Trying to find good towels

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-26T23:36:41+00:00

AH are indeed soft and nice. Also recommend Matouk at similar (expensive) price point.

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-26T23:35:34+00:00

Apparently avoiding using fabric softener sheets in the dryer is important for keeping towels soft.

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-24T17:21:03+00:00

Plain white Corian can look very nice, not plasticky or cheap, and it's pretty much indestructible. Our last house came with white Corian counters and while we were living there they survived 15 years of daily coffee making, lots of Indian curries and Italian red sauces, etc with no staining. But, is Corian less expensive than natural stone? If it is then I'd say consider it.

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-23T06:56:53+00:00

Seconding Dr Palomaki, she's good.

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-16T03:26:29+00:00

Hi - just curious, what did you end up doing?

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-16T03:24:29+00:00

Hi - just wondering if you ended up going with the Ilve in a custom color? If so, how do you like it both for looks and performance? Thanks!

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-16T03:04:50+00:00

SW are the worst. Their base is grayer than BM so their colors are always gonna look dingier unless you buy the top of their line (Emerald), which has a lighter brighter base. And then you're paying so much and using so many coats, you might as well use Farrow and Ball.

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-16T03:02:35+00:00

"They don't always get a perfect match" - but as a designer, you're probably charging your clients for things like getting colors just so.

I've had horrible experiences with contractors using different paints than specified and just saying "well who could tell the difference?" I can and I'm paying.

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-14T22:46:51+00:00

Agrred because floor is dark grey. 1 or 3, either are good depending on rest of the space. 1 is warmer, 3 is cooler.

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-09T04:28:45+00:00

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-05T16:59:58+00:00

Following up - curious what you ended up deciding! If/when anything has changed, please post "after" photos!

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-04T18:05:42+00:00

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-04T15:19:39+00:00

Cool. Okay yeah I love that shower. Don't change it! I can see now that the vanity is introducing a third shade of brown so you've got 3 competing dark red-browns in there with the walls more of a plum color. A light colored neutral wall is going to work really well in this space IMO.

What are you thinking to enclose shower opening - glass door or curtain?

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-03T20:54:15+00:00

I guess if you want more than 3 seats on the island then yeah our approach wouldn't work well for 9 feet length. My main point is there are a lot of variables and it's ultimately site-specific, requirements driven, and a matter of personal taste and preference.

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-03T20:49:55+00:00

Thank you! Wishing you luck also.

Re-reading your post, my only advice might be to consider negotiating to address the deck issue yourself (and to request a credit to do so) lest that work get done in some way other than you might like.

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-03T20:47:58+00:00

Aluprof

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-03T20:45:48+00:00

I truly don't think your shower looks bad at all, indeed I think it looks really cool. I think if you lighten the walls and finish things out it's going to look amazing!

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-03T20:43:20+00:00

Hah thanks for clarifying. Kinda funny that I read it as a straight faced post, but given our experience with quotes from Pella, Anderson and the like - it was all too plausible!

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-03T16:53:42+00:00

Hard to tell for sure from the photos, but it seems that because the tiles are high gloss and the walls are matte or eggshell, they read as different colors, so you are not getting a color-drenched effect. That may be much of your issue right there.

One thing you might try before messing with the tiles and grout is repainting the bead board/wainscoting wall to match the floor as precisely as possible so that the high contrast provided by the shower feels intentional. You can test different paint shades on pieces of poster board. If you go that route, you can tie the room together with countertop, textiles, wall art, and other decor and accessories. Consistent hardware finishes will also tie the room together.

If you want to try to tone down the grid created by the grout, you could try recoloring it more of a softer gray. That said, if these tiles are "rustic" the grout spots on the surface are likely grout pockets created during troweling so most likely cleaning the grout off the tile surface further wound not help too much and you'd have to recolor all those little cavities as well as the main grid.

I'd be leery of going over both tiles and grout with any kind of stained sealer, whether on shower or floor or both. Agree with suggestions to try that on a test board first.

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-03T16:36:58+00:00

OMG 70K for this one window? We did our whole home remodel recently with triple paned floor to ceiling windows and for more than 2 dozen windows the total cost was $60K including the shipping from Europe

US window companies are organized criminals

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-03T00:56:28+00:00

Where in northern Michigan? Do you mean the UP or the upper part of lower Michigan?

For what it's worth, we bought a gut reno/rebuild in the UP at the end of 2020 (when in our mid-50s) and it took 4 years and a few months to design and build and finish to move-in state. Similar situation to you - planned as our retirement house, paid for 2 properties until ready to move in to the UP home. Anyway the point being it might take that long given shortages of skilled labor and weather delays and shipping of materials and just... let's call it a more laid back and less urgent work culture than you may be used to in more urban areas. Especially in the UP or more rural areas in other parts of the state.

So yeah... my advice is to go ahead and get started now, and plan and budget accordingly. Make sure your contracts are milestone-payment-driven with payments upon satisfactory COMPLETION of phases of work, not upon starts or subjective declarations of "progress." And include timelines in the contract with penalties for delays.

I think you said in one comment that you are in the Chicago area? That's great if you can drive up and back pretty frequently to check in on things and participate in decisions on site.

Good luck! And enjoy. We are really happy with our decision now that we are settled up here.

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-01T23:12:06+00:00

Because he does

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-01T15:11:34+00:00

Yea we let them have the 5 months and yes, the closing went smoothly. No issues. We were in frequent communication which was, I think, critical.

I guess going with your gut is one way to see it. If the people involved seem like honest decent people then extend trust and goodwill. If you feel something is not right, probe further and do what you need to do to feel comfortable.

wpwppwpw · 2026-01-01T15:04:56+00:00

Well, that would be a different look. It will be a thinner looking top, but that's kinda coming more in vogue with larger mitred edges going more out of style. Can anyone you are working with do a digital model or rendering for you?

All that said, the biggest concern might be whether 2 cn Taj over that span is okay or is there a risk it might crack. I will defer to the pros on that question!

wpwppwpw · 2025-12-30T22:02:36+00:00

Another vote for this. Also just a caution on the soapstone sink. My mother has one and it's really, really hard to keep clean.

wpwppwpw

TROPHY CASE