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I need to understand where the plumbing and stack are before any changes are made . Back to back bathrooms are a very efficne tway to handle plumbing . Is this home part of a condo type system or completely stand alone ? I assume the toilet is in a toilet room at the end of that very odd hall and where is the other toilet . These need to be shown for understanding what can be done . Is there access to the plumbing from below ? Too much missing info IMO
Thanks for the advice everyone! We removed the ceiling and had the vents moved but the hood fan stuck out too much so we revamped the layout completely and put the stove on the long wall. Everything was installed last weekend and we couldnt be happier. Still need to finish the ceiling (and revent the range) and figure out counters (we just stuck our old ones on the island for now) and floors but the function and storage is just perfect for us.
Would it be possible to get a new door that swings the other way? That way there is room for furniture and not an awkward entrance?
That looks really good and probably is similar to the layout I will do. The wall that the sofa is on does not have an outlet, but I was thinking some battery powered lights for right there
They've come a long way with battery powdered lights but I find the ones I have annoying as they always seem to be out when I need them - and replacing batteries all the time aren't that fun.. I don't know if you have enough light at the windows during the day to power an outdoor solar powered lamp, but that might be something to try. I've not tried that myself, but just throwing out an idea.
OK, I'm a nerd, so I had to do some math.
I found the following densities:
Quartz countertop: 2.4 g/cc
Quartz mineral: 2.65 g/cc
A 1000g sample of quartz countertop will have a volume of 416.7 cc.
Assuming the sample is 92% mineral by weight, the volume of mineral in the sample is 347 cc.
Therefore, the mineral content of the countertop is 83% by volume (17% resin).
And then, because I'm a visual person, I filled in first 8% of the squares, then 17% of the squares. Clearly it makes a difference whether we're talking about percentage by weight (8%) or percentage by volume (17%).
Any time, Joe! As an engineer, I'm a bit of a stickler for details - and I like visuals.
First, I think your house is charming. Very “fairytale cottage” vibe. Second, the dark green is a good choice. It works well with the brick. Lastly, not loving the awnings. My assumption is the sun really heats up the inside rooms in the front. But if something can be done inside (drapes with good lining?) maybe they can be removed.
Does the front door have good lighting for nighttime? It is an adorable alcove but looks dark in this photo.
For landscaping, I would consider colorful flowers along the walkway, low bushes with shiny leaves for foundation bushes.
It look like your stairs would pass code but check you measurements. Patricia is correct that code is usually between 34-38”. Unless you’re pretty short I would think most child are going to sit above the railing if being carried.
But if it’s on the shorter and you want to change the railing, you could do a wood railing with metal slats in keeping with a mid century modern look.
As chispa has commented, your home is not MCM - you have an 80s contemporary home. There are a few different directions that you could select for your new railings.
Here is one option:
I also changed the wall color - I think that would be a big improvement if you found a nice white that works with your tile (unless you are replacing the tile?)
If you are going to keep the current tile, I would clean the grout lines. You do not need to pay a professional cleaner to do it. All you need is a couple things:
The Pink Stuff (only purchase the paste version - it works the best):
A rechargeable cleaning brush:
My sister and I used a couple of the above brushes + the Pink stuff on her tile before she listed her house for sale - it made a HUGE difference! The tiles looked so much better once the "grid look" - created by the dirty grout - was removed (her tiles were from a 2005 build and she sold it back in 2019 - even though she cleaned her floors often, the grout still became darker over those 14 years).
Have we talked about the basement stairs and their access yet? Is there wasted space behind that access door (and does it have to be on that wall)? Are those stairs running in a different direction than the stairs to your second story (and if so, why)? If they were lined up directly beneath the stairs going up (and access door was where you would expect one to be)— it would really help w/your design dilemmas.
I’m going to go against the group here and say that a small shelf and fantastic painting would be just as beautiful. If you have other mirrors in the house and it feels like,”Mirror Overload”, then rethink this entryway. Yes, it’s traditional to have a mirror at the front door, but I didn’t do that. I put up some equestrian artwork and a few feet down I have a small antique table with a lamp.
You are a couple years too late for two tone. It never looks good in suburban kitchens, plus your door profile makes the money you will spend a waste. Save for all white new flat front doors.
Random thoughts:
- No to the two-tone paint concept. It's never been a great look: It looks kinda like you ran out of money or energy to do the whole thing.
- I like the floors -- so practical! -- but I agree that they aren't crying out for green. I personally would go for white or cream, but I understand you're burned out on them. The blues you show above would work well.
- No, you don't need to replace your doors -- trends come and go, but your cabinets look to be in perfect condition.
There isn't much that I hate more than having to use a powder room with a pocket door ... specially during a party. I have never encountered a standard pocket door lock that actually locks the door.
Usually they end up adding one of these to give the guest some peace of mind while in the powder room!
Start at the beginning as Jan and Patricia request. We also need to know WHY any of this. What is this costing you and what do you get in the end? Losing real wood floors for vinyl is not a choice most would make. Refinish them. Why the cabinet switch? In the end you get cabinetry with the same basic look and feel of what you have. Is the cabinetry falling apart??? Refinished floor, beautiful stone counters with matching back splash will get you some bang for your buck. While you are at it give your island a bit of a make over, infuse some personality into it. We need to see this space from farther back it all looks very tight. I guess you don't need to justify your wants to anyone but you can pop off the 'back splash" you now have and add tile, in the end that's the biggest change your pictures are showing. You aren't even modernising the profile of your cabinetry...
I am utterly confused by this thread. I check in every so often and leave always wondering, what exactly is happening???
Here’s my advice, whatever Jan says, listen. You won’t regret it!
😂😂😂
Jan said it not so nice .......as per usual when a thread spirals to what will become a three year, 10,000 post thread......"fondly " known in my Houzz world as too many voices, or the clique that hung in forever and should take it to personal emails clique, and the vast internet of too many visuals, too many options.
In the end, it is nothing more than analysis paralysis : )
Is that town property - the ditch?
Perc test was 2.5in per hour and the road runoff will be caught by the ditch befoe it gets to the garden
The OP is very confusing as well as the title.
If you have standing water in the ditch ("culvert" is a structure), the primary reason that would happen is because the "vee" of the ditch is no longer sloped towards the direction water needs to travel. Municipalities (more often rural areas) will often regrade ditches. The second reason is blocked culverts (the pipes under the driveways). Also, from the picture it looks like the tree is in the way and was either misplanted or was an errant tree that should have been removed prior to getting too big, and the roots will have raised and changed the grade of the "vee."
Then you talk about pooling water on the sidewalk, and apparently your driveway apron slopes back towards the sidewalk according to the drawing arrows. All that needs to happen is the sidewalk and apron needs edged so the water has an area that is lower to drain to. If necessary make sure some of the parkway slopes down to the ditch, but if the water can run off the concrete into the soil, it will eventually drain underground to the ditch.
Then you talk about a rain garden, I think to be planted in the triangular area. This is not a solution to the sidewalk pooling or anything else. Where a rain garden would actually contribute, would be at the "vee" of the ditch, but that is in an easement and nothing should be planted there.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. That is, the stoneyard is probably just wrong /not scamming you. Few stoneyard workers are geologists and really know what they're selling -- they get a truck load of stones and are told, "These are ___", and they sell them as such. The information you just heard from other posters is probably WAY MORE than the average consumer has.
You sound unhappy with your choice now -- that I can't help you with -- but you say you're concerned about a re-stocking fee. Perhaps they'd waive any re-stocking fee, if you buy another stone from them?
Assuming you stick with this stone, let's get to your original question: Backsplash. Thoughts:
- You say this is going with white cabinets? That'll be a good mix -- all-white (or mostly-white) can be hard to do. This'll give some depth, and that'll work.
- What I would not do with these choices is run the countertop material up the wall for a backsplash. It'd be "too much".
- Don't be so concerned about a backsplash. Honestly, it's optional. The "need" to protect your wall has really only surfaced in the last two decades. You work on the forward 12" or so of the countertops -- it's rare for something to "splash on the back walls". When I was a kid, people had either paint or wallpaper on their backsplashes, and that was for LOOKS! Except for behind the stove, I've literally never made a mess on my kitchen walls. So go ahead with the rest of your kitchen and come back to your backsplash later. Live with your other choices first, then add the final touch in your backsplash.
- If I had to suggest something for your backsplash today, it'd be something simple /calm /that will blend with your countertop rather than stand out from it. If you're going with tile, consider a white but not subway (too over-done). Depending upon the style you're creating, don't overlook white beadboard.
i’d go in person - calls and texts are easy to ignore
a credit toward a different slab will likely be more palatable to them - is that a possibility?
sometimes a really good local fabricator can be a help at the yards as they will do repeat business with them whereas a homeowner will not
The following is for informational purposes only and is not being provided as legal advice.
I would try to go there in person to discuss with the owner/manager of the stone yard. If they don't agree to return your deposit, I would contact the consumer protection agency in your state.
Every U.S. state has a consumer protection statute specifically designed to shield buyers from false advertising, fraud, and misleading product descriptions. These statutes explicitly outline what constitutes a deceptive act. For instance, under a typical state consumer protection act, it is a violation to make representations that a product has characteristics/ingredients/uses/benefits that they do not have.
Unlike a legal action brought under traditional common-law fraud which requires proof of an intent to deceive (a court may treat proof of extreme recklessness, or that a statement was made without caring if it was true or false, as the legal equivalent of knowing intent), many state consumer protection laws allow a business to be held liable simply because the labeling was objectively misleading to a reasonable consumer, regardless of whether the business meant to lie/intentionally deceive.
Hopefully, you won't need the above information - however, if you aren't able to resolve this issue, I wanted to point you in the right direction.
If I were your neighbor I would hate you. Gratuitous and obnoxious.
can't access the private video, and the drawing isn't clear enough to understand rooms, measurements and placement. I'd may just be my device. I can't comment.
I have no idea since there are no names for the spaces I see no big window either . A video is useless here we need a plan that shows what you are asking about
I think that extending the hearth would help tie the TV area + the FP into one focal point.
You could either use the same material used on the hearth = making it look just like the hearth. OR you could have a wood media center built that would provide some storage for components + whatever else you need. I would then cap the media center with the same material that has been used on the FP to tie it together.
I also would also lower the TV to the correct viewing height (you might need a larger tv for that space). I would add art on either side of the TV (obviously, you don't need more shelving!) I also would remove the wood chair - it will provide a better walkway without it.
The image below isn't exactly what I asked for (for example, the art isn't exactly how I wanted it)- but it provides you with an idea of what I'm trying to suggest above:
I don't know what your style or preferred colors are - so, I had a vintage washed rug added plus pulled colors from it for throw pillows. I also didn't want the sectional shown. I wanted to pull the sofa off of the window + add a sofa table between the window and sofa. However, it pulled it too far off of the window (= it now blocks too much of the FP). The color of the sofa table was selected to repeat the stain on the mantel + the (extended hearth) media center.
However, even with the issues with the above image, it shows the important parts of what I wanted to do to the room (including adding the drape panels - although it removed your blinds+ changed your window!)
A waterfall is supposed to look like the same material/pattern flowing over the edge.
Yours looks like two different slabs butted together, and the joint is not done very well.
All those scratches also makes me suspect that you don't have quartzite ... more likely a marble/dolomite.
Did you test with a glass tile? Glass tile will not scratch a real quartzite.
Did you test with some lemon? Lemon will not etch a real quartzite.
Your fabricator lack skill and pride.
The issues you've shown would not be acceptable to me.
I saw the repair immediately. It does not look like a natural fissure.
The mitered edge not only has the wrong color used - it also should have been done in a manner that continues the top slab to the mitered piece (or waterfall - I don't know if there was just a mitered edge added to make the slab look thicker - or if you have an actual waterfall down the side of your island.) Your fabricator has used a portion of the slab that does not work with the top of the countertop at all.
Now - if the fabricator told you that you needed to purchase an additional slab in order to have the mitered edges done so that they look correct, and you declined to purchase the additional slab = the fabricator had no choice but to use non-matching leftover pieces.
NO - visible scratches are not an acceptable part of the honing process! If the fabricator couldn't hone the slab without causing these types of scratches, he/she/they shouldn't have agreed to do it. PERIOD.
The type of scratches shown in your photo are not the type of "scratches" that are part of the honing process
The matte look of a honed slab comes from millions of tiny, uniform microscopic abrasions. These are part of the finish and are not visible as individual scratches or damage.
If a slab is poorly honed by hand on-site or by a fabricator that doesn't have the required proper machinery, it can result in patchy or blotchy scuff marks that look like accidental damage.
Now, if you had a contract that contained the following provision, I would have a different opinion:
Customer has requested that the selected polished quartzite slab (#________ - hereinafter referred to as the "Slab") be honed by Fabricator prior to installation. Customer acknowledges that he/she/they are aware that the honing process may result in visible individual scratches ("Visible Scratches") on the face of the Slab (in addition to the uniform microscopic abrasions that are part of a honed finish), and hereby agrees that the presence of any such resulting Visible Scratches shall not be an acceptable reason for Customer to refuse installation of the Slab.
I drafted the above provision very quickly - I just wanted to show they type of provision that would be required in order for the fabricator to force you to accept the scratched slab. Of course, you wouldn't have had the slab honed - OR would have found a different fabricator who could either (i) properly hone a quartzite slab, or (ii) purchase an already honed slab from a distributer.
Slabs do not match. Poor joint coloring. Broken slad. Screratched badly. Just a poor job all the way around. Up to you but remember this installer may not have the ability to do any better. Have you had the owner out to look at this mess? I would have him out. Before he does anything further make certain he has another team to send and tell you do not want the same guys back in your home.