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Given the extent and expense of the remodel, I agree with replacing the tub. Preserving one of someone else's 1985 choices would drive all your 2026 design decisions.
As long as you have enough easily reached storage, like plenty of drawers and a pantry, then higher upper should work ok.
Look at all the dimensions for your upper cabinets. Bottom of my light rail is at 18", but inside the first shelf is at 21" and I can still reach everything on my second shelf and some items on a third shelf by stretching and using fingertips. I am 5'3". If I raised everything by 4", I would probably have a hard time reaching many items on the second shelves.
I have lots of drawers in my large U-shaped kitchen and a 5' x 7' walk-in pantry, so only being able to use the 2 lower shelves for everyday items works fine. We store rarely used items in the upper shelves and I keep a 3-step folding ladder in the pantry for when I need to get those items down.
Thanks Chispa. Apparently 24” is standard in many countries.
Probably because the kitchens in many other countries are smaller than US kitchens and raising the upper cabinets makes the limited counter space more usable and makes the kitchen feel bigger or more open.
Having lived in Los Angeles and now FL ... I haven't bought a sweater in 15 years!
Eld, I still have a few pieces of warmer clothing/jackets/shoes, but haven't needed or wanted to buy any. I also still have my skiing jacket and pants hanging in the closet ... although I have no desire to be in weather cold enough to have snow!
Love the dress. I’d pick the gold bag and maybe look for some navy shoes.
Texanjana, what a nice thing to say 🥰
Yes, the gold bag is def the one, and I like the lighter shoes. I have worn Vaneli’s for decades and they are comfortable and well made. As for jewelry… you‘ll have a high neckline and long sleeves so your earrings will have to do the heavy lifting. When you decide WTW please post a pic!
adding, if you have a dressy, narrow gold belt I would try it with the dress in lieu of the self tie, just to see.
Commenter’s photo illustrate balance and groupings you should follow. Whatever, the long branch in your posting photo needs to go - these pieces stand on their own.
Define "too traditional"? Everyone will have a different picture in their head of what that means. Mixing is what makes interior designs interesting and unique. Don't follow someone else's formula, use your own!
Who takes a shower with a towel on?
I agree that stone yard lighting is really bad, but I never carried my own lighting when viewing slabs ... I just ask to have the slab(s) I like taken outside to view in daylight!
Several projects in 2 different states and I never had a slab yard refuse to move a slab outside, so I could see the true colors.
It’s great that you are having such a good experience with Dekton, @MaryBocaTX. It is nice to find a counter that you love and also works so well for the space.
There are valid concerns about chipping/cracking with Dekton. If you search this site, you will also find discussions.
Here is one that I found on a quick search. And @Joseph Corlett, LLC makes a cameo appearance.
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6475293/dekton-yay-or-nay
It’s unfortunate that so many seem to have issues with Dekton.
Ours has proved to be completely heat/scratch/stain proof…over the last 4 years.
We have a large (very active) family with 7 grandkids running around.
The counter has been through many events - from celebrations to science projects…and impromptu Hot Wheels races - and looks like it did the day it was installed.
The caveat is that I followed Joseph Corlett’s advice and made sure the fabricator was Cosentino trained and certified prior to letting them through the door.
It made all the difference.
My counters/miters look much better than the showroom pic that your link included.. That install was horrific!😱
I follow several decor accounts on IG and often wonder how much of what I’m looking at is AI.
The changes suggested are certainly nice, but, from my eye, AI added more IG to your foyer and removed a lot of SueB from it.
Yes, remove both mirrors.
I do like the idea of a mirror at the end of that small hallway, but I would do a large rectangular framed mirror and not the whole wall.
There is a big difference between a framed mirror and a wall-to-wall mirror that is reflecting every little thing on the walls/floors/ceilings!
I would keep the mirror at the end of the hall and have a sticker made of a sleeping dog and adhere it near the bottom of the mirror so it looks like there is a dog sleeping in the reflection of the mirror but not in the hallway.
Why two active threads about this?
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6611238/if-selling-house-should-i-remove-these-mirrors-walls#n=7
Also not all garage door windows look the same, some brands have small cheap looking windows and others have larger, more realistic looking windows with better proportions.
I put windows in my garage, so I wouldn't need windows on the garage doors.
The square look best. The solid looks good too, but if there are no other windows in the garage the door windows serve a purpose!
Square, no hinges, or no windows, no hinges. The less busy the better, as your house already has enough visual elements.
Use these measurements...called a "saddle" stool.
Chispa, congrats! What app are you using?
Feathers, sometimes I kid myself and think that the cookie, chips or ice cream really aren't an issue. And for me it is more the amount of calories in each and portion control.
I'm currently using Gemini as my “ diet coach.”
Very easy, And I'm always given encouraging feedback.
It now knows when start with my tea with Bliss creamer it is 70 calories.
Sometimes I show a photo of a recipe and it breaks down what my portion would be.
Going out to eat, I tell it the restaurant and we “ discuss” healthy options from the menu.
It's a fun way to be accountable.
Weight is sneaky snd mine snuck up quickly. Back to to trying tonlose 3 pounds.
Plus side: I am at the high end but of my lowest range.
I have always examined and picked out my own slabs for all the projects I have done in the last 16 years ... around 12 slabs of different natural stones (quartzite, granite, limestone).
Did they use sealer on it? I would have them come clean it off with acetone (open windows and don't smoke) to remove any contaminants from fabrication or any sealers they might have applied. Hopefully this isn't one of those cheaper Chinese granites with high radon!
You paid for the slab. You must examine and OK how it looks and where the cuts are made. Nextn time only pay someone who accwpts those conditions. When you don't inspect at each stage this is more likely to be what you get. And live with.
@Kim Klotz Absolute Black granite should not be sealed. It is very dense.
The room is sterile bc we just moved in. One of the pics was from the listing :) I’m leaning cloud white cabs and walls to match trim and keeping center island blue. Any issues with cab and walls being the same color?
Is this a 1990+ faux-Mediterranean that was updated by the previous owners? The tray ceilings in the kitchen are very 1990. A waterfall counter also wasn't the best design choice.
So many of these 1990 houses in SW Florida, with new kitchens and bathrooms that don't quite complement the overall style of the house. Unfortunately for these "modern" updates to work, you have to gut/remove all the faux-Mediterranean details, or you just end up with a strange mix of design trends from very different decades.
Nothing wrong with a white kitchen, if that is what you like. I put in white cabinets when we built in SW FL in 2021. I had stained cabinets in my two previous houses and was ready for a lighter/brighter kitchen.
Search on the kitchen forums. Lots of people here were using those tiles about 5+ years ago. Lots of backsplash photos with those tiles. Also search for the similar/sister tiles sold under 2 or 3 different distributors.
I think small square tiles look dated and as for the other monitors do not help with color ever so go shopping if this is a big deal in your choice .
Regardless of the shape, the variation in the tiles should be the same. Many people have used those tiles during the "Bedrosian Cloe White" tile craze here on Houzz about five years ago.
Those tiles are offered by different sellers - I would find the tile at a big box store so you can order an entire box and see the actual color variation + how it looks in your actual kitchen. When you order from a big box store, you can return the full box at the store for a refund without incurring any shipping/restocking fees (or shipping fees to have the tiles delivered to your home).
I actually used Cloe White tiles in a guest bathroom renovation - I ordered them through Walmart (Bedrosian was the seller) - if your order through Walmart, you have to check to confirm that the item can be returned at a brick and mortar store (not all third party sellers items can be returned that way). I ordered three light fixtures from Lamps Plus through Walmart and was able to return the two I didn't select directly to a Walmart store near me.
Coray, looks like the house has lots of positives, but if I had bought it and planned to be there long term, I would definitely plan on taking down all those coffered ceilings. What someone paid in the past for a feature in a house, shouldn't be a reason for me to keep it if I didn't love it! I think both OP's and your house would feel more airy/open and less top heavy without the coffered ceilings.
Coray, I make my comments in the hope that other readers who are making similar building /design decisions will take a minute and consider all the details when making their design choices. Details matter and it might have looked pretty in an Instagram photo, but that doesn't mean it will work elsewhere with different proportions.
Maybe because I have 12 ft ceilings (which I love), when seeing these 10 ft ceilings lowered with the coffers, it makes me feel like the ceilings in the room are closing down on what should be an open airy space! And some on the forum think that anything over 9 ft ceilings is cavernous!! To each their own ... as long as they did their research first!
I would centre the light over the dining table, not around the architecture of the room. In an open-plan space like this, the table and the light above it will read as one composition, so even a relatively small offset can become noticeable once everything is furnished.
Since the electrical point is coming through the beam, I’d also look at an elongated modern fixture rather than a compact chandelier. A longer design is much more forgiving visually and would suit the scale of this open kitchen/dining/great-room space beautifully.
I recently featured several modern designer lights in different interiors, including elongated designs that could work particularly well over a dining table in a space like yours. You can see the examples here: https://youtu.be/nKEcEzpYHhk
"I don’t think I can stand the dining table being off-center with the sliding door"
Your dining table, island, range hood, and kitchen massing are not centered on the fireplace and probably not the coffers either. Also, the view from the dining table to the opposite side from the slider, is a non-symmetrical door/cabinet nook/shiplap bumpout (which the bumpout messes up the coffer), which do not center on the dining table either. The kitchen cabinets are not aligned. The kitchen window is higher than the sliders. The coffers do not center on the slider.
And, symmetry is a false hope as you will never be perfectly aligned sitting at a table, on a couch, at the island, walking around, etc, so "perfect symmetry" is not attainable in your actual perspective. Symmetry is only good on paper and if you cafefully curate, with a little photoshop help, a marketing picture.
So, to be very blunt, this one specific alignment is a bigger deal in your head than reality. Place the table where it works for circulation and spacing, and make a decision on the chandelier box independent of centering it on the slider's middle panel.
Get much better lighting.
Declutter the knick-knacks.
Put a fun wallpaper in the space.
Keep it utilitarian, but pretty.
You would be better off, taking down those cabinets and replacing with new taller cabinets that go to the ceiling. You can order the cabinets in a new color and you will have more storage space. Win-win.
There are lots of ways to improve for not a lot of money. You mentioned you like the wall color but it’s not pulling the room together or working with the wood doors. The biggest bang for your buck is paint (walls and entry door). Step back, decide on a look and slowly make changes (try looking on line for ideas). It’s a great room to have some fun and here’s one example.
Yes, than doesn't look good ... but some people/families can be very hard/rough on their belongings.
How was it used?
Used daily? Just for meals or also projects?
How was it cleaned?
Temp/humidity in the house?
Why does all the wear seem to be on that left lower quadrant? Did a messy little kid sit at that spot for the last 3 years ?
Our contractor saw our custom kitchen cabinets 15 years after he fabricated them. He was amazed that they still looked almost like new, said he sees some of his work six months later with lots of wear & tear on them. YMMV however.
Many manufactuers have specific cleaning instructions
She did say, "I love this but when i asked ai to suggest names of similar colors, it gave me dark gray colors." And that's typical. Every single public AI model out there can keep the convo rolling but its input and insight about color is reconstructed from probabilistic language on every single turn in that conversation. So it looks reasonable... until all that very confidently delivered probabilistic guessing has to translate to in real life paint, materials and finishes. And then it implodes.
What's left is AI conjured pixels of color, displayed on an uncalibrated device, that will only ever exist in robot generated RGB world.
There's no substitute for trial and error in painting a home. Get large samples and view them in different areas of the house. Keep in mind that colors look lighter on exteriors than they do inside the home. So if you think a color is too dark, it may not be--it may be perfect.
The way a color looks in a photo, on a cloudy day, on a sunny day, on a rainy day, on someone else's home is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is what it looks like on YOUR home.
Are you leaving that short 1980 backsplash window in the plan?
This kitchen will look out of place in a house with a Mediterranean vibe. It only works if the whole remodel gets rid of all the tacked on Mediterranean details.
Not enough information as to what works best for a house in the Delray FL area. A cohesive design is always good for resale.
Don't love either of the kitchen designs. They look dull/drab.
Is this for you or is it a flip?
Do you use the bar area on the other side from kitchen?
I also forgot to mention that for the wood cabinets you could have them refaced and new doors made for them.
Thank you for the September thread, Kat!
We finally had our bricks delivered after months of delays. We met with the mason last week to discuss outdoor fireplace and pier details. I am so glad that we waited for the large sized brick that we really wanted rather than settle for the smaller size that was available in June. Hopefully, the mason can re-commence the work soon.
Also, after a false start in May, the correct cedar columns for our front porch were delivered and installed last week. This is great because they are structural and now that they are in, work can continue on the porch.
Onwards!
Yes looks like it etched. The more quartzite looks like marble the more likely it is that it will etch as the calcium carbonate gives marble its lightness but is also what etches when an acid touches it. Acid breaks down calcite. Many white stones sold as quartzites have high cabonite properties and do etch like marble.
That ain't quartzite.
" I was told by the seller that it was quartzite so I tested a sample… and this is what resulted "
Absolutely etching, and this is definitely more marble than quartzite as noted above, most white quartzites are closer to marble. And honestly the seller might have been told it was quatzite and took the wholesaler at his word.
I'd move the TV to the door wall and place the sofa on the long wall (where TV is now mounted). A good edit of things you don't use or need.
Remove all the little decor items, if you are going to include a fresh coat of paint.
Hang the curtain rod at the break point between the wall and ceiling and extend it beyond the window trim (Replace the drapery panels with simple panels the same or similar color to the wall color.
I'd paint the base of the island a color you want to incorporate into the rooms color scheme.
I used BM White Dove on the walls and BM Chantilly Lace on the trim/crown/doors/cabinets.
I started out with BM Winds Breath on the walls (similar to the BM Soft Chamois mentioned above), but found it too "tan" and "dark" for the look I wanted, so I repainted in the BM White Dove
@kandrewspa, you don't like Decorator's White with Linen White? It is one of the most stunning combinations in a room (assuming as always, the natural light has been taken into account).
BTW, I really dislike White Dove because, in the wrong light, it looks dirty.
The first one is growing on me, looks light, fresh, happy.
BM Nantucket Gray is a nice exterior color. More khaki than gray. When we lived in New England we used the color for one of our houses.
I hope you took a sample of the wallpaper and tested being able to clean it.
I just installed a wallpaper in my 'informal' powder room and when I tested their standard paper with a bit of makeup, it started to fall apart when I wiped it with a damp paper towel.
Luckily they also offered a commercial/contract grade finish and some splattered foundation cleaned right up with a damp paper towel. I also wanted the wallpaper to be more sturdy in case my cleaning ladies accidentally got some cleaning product on it near the toilet area.
Very cool powder room!
Using marble as a backsplash in your powder room will not be an issue. I have a bathroom that is used every day - the entire countertop is polished marble + has marble backsplash + side splashes. It's been installed for five years - and there are only a couple etching spots (only on the countertop) that no one else sees (except me - and only if I specifically look for them). I've never sealed it since installation - and water still beads up on it. Marble is not as "tender" as many people believe - at least not in a bathroom.
Personally, I think that the fabricator should make you a backsplash after putting holes in your wall that were unnecessary. I am wondering if a brass one might look nice - have it match the brass trim pieces on your vanity? I think the brass would look nice up against the wallpaper.
However, I don't know if the brass on your current vanity is lacquered or unlacquered? or if it will age. I don't know how much work it is to use unlacquered brass due to water splashes. I guess if you just let it age naturally, eventually it will just darken and be fine - however, if lacquered brass was used on the vanity - you'd want the two materials to match.
I assume that the metal that was used for the rest of the vanity won't change due to water splashes - it may be the safer way to go.
A nice piece of marble would be my second choice. I love marble - you'd want to select one that doesn't stand out - it needs to blend. The "star" of this room is the vanity. You've already added in a "co-star" with the wallpaper - I wouldn't add a piece of marble (or any type of material) that would draw someone's eye to the backsplash.
Sorry I am confused the 3 holes I see are for your faucet that I do not see so why not a pice of the same metal as the sink for a backsplash then it will look as if planned,
Last week I saw the same video with a different Instagramer as the "husband" and he had better facial expressions!
@rubyclaire YES! that is the one I saw! I'm going to replace mine with yours, if you don't mind, as it's the one I wanted to post. Thank you!
@mtnrdredux_gw the guy watching is pasted in but the water jet is not AI. Take a look at the edited link I posted...Ruby Claire found the video I saw originally and posted it - it's much better than the one I found, so I changed to hers.
@bpath, I think the jet ski is powering the water spout. Take a look at the video again, I reposted the one Ruby Claire found (the one I originally saw but couldn't find again) and watch for the sports car in the background!
There is a big difference in the way that windows on garage doors are designed and their appearance. You get bigger, normal looking windows with some of the more expensive lines/collections in the better brands.
Personally, I find that most garage doors with windows just make the house look more busy.
If you have regular windows in the garage space, then you don't need windows in the garage doors.
There is absolutely nothing about the proposed garage (or commenters examples) that is even a watered down assemblage of Greek Revival elements, it is presented as a watered down Craftsman style (as are the commenters examples).
The house has 3: the gable end eave returns, the entry door trim, and vertical proportions. The corner trim and frieze board are nods to the style.
So the overhead garage door style is moot if that will be the only element, but really there were no garage doors in that era to set a precedent. So if the Greek Revival style is carried to the garage, at that point flat panels would be appropriate to not detract from the surrounding elements. An example of a "flat" overhead door that doesn't detract from the style elements:
There were barn or stable doors during the 19th century in America! (Though they definitely did not have glass set in to them...)
Some fancier antique barns have long, one pane high, horizontal windows above the sliding barn doors to let light in to the center section.
1980s contemporary style is not the same as MCM!
KAT! ❤️🙏YES!
You're welcome. I hope you can find someone to do the work for you.
I would get a longer console and then do 1 table lamp or 2 matching table lamps.
More ideas for low-level lighting
Adjustable fixture from Amazon hidden behind sofa. It's on a timer, set to turn on for a few hours in the evening.
This one has a couple of 15 watt bulbs/equivalents. Also on a timer. The lamp is from CB2, c. 2008. I think Amazon and West Elm have something similar.
I agree with the others commenters that the console table is too small for the sofa. I'd go with one that's almost the full length of the sofa and add a table lamp. If an outlet is an issue, there are some great rechargeable lamps that don't need a cord.
@chispa ….Your comment reminded me. we had copper ( real copper ) trimmed gates, custom copper mailbox, etc., at our previous home. All were turning that beautiful verdigris (sp? ) when we sold the house. Returned to the home last year, new owners painted over all the copper with a hideous cocoa color. It IS their house now, oh well.
Also, we left a few large Corten steel trough planters that had oxidized beautifully, guess what!?
The two pendants are somewhat distracting if that is the main entrance. When budget allows consider having one light. It would soften the look with having art on those walls.
Next time you post all things related to one space in one post please .
Isn't there a special "grout release" sealer that protects the marble from the grout and makes it easier to clean up the excess grout?
Use sealer after they are grouted.
I would not do the green with those floors so I vote all one color and I guess the white but honestly I would think hard about painting at all. It looks like the cabinets are 2 colors of wood is that right ? If so I would just have them stained all one color unless you are changing the floor.
No to two-tone cabinetry with those floors. I would also suggest an ivory or soft creamy white that coordinates with the floor.
When we bought our first house, we used my husband's bachelor sofa and love seat for a few months. They were ugly ... so ugly that not long after we moved in my parents offered to buy us 2 new sofas for the family room! The ugly sofa and loveseat got cheap sofa covers and got moved to the never use formal living room.
We had no table in the formal dining room, as I didn't just want to buy something to fill the space, and it took me over a year to find something I loved ... I still have that table 26 years later. It was pricey for us back then, but we have definitely gotten our money's worth.
Use your old stuff and take your time to find the right pieces.
Act in haste, repent at leisure!
Since you already have the dining-room play space and the TV-free fireplace room sorted, I’d make the family-room sofa the first purchase decision, rather than shopping for both rooms together. One option worth trying in a showroom is a sofa with a separate ottoman instead of a fixed chaise: you still get feet-up seating, but can move the ottoman if the route to the playroom turns out to be busier than expected. Ask for the dimensions with the ottoman in lounging position—not just the sofa footprint—when you tape it out at home. That lets you test the L-shape idea without committing both rooms to it.
I actually wonder if the size of these rooms is making them feel harder to furnish than they need to be. My first instinct would be not to push the furniture toward the perimeter or automatically use sectionals in both rooms.
The family room is over 24’ long, so I’d explore floating a seating group more toward the center of the room and allowing circulation to happen around it. A sofa with substantial swivel/lounge chairs and a large rug could create a much more intimate “room within the room” and make that huge space feel intentional rather than empty.
I’d approach the fireplace room similarly, but make the fireplace the focal point and create a more intimate conversation area around it. You don’t necessarily need to fill every square foot just because the rooms are large.
With two little kids, I’d also think about where your natural traffic paths and play area need to be before buying anything. The floor plan actually gives you enough room to separate circulation from the main seating areas, which could work really well here.
I usually prefer the look of a taller window unit instead of a shorter window with a transom above. Ceiling height also needs to be considered and the overall style of the home.
Sometimes transoms are added to the wrong house and it just looks like they were checking off boxes of things to add, and transoms were one of the items on the generic list.
Context is key.........................
Mostly history and aesthetics now, not structure.
Divided panes started because large sheets of glass were expensive and hard to make. Once float glass became standard, dividers became a style choice. Many "divided" units today are a single pane with grilles applied on it or set between the panes.
What actually constrains an interior transom:
Safety glazing. Glass in a door must be tempered or laminated. Glass near a door is only treated as hazardous when its bottom edge is below 60" off the floor (and within the distance-from-door limits). A transom over a standard 6'-8" door usually sits above that line. Confirm against your jurisdiction's adopted code edition.
Framing. On a bearing wall, the header has to span the full opening above the transom. The ceiling height minus header depth caps how tall the transom can be. On a non-bearing wall this mostly goes away.
Sound. Fixed glass blocks sound better than an operable transom, and laminated glass does better still.
A single pane reads cleaner with modern trim. Dividers suit traditional casing and older houses.
I redid my tiny powder room not that long ago. It is 3’ wide, 9’ long with 10’ ceiling. I used a wall hung sink from Home Depot and a round toilet bowl - all in the name of saving inches. We aren’t lucky enough to have a window, but installed a really quiet, strong fan.
No one can guess without seeing your tiles and using grout stick samples up against the tile.
I like to match grout to the main background color of a tile. I like to minimize the grout lines standing out.
When using the grout stick samples find the perfect match to the tile and then buy a slightly darker grout. Grout always seem to dry a bit lighter than the grout stick samples.
I think that Mapei Warm Gray is the best match for Bianco Cararra marble. That is what I used in my bathroom + it was recommended to me by the "House Tile Guru" - Beth H. She used it for the marble tile in her own home + in renovations for others.
Did you have to seal the marble first??
Your pictures did not upload.
And you want a space “that flows nicely together” for who? and according to who?
Do you have any art currently? If not, go on Etsy and look for matching art, theme art, etc.
And/or hire ONE decorator; or hire ONE local artist, perhaps. Those would be the best routes, if you need somebody to tell you what to do.
You cannot crowd source this. You cannot negotiate this on this Internet forum. You will get a gazillion different opinions about what people think “flows nicely together.”
Definitely not the two tone. No!
Find a garage door brand that has a good match for the front door, both in style and color, that is what I would choose.
NO to the two toned garage doors. I would just do garage doors the siding color, no need to emphasize them.
Patricia, the second photo is the house in progress. The siding is Certainteed Forest and the garage doors are original from the previous sage green. We squared them off and intend to "beef up" the posts. Trying to decide on entry door and garage door color/style
First, find out what average remodeling costs are in your particular area.
I live in FL and labor used to be cheap, but that is no longer true. A friend just found a very reasonable contractor and is paying $15K, for labor only, to redo a master bathroom. The tub and shower are switching places, but everything else is staying in the same location. Another friend found a very expensive contractor and is spending $1 mill to totally gut/remodel a 2600 sq.ft condo.
Thank you, all, good thoughts/counsel! Keep it coming...
I’d probably avoid trying to get all of the projects done before the move. With a $40k starting budget, I’d put the money into the work that would be the biggest headache to live through later, especially the master bath if that’s already a priority.
For the cosmetic stuff, you could always live in the house for a while and see what actually bothers you before spending money on it. I’d also keep a decent amount of the budget aside for the things you can’t see yet. Older houses have a way of turning a small project into a bigger one once the walls are opened up.
Install a ceiling mounted curtain rod meant for claw foot tubs.
^ agree, this is a good solution - weights at the hem of the curtain keep it from flying around and sticking to skin
Neither of those keep the wall dry the tile only goes up 1/2 the height it needs to be.