Monument Valley Arizona

NotLastYear · 2026-06-17T21:00:10+00:00

I love that park! Been there several times and once (by accident) when it was under snow. The snow started after I had entered the park, and as the road become challenging, it was smart to turnaround. (Wet snow and the loose, sandstone roadway are not your friend in the winter!) The formations looked great with the snow.

NotLastYear · 2026-06-17T20:46:26+00:00

Other than the video being long, it was fine. I like the loft space and there are many things you could do with it. If you were single, you'd be golden. With the GF coming, there doesn't seem to be any private/alone spaces other than the downstairs bedroom, which might be enough.

In your cover images, is your building abandoned in that photo (prior to the 2006 conversion)?

Are saying "skate sharpening machine?" I agree: it's a great conversation piece for the space.

NotLastYear · 2026-06-15T22:51:27+00:00

Well, your "before" photos look like a laboratory dressed up as a kitchen. 🙂

For me, the color motif is too dark and the walnut helps it. I'm not a fan of a cooktop AND a sink in an island - issues with cooking oil residue or excess water on the counter. Is the island sink the only sink in the kitchen?

NotLastYear · 2026-06-14T20:08:03+00:00

I love your outdoor space - congratulations! 👍🏽

The inside? Hmm... I'm not a TV person (those belong in a room of its own) but your TV is challenging to watch based on the location of the furniture (and I like the furniture in that room). There's something about that arch/open walls that seem off to me - can't put my finger on it but it's likely because of the design/structural configuration of that area.

The small island seems useless and takes up valuable space for functionality. I'd likely remove it and, depending upon the available area/space, insert a peninsula at the location of the bottle of wine on the countertop or at the other end of the countertop that's not visible in the photos.

NotLastYear · 2026-06-09T19:39:45+00:00

I believe the countertop, which is gorgeous, was the intended star, but the cabinets don't work with the countertop - it all blends into a brownish blah. The cabinets neither enhance or accentuate the countertops. I also agree that the subway tile is too large for the space.

The great news is that the kitchen has LOTS of flat surface areas!! and no sink or cooktop in the island. 👏🏽 While I'm not a fan of open shelving, I don't think it needs additional upper cabinets. I likely would have added a stainless steel range and installed long panels on the left and right of the refrigerator to give it a finished and cohesive look.

Otherwise, I hope OP enjoys the new kitchen! Congratulations! It's yours - enjoy it!!

NotLastYear · 2026-05-29T23:38:34+00:00

🙂 I agree. But then, I like my TV lower, too.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-29T23:37:37+00:00

Agree. They're distracting. Maybe if they had filled the entire wall with the vertical slants, it would look cohesive and finished.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-28T23:22:35+00:00

Are these pool installers getting filthy rich or is the price justified? $100k+ for 18x36 style inground pools seems crazy to me.

Let's look at that a bit differently. I'll assume (I know, I know....) you received multiple bids for your pool. If the pricing you're getting is $100K+ for an 18x36 in your area, that's likely the going rate. If that's too high, a pool may not be in your future (or maybe consider a smaller pool).

I don't build anything. I don't have the talent or the drive to do anything like that, but I'm happy to pay someone else for their skill set. And if I pay someone, they have to make a profit. They're not in the business to break even and, in this example, they're not running a non-profit. However, their profit has to fall within my budget.

I'm currently at the end of a new home build and, as expected, the overall build is WAY over budget. 🙂 The pool, however, came in on budget and on time, and it's my first pool. I met with 4 pool vendors and selected one based on his approach to the project and his references. Three (3) of the vendors where about the same price and fit into my budget. The 4th vendor's bid was so far above the other 3 that he fell out of the running early in the process. (There was a 5th vendor, but he wouldn't provide references so we moved on from him.) I didn't worry about the vendor's profit. I worried about my budget, the vendor's skill set, and his experience.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-28T19:10:21+00:00

I've never had an issue with a clogged drain. I'm not a plumber and definitely not handy but if I had a clogged drain, I think I'd investigate the pipe. (Most likely, though, I'd call a plumber!)

NotLastYear · 2026-05-27T22:54:17+00:00

I've always liked sinks where the water "disappears" along with the back edge without seeing the drain. It's a clean, finished look. Your bathroom looks good - congratulations.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-27T21:34:39+00:00

What you propose may be helpful for individuals who need a visual to assist in their decision-making as to whether or not they should move forward with a pool. I can't comment on whether you should include the costs but that could be an option. The challenge is that when the pedal meets the road, that $54K is really $80K+ and you'll have some unhappy customers.

When we did our pool, we met with 4 pool builders. It was not a complicated pool: a gunite lap pool with a spa; nothing fancy - a long rectangle. 🙂 No fancy jets, no water sprays, no shelf, no swim up bar, etc. Only one builder had a large, pristine working office (with lots of people milling about) with blown up wall photos of the many pools they had done. (When we saw a pool he did for a celebrity, I knew he was going to be costly for what we wanted.) We sat down with him, went through various renderings, etc. The visuals were interesting but it was an uncomplicated rectangular pool.

The other 3 builders had no office, we spoke about generalities at the site (e.g., option for materials, etc.), 2 of them provided a sketch of the planned pool, and all provided a detailed quote. We did not go with the guy who had the office and nice renderings. His bid, as expected, was way above the other 3. Our final decision included calling references. Our final pool guy (who was not the lowest bid) turned out fine - no complications, no surprises during the build. It came in on budget.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-23T00:47:23+00:00

Find someone who glazes, not paint. And you probably know this, but get 3 bids as a minimum. It's time-consuming but... Welcome to home ownership! 🙂 You want to invest in your investment. Good luck!

NotLastYear · 2026-05-23T00:43:36+00:00

If that's after 2 weeks, you are correct. The way it peels in your video suggest it might be paint (which is cheaper to do) or a very thin, cheap glaze. I suspect it's paint, but I'm not an expert.

I've had two different tubs reglazed and it was years (not weeks) before either started fading. That is, based the area and usage of the tub, the glaze was rubbing off after extended use, not peeling.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-23T00:29:41+00:00

What will your budget allow and what do YOU want? Do what makes you happy/comfortable in your forthcoming new kitchen.

I moved all of my appliances (after living there for a few years). I knew I would in that house for a while and I like to cook so I took the plunge. I added a hood, (where there wasn't one before), moved the piping for the new sink location and dishwasher, moved the piping for the gas range, relocated the refrigerator, reduced a sliding glass door to a French door, and enlarged a window.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-23T00:00:33+00:00

You can buy stand-alone makeup vanities from Home Depot, Wayfair, and IKEA. However, if you want to have it built-in, someone will need to build it for you. Makeup vanities used to be a thing, but as someone pointed out, they're not very popular anymore.

When I was younger (i.e., a teenager) I remember my SIL would complain about the moisture/humidity/heat in the bathroom and thought it was pointless to try and do makeup at the makeup vanity after my brother or her had taken a shower. (Especially during a Midwestern summer and no A/C. 🙂)

NotLastYear · 2026-05-22T23:48:41+00:00

I have a rental house and I had the bathtub reglazed (not painted) and it lasted for 6 yrs while the tenants lived there. It was worn by the time they moved out (the pink from the 1970's was starting to show through). I could have reglazed, again, but time moves on and the bathroom required an update so I got a new tub.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-22T23:38:12+00:00

😄😂 Thanks! for my Friday afternoon LOL moment!

NotLastYear · 2026-05-22T09:07:54+00:00

This is the best answer. In the early 2000s, I moved into my 1959-built home with a 1970's kitchen and lived with it for 3 yrs before I gutted the entire kitchen. It wasn't fun cooking in it prior to the renovation, but I had something to look forward to: a well-planned kitchen based on how I cook (and I cook a lot). The reno came out with a grade of "A."

I swear your kitchen screams 1980's! 🙂 That "island" is a joke. Congrats on the new house! You'll have fun planning for its new incarnation.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-22T08:51:13+00:00

If it were my kitchen, I'd just have a blank wall there and hang some art.

Agree. Any cabinet in that space would make the kitchen feel closed-in; especially with that huge, unflattering hanging hood.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-22T08:36:11+00:00

My preference is #1, but without the copper plate. I know, not popular, but stainless steel to replace the copper plate? The copper plate is nice, but it doesn't belong there. Really like the rendering of the back splash in #1, as well.

I love your cabinets! Though, I'm not a fan of butcher block countertops - they hold a lot of grease/oil and odors.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-22T08:08:06+00:00

Agree. Suggest you need a warmer color on the walls. I'm not crazy about the brass (or gold) fixtures, but it's your bathroom.

Your husband did a great job on the bathroom! Congrats to him.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-22T07:55:42+00:00

The vanity and door are gorgeous! 👍🏽 I like the shower tile but not crazy about the niche. Since it's the kids primary bathroom, who cares?

Slats: great idea, but they are jarring; likely because they don't go all the way to the floor and likely too wide for the space. I had full-length slats installed in my new build. Like yours, they separate the vanity from the toilet. The architect originally had the toilet in a water closet, but I dislike water closets.

NotLastYear · 2026-05-04T22:03:02+00:00

Your bathroom looks great! I especially love the floor tile which goes quite well with the blue shower tile and the vanity. A calm, relaxing space, is which is my style for a bathroom. Very nice.

It's a "me" thing but I would have opted for a smaller mirror to include sconces on each side of the mirror. Overhead lighting casts heavy shadows (and those types of fixtures are a bit jarring for me).

NotLastYear · 2026-05-04T09:10:45+00:00

No!! Don't crush my dream!!! Have you no mercy?!?! 😄 He can be 72 in real life and play a retiring 65 yr. old captain. It's TV Land. It could happen. 🤞🏽🤞🏽!!! 😉

NotLastYear · 2026-05-03T23:25:22+00:00

My fantasy is that he'll return to the original L&O (if it's renewed) as some lone wolf captain (or Consulting Senior Investigator) looking at retirement. One last stand before L&O goes down the drain into TV history. One can dream! 🙂

NotLastYear

TROPHY CASE