for the structural portion of the project.

There is a fine line between projects that are DIY and those that require some professional help...........I feel that this is one of those best left to the professionals or more experienced or at the least one who will help you and walk you through the steps.

Chroma Design Better is relative, of course. Since you mention in your question radiant heat and stable humidity and temperature, it seems these benefits of engineered flooring have already been pointed out to you. Since none of them apply to you I understand why you're still undecided. Personally, I do prefer engineered because it is more stable and environmentally friendly, assuming the plywood is made with non toxic adhesives. It uses less hardwood which saves trees and the plywood layers are made from scrap pieces. My advice for engineered is to make sure the top layer is thick enough that it could potentially be refinished years down the road. Good luck in your decision.

Chroma Design It's smart to remodel your home in a fashion that is expected for your neighborhood in terms of resale. No, you truly can not tell the difference between engineered versus sollid once it is installed. As noted above, a thick, high quality engineered floor will feel just like a solid when you walk on it. I'm sure some of your neighbors have engineered.
A solid wide plank (5"-9") floor is milled on the underside with grooves to give it stability and prevent cupping. A flooring expert can explain that more thoroughly than I have. Another way to treat solid wide planks is to install them with pegs which is especially suitable for a rustic or old world feel.

Lomonaco's Iron Concepts & Home Decor I personally only use real 3/4" thick hardwood flooring. All the benefits above in regards to the engineered flooring are correct, but when you walk on it it will feel fake. When you walk on real hardwood flooring it sounds solid. I have two small dogs and they run and play on our hardwoods all day and I have no problems with scratching. If you are talking pit bulls or german shepards then you may have a problem with the scratching.
One of the benefits of real hardwood is it most likely can be refinished 2-4 times depending on the quality of the materials used and the name of the brand. I primarily use Mirage or Mercier hardwood flooring and yes it is the most expensive, it is very durable.
A lot of the engineered flooring products are floating floors which to me means you are relying on the edge strips to hold everything in place. To me that is not strong or secure, however if you have large dogs in the home it will hold up better against scratches but will have the sound of not being solid when you walk on it with shoes, plus you most likely cannot refinish the engineered flooring more than once if at all because the actual hardwood veneer is very minimal as opposed to the hardwood veneer that is applied on real 3/4" hardwood which most often than not can be refinished 2-4 times.
Hope this helped you and good luck with your decision.

Elliott Floor Covering, Inc. Glad to help with any information. You absolutely should remodel with what is appropriate for the neighborhood, and consider resale especially if you plan to sell anytime soon. Wood flooring, be it engineered or solid, is one of the best remodeling choices and gives a high return on investment. If cost is not a prohibitive factor then go for the solid wood flooring options, but just know that solid floors will have their limitations as mentioned above. Again, you need to have someone come out and inspect your property because no flooring project is exactly like another, every situation is different and unique. Its hard to give you all of the pros and cons since I don't know your particular situation. Ask your neighbors or friends that have existing wood floors what products they used and find out how satisfied they are with their floors. If a solid product will work for your situation and that is what you want, then go for it. There are many beautiful solid choices out there.

As far as the statement about "a lot of engineered products are floating" is completely false. We are not talking about laminate flooring which uses a floating system (meaning there is no glue adhering the floor to the substrate, the floor is snapped together using a tongue and groove system). Engineered flooring can and usually is glued to the substate under most situations. If a customer is concerned with cost, then one of the options is to use a floating application if the manufacturer recommends it. But that is certainly not the norm, most customers do want the wood to be glued down. I agree if a floating application is chosen for an engineered product it will sound hollow when walked on and will feel different from a glued down application or solid nail down application.

Engineered flooring is real hardwood flooring. It has a wear layer of varying thicknesses - the thicker the wear layer, the more expensive the product will be but it will have the opportunity to be sanded and refinished more often compared to a thinner wear layer. Underneath the wear layer is a composite of layers that can be of the same species, or of different species. The grain of each layer runs in different directions, which makes it very stable. This means that the wood will expand and contract less than solid wood flooring during fluctuations in humidity and temperature.

I have 2 kids and a large chocolate lab and the flooring in my home is glued down engineered Santos Mahogany. It does not sound hollow when walked on, nor has my dog contributed scratches to my flooring and it has been down for 9 years. The biggest culprit of scratches to tell you the truth is my wife's vacuuming over the wood. The vacuum will pick up rocks or small pebbles and scratch the floor. The safest option is to clean with a broom or microfiber dusting head followed by a manufacturer approved cleaning system.

I hope I have not confused you anymore than necessary. I just don't want you to think that you only have one option. Check out the following website for the National Wood Flooring Association (www.woodfloors.org) they have a wealth of information on wood flooring.

Good luck with your flooring search and again contact me with any questions, I can go over your exact situation if you provide me more details. Call me at (949) 279-8858 and I would be happy to tell you more.
Jason Elliott - www.elliottfloorcovering.com

Kathryn Peltier Design A classic rug in a great size - someone will buy it if you sell it. Where are the moth holes? If they're where furniture will cover them, who cares? If they're in the middle/traffic area, someone else may want to invest the money to have it restored. A rug of this kind will always be in demand, even if it needs repair.

Chroma Design The design of your rug is Heriz, a region in northwest Iran well known for this pattern. Heriz designs are very popular and consequently have been copied and used by rug makers in other regions usually produced for mass market. The best way to know if you have an authentic Heriz or a mass market copy is to have someone knowledgeable look at the knotting and materials. If you simply wish to sell the rug, do so as-is. There is a range of expertise, and therefore cost, associated with repairing moth holes so it is best left to the new buyer who can decide what level of repair to have done. On the plus side, the one visible end is intact and hopefully the other is as well. This is an important criteria. Also, its large size gives it greater value. It's a handsome rug

Chroma Design Maybe there's a really, really large tractor-trailer in need of a very stylish mud flap :)

lionnessone I cannot believe Habitat for Humanity rejected your interior doors. Ed, can you ship them free to Canada, jk!

ehoyt2000 The etching could be altered to a tree next to a rock. Someone would probably buy it for what it cost to have a etcher come over and alter it.

Ironwood Builders There are recessed lights available for sloped ceilings...so you could do to at each gable end. That or build a horizontal box for them to mount into.

Chroma Design I'm not sure what your ultimate goal is, beyond the obvious of lighting the front of your home. What I mean is, is there a specific reason you wish to have your light sources washing the walls flat and downward? This is not an effective or aesthetically desirably way to approach this. Here is an example of your idea.
OH Custom 8
A balanced lighting scheme would be wider floods that uplight. This example beautifully washes the walls and the fixtures have been strategically placed to accentuate the peaks.
kevin akey
I would reconsider your approach.