Hi Nate! Yes, you can place a TV on one of the wooden shelves. If you are going with a big screen, the upper second shelf to the right would be too high for TV. I have an idea, I will post it later. In terms of the black slate floor, why not keep it. It looks like it is still in good shape. Especially with the black baby grand piano in the other room, the black floor will help to balance the black and give some continuity to both areas. You can always add a nice area rug to place under the dining table. Then you will only see a border of black around the room. The upper wood soffit shelf that spans the length of the living room, does that happen to have any "up lighting" up there? If not, this would be a great opportunity to add it. With "up lighting" the light is thrown up onto the ceiling, it washes across ceiling and then back down, illuminating the whole room and is quite dramatic. What about the dining room light, are you keeping or changing? If I could make a suggestion...... Take a look at Howard Lamp. They are based out of Seattle area and offer the most amazing custom art glass lighting company. Carol Hall is the artist. You could go with one over the dining table and similar style floor lamps next to the piano. They will custom make you one in whatever style, size and color you want. Here are two photos of custom ones I had made for clients.

The separation down at the shower pan is very typical, even when properly built and tiled. The movement between floor/wall expand/contract at different rates causing minor movement that regular cement based grout can't withstand or is expected to withstand. Caulk or silicone is generally used but most know that is a short lived fix because it generally doesn't last too long on most occasions, can develop mold/fungus issues, especially down low where water/moisture tend to hang out for most of the day after use. I use Super Grout Additive and have since 2011. It's a epoxy type grout that is incredibly strong. Google it for more info, videos, reviews. Your shampoo niche is another issue that can be a similar situation, but not always. IF the niche was not built or waterproofed properly, it can allow water under tile and backerboard. If so, the studs can be drawing the water in and expanding causing this bulging effect which results in grout cracking allowing more water in. I would be more concerned about the niche than floor, especially if the shower is not leaking outside of itself.

Yes. I've been making sample boards using the brick pieces leftover from the original cuts. I think this time, I'm just going to mix and dry before going through the trouble. If I find a color that could work, I'll test it on the sample board. Who thought that picking a grout color would be the hardest part of this project? I've tiled many times, and never had a problem with grout; however, as you know, because the spacing is so much wider with the brickweb, grout selection is more limited.

I wished it was as simple as removing a few tiles and fixing them. Nope! It's bad in too many places. The marble insert job is terrible too. It's a complete tear down and retile the entire shower. The plumbing needs to be redone too. And with this guy, I was lucky if he would show up at 9:30! He would get to my house around 11 or 12, disappear a few hours later and return 1-2 hours later. Yes he had to pick up materials sometimes but he should have planned it accordingly. I don't show up late at work or I would be fired! And he had the nerves to give me receipts for purchased materials I wasn't even aware of. We went to HD together so I could purchase the materials he needed for the job and have them be on "will call". It was a huge order. Over $1,500 for materials. All that cash down the drain.