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gale w
shiny farmwife
PeaNut 40,275
June 2002
Posts: 21,567
Layouts: 52
Loc: Indiana
 |  Posted: 2/8/2013 6:16:40 PM
We had someone come out and look at our house today and it sounds like we'll be building a new one-it would take too much money and work to fix this one up. We have 10 acres so it'll be on our land but in a different spot (our house now is on the lowest part of the place and dh wants to put one in a higher spot). DH and his dad and brother will be doing as much of the work as possible to save $$, and they'll probably start this summer so I'm going to start gathering ideas now. |
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PeaJaneRun
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 202,203
April 2005
Posts: 2,735
Layouts: 0
 |  Posted: 2/8/2013 6:31:12 PM
Deeper sinks
Taller vanities (bathrooms)
High arching faucets
More cabinets
Have fun! | |
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Darkangel090260
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 308,882
April 2007
Posts: 2,843
Layouts: 15
 | Posted: 2/8/2013 6:33:24 PM
Better storage in the kitchen and master bathroom. We have a lot of storage in the kitchen but it's hard to get stuff in and out. Would love pull out shelves. Trash can that could fit under a cabinet as well.
Much darker wood flooring in the kitchen as well. It's a blond wood and everything so up on it. It looks bad about a hour after you clean it.
Large storage closet for the vacuum cleaner and other large thing.
Bigger Laundry room to where i could fold and sort clothing with out blocking the back door.
Bathroom need line closets. We just have the spaces under the sink and it deep but again hard to get to. Plus a larger shower with more then one shower head and it's own hot water heater.( I am a hot water hog)
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| I have quite a few learing disabilitys that effect my spelling a grammer. I do know my grammer and spelling suck. I have been working on this problem all my adult life. | |
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Katybee
PeaFixture
PeaNut 379,678
June 2008
Posts: 3,369
Layouts: 12
Loc: Enjoying the summer sun!
 | Posted: 2/8/2013 6:34:56 PM
A comfortable soaking tub with jets.
I have a "garden" tub--but it's so uncomfortable. I love to soak...and now I just don't do it.  |
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~SuburbanMom~
Wannabe FNPea!
PeaNut 82,318
April 2003
Posts: 9,116
Layouts: 35
Loc: In my garden
 | Posted: 2/8/2013 6:45:30 PM
For the kitchen: a window over the sink with a good view
For the bathroom: clean white subway tile, carrera marble,nickel hardware -- so pretty! |
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Carolina Girl 71
AncestralPea
PeaNut 217,388
August 2005
Posts: 4,962
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 2/8/2013 6:49:33 PM
mud room entry by the back door, with a cubby for each person in the household, maybe a couple of extras, room for boots and coats and purses
a Kitchen cabinet near the sink with pull out garbage can and recycling can
more deep drawers, and/or pull outs in lower kitchen cabinets, no more having to stand on my head to get to the back of the shelves
room in the laundry room for a deep soaking sink, a large folding table and an ironing board that stays up all the time. |
"I am in a dress, I have gel in my hair, I haven't slept all night, I'm starved, and I'm armed! Don't *mess* with me!" Gracie Hart, Miss Congeniality
"NSBR is a place where some horses are never dead enough that they can't be dragged out of the closet for one last beating." Elaine, 6/18/11
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VanC
PeaFixture
PeaNut 82,273
April 2003
Posts: 3,409
Layouts: 9
Loc: Out and About
| Posted: 2/8/2013 7:02:50 PM
I wish I had an overhead rain showerhead along with the wallmounted one in the master bath and a built in bench.
I'm so glad to have my big greenhouse window over my kitchen sink. Love that and all my big bay windows. They have made all the difference in what could have been a fairly boxy floorplan.  |
"It's ALL just paper......'til you add adhesive, a little love and some pixie dust."
LLTTF&JB
VanC
****I wish you Love, it's All you need. I wish you Laughter, and hope you find Joy in the journey. I wish you Tickles, because you can't tickle someone without touching them and forming a connection. I wish you Teases, because everyone needs a little humour to get them through the rough spots. I wish you Frogs, because there are NO Frogs just Handsome Princes & Beautiful Princesses who don't know who they are, everyone needs someone to love them in spite of themselves warts and all. Finally I wish you Jelly Beans because life's sweetest moments can come in all sorts of colours and flavours.****
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PEArfect
AncestralPea
PeaNut 452,048
January 2010
Posts: 4,642
Layouts: 0
Loc: Indiana
 | Posted: 2/8/2013 7:11:35 PM
Kitchen
Glad I have: pot drawers, pull out trash/recycle bins, pantry, deep sink, bar, large window under upper cabinets, large drawer for cooking utensils and knives
Wish I had: a little larger kitchen with room for an island, granite countertops, granite sink, tile on the walls (as we get the funds we will finish our wish list other then making the kitchen larger)
Bathroom (master)
Glad I have: counter height cabinets, linen closet, tile floors, large shower
Wish I had: granite countertops, wood paneling on the bottom half of the walls, tile shower w/several showerheads |
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mom22reds
PeaAddict
PeaNut 191,815
February 2005
Posts: 1,978
Layouts: 4
Loc: Moorpark, CA
| Posted: 2/8/2013 7:13:50 PM
KITCHEN
For the most part, I'm quite happy with my kitchen as it is large enough and has plenty of storage space. However, there are several design features that I would love to change but my budget will not allow that right now.
What I would change is:
- Walk in pantry (we have a couple of cabinets instead)
- Pull out drawers in lower cabinets
- Granite counter tops (instead of our current tumbled marble, which is a pain in the neck to keep clean)
- Darker wood cabinetry instead of the current light maple
- Switch out our white appliances for stainless (I really do like stainless steel)
- A logical, unobtrusive place for our recycling
- Wood or wood laminate floors. The tile is very hard and trying to keep it clean drives me nuts.
Things I love:
- We have lots and lots of cabinets in the kitchen and island, plus in the butler's pantry
- I love the double oven
- I like the layout/flow of our kitchen and wouldn't change that
- I like the fact that our kitchen window overlooks the backyard, which allows me to see out to what is going on out there. I also like that it is right next to the breakfast nook which, in turn, is right next to the family room. So, while I'm cooking/prepping in the kitchen, I can still interact with what's going on in the breakfast nook and family room.
MASTER BATH
I'm pretty much happy with our master bath as well, but here are the things I would change:
- Change out white tile counters for something less sterile-looking
- Change out light maple cabinetry for darker wood
- Smaller tub. I'm small and it's huge, so I can't really lay back and relax in it.
- Lower sink on my side. I guess they make the vanities in the master bath taller than in a standard bath. The problem is I'm short, so I have to stand on my tippy-toes whenever I wash my face, etc. It's kind of annoying.
Things that I like:
- The size (it's huge!)
- That it's adjacent to our walk-in closet, which is also huge
- Separate sinks for me and DH. I love this!
- Lots of drawers/storage
- Separate makeup area with counter, drawers, etc. I use this every AM when I do my hair and makeup.
Have fun designing your new home!
Sonia |
2013 Goal:
Organize my entire house one drawer, cabinet, nook and cranny at a time!
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MontanaCowgirl
TaWanDa Riot!
PeaNut 298,090
February 2007
Posts: 7,194
Layouts: 50
Loc: Big Sky Country
| Posted: 2/8/2013 7:58:20 PM
tile in the shower to the ceiling
tile ON the ceiling with a can light right over the shower
tile run behind the toilet and all the way up to the ceiling
bullnose trim up the walls of the bath (around the whole floor) so I can mop into the corners and along the edge of the wall
shower niche for shampoo with a razor shelf, rather than those pieces that take up room and hang in the corners
extra tall toilet
backing behind areas in walls of shower and around toilet, so we can install safety grab bars as we age
extra wide doors so there can be wheelchair access if needed
my favorite.... something as simple as a swing up arm toilet paper holder, rather than those crappy spring loaded ones
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Stephi
"people generally see what they look for,
and hear what they listen for.
-To Kill a Mockingbird-
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Shih Tzu Mommy
Million dollar camera, 10 dollar lock!
PeaNut 224,352
September 2005
Posts: 23,527
Layouts: 0
Loc: Right here
| Posted: 2/8/2013 8:09:03 PM
We had our kitchen cabinets in one home built several inches taller than standard cabinets and we have 20 inches above our countertops until our upper cabinets start, I think the norm is 16 inches. We are all tall and really like it. I had an island built on heavy duty rollers and it is great to move it from spot to spot in the kitchen. No electricity in it of course, but being able to have it by each of the work areas based on need at the time is wonderful! It is 30 inches wide (36 with the top) and 48 inches long. I did one cabinet of full drawers and one of doors with pullouts and it is awesome!
Full size, double convection ovens. Huge single sink (deep and wide!), we found someone on eBay that makes custom stainless sinks. Ours is gigantic! Did a commercial faucet with a sprayer and a regular stream and one or the other can be use or both can be used at once.
Multiple dishwashers. I have them at one house and sort of struggling to do without at the other.
Installed a second cold water line so we never have to add water to the coffeemaker again, it directly pulls it from the cold water line.
NO hardware on the cabinet fronts. I have them in one house and not in the other and if I could get rid of them in the other, I would!!
All my lower cabinets in both homes have pull out shelves and it is great! One house has a lot of drawers and the other has NONE and I did not realize it until we moved in. I will change that in the near future!
For the bathrooms, we did taller than average cabinets. In one home we have a heated towel rack in the master. LOVE that! Just cannot make the space work with where electricity is available in the other. Built in, heated bench seat in the shower (your tile person can install it for a few hundred under the tile, and it is GREAT!) Heated tile floor--same type of mat (but larger) than in the heated bench. I am a tub person, so a large soaking tub is a must for me, but they are expensive, so before you go that route, think about if you are a bather or not. I do have friends who have gone to just a shower in their master and very happy with that. It depends on you and your husband and what you prefer. You can order an extra deep soaking tub or you can have one custom made from a material like Corian. Excellent if you have someone very tall in your family.
And in the shower, multiple showerheads are great, but be sure you get to see how they actually disburse the water before you buy. And consider a steam shower for the master. For very little extra, you can have that feature and enjoy a steam at home and be extremely water conscious but still have an hour or more in the shower!
If you have young children, consider a dipped drain in their bathrooms. Really great if there are water messes or overflows or you name it! Boys of any age? Invest in a urinal and tile the wall beside it.
Many bathroom cabinets are not as deep as kitchen cabinets. I had ours built 'kitchen' depth and it makes a real difference!
Installing a water heater specific for your bathroom is excellent if you are a bath or long hot shower person. When the kids were little I had the house water heater set to a lower temp so they could not be scalded, but mine was about 20 degrees hotter and being able to soak in a steaming tub was such a delight! That was a custom built home we've since sold, but I recall that feature with great fondness!
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pennyring
Thrift Ninja
PeaNut 226,011
October 2005
Posts: 22,492
Layouts: 40
Loc: Rite Aid
| Posted: 2/8/2013 8:14:35 PM
I had a condo on Alki (Seattle) for a little while a few years ago. The best part was the built-in closets. I didn't need a dresser at all because everything fit on shelves in the closet. Best thing ever.
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flanz
AncestralPea
PeaNut 211,902
June 2005
Posts: 4,686
Layouts: 2
| Posted: 2/8/2013 8:18:12 PM
We remodelled in 2000. I love:
- deep pot and pan drawers (have 4 and fully utilize all of them)
- slotted storage above the fridge where we keep baking sheets, trays, cutting boards etc. They fit a ton of items and you can easily access any of them.
- angled corner cabinet with full circle lazy susans
- deep double sink
- under-cabinet flourescent lighting
have fun! | |
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Kerry in CT
PeaFixture
PeaNut 23,966
October 2001
Posts: 3,695
Layouts: 0
Loc: Connecticut
| Posted: 2/8/2013 8:19:52 PM
Radiant heat under the tile floor in the bathroom. And it is on a timer, so it is already toasty when I walk in there in the morning. Love that. |
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melanell
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 26,836
January 2002
Posts: 14,818
Layouts: 86
| Posted: 2/8/2013 8:24:28 PM
I wish I had a deeper sink in the kitchen. I'm glad I have a pantry.
I wish I had room for linens in the bathroom, but I am glad for the linen closet right outside the bathroom door.
I'm also glad that the bathroom is arranged with the toilet no where near the sink. Although I wish that didn't mean that the toilet is the what you see if you look up the stairs and the bathroom door is open. |
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Kelli/Mom
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 21,316
September 2001
Posts: 2,651
Layouts: 29
| Posted: 2/8/2013 8:24:52 PM
We have a steam shower in out bathroom and I love, love, love it. We don't always use the steam, but it is nice to have the big glass door seal out all of the drafts. One side of the shower is glass block, so it feels light and roomy. It has several shower heads, but honestly, we only use one. We have a huge jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. I thought I would like it more than I do. It takes so much water to fill it that we don't use it all that often. I love the leaded glass window in the bath ... it lets in a lot of light, but still gives privacy. I wish I had a bidet. The configuration of the room prohibits adding one.
I really love my convection oven. It cooks everything so evenly, and I can load up the racks without worrying about how things will cook. We have a large pantry, but I wish it was a walk-in. I also wish I had a fridge with with the freezer on the bottom. I'd like to add a hot-water dispenser to my sink because we drink a lot of tea. I would also love to have a pot-filling spigot above my stove. There's currently a soffit above my cabinets. If I were to redo things, I would have cabinets that reached all the way to the ceiling. That extra 12" of space would come in very handy for storing the pasta machine, juicer, chins, and other things we don't use often. | |
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peano
Lead With Love
PeaNut 43,034
July 2002
Posts: 6,266
Layouts: 4
Loc: Connecticut
| Posted: 2/8/2013 8:28:06 PM
Kitchen:
glad I have:
huge window by the kitchen sink
granite countertops-I can put hot pans on them (but would never get a dark color because it would be impossible to keep them looking clean)
hardwood floors with a darker stain
walk-in pantry
large pull-out drawers for heavy pots and pans adjacent to stove
pull-out trash and recycling bins next to sink
what I wish I had:
dedicated desk/work area for phone and rolodex, basket of school papers and other miscellaneous crap
Master Bath
glad I have:
granite countertop
two sinks
walk-out deck off bath
mistake:
huge jetted tub-we never use it
huge shower with frameless glass-big expense and hard water has ruined the glass
would take all this wasted space and put in a dedicated linen closet rather than an etagere
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My stuff:
Canon 7D
Canon Rebel XT
kit lens 18-55mm
28-135mm IS 3.5-5.6
50mm 1.8
85mm 1.8
580EXII Speedlite
CS5
LR4
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Gia LuPeaA
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 416,889
March 2009
Posts: 2,625
Layouts: 0
Loc: The right place, at the right time.
 | Posted: 2/8/2013 8:35:41 PM
I think drawers on lower cabinets are much more useful than actual cabinets. |
| Princess of Procrasti Nation. | |
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tamhugh
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 12,875
March 2001
Posts: 7,948
Layouts: 11
 | Posted: 2/8/2013 8:46:25 PM
Kitchen
Glad I have classic dark cherry cabinets, pocket door to the laundry room, and hardwood floors.
Wish I had a double oven, flat top stove, and a pocket door to the family room.
Bathroom (master)
Glad I have a soaking tub, separate "room" for the toilet", and a double sink.
Wish I had heated floors (tile is cold), a doorless/glassless shower, and a linen closet.
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Kelli/Mom
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 21,316
September 2001
Posts: 2,651
Layouts: 29
| Posted: 2/8/2013 9:10:38 PM
More thoughts ...
I love that my closet has built-in shelves and drawers. One of the drawers is specially designed for jewelry. It also has two built in hampers and a linen closet within the master closet. The rods are stacked in places and allow hanging long things in other places. One of the shoe racks has larger openings for men's shoes and tennis shoes while the other one has smaller openings for my shoes.
I wish that the bathrooms all had tiles up the walls, at least to hip height, by the toilets. One of the bathrooms has tile baseboards, and I like that so much better than the wood, but even more tile would would be nice.
There's no door between the bedroom and bathroom! There isn't way to add a door, either. I would love a pocket door there, but the plumbing and heating/AC prevents it. We hung a large curtain, but I would still like a door.
The thing I hate most about my house is the laundry room. You have to walk through it to come into the house from the garage, and it doesn't have nearly enough square footage! I would love a mud room/launch pad in that space. I would like a much larger laundry room with a wall-mounted ironing board that I could pull down for quick touch ups. The laundry room is on the main floor, but all of the bedrooms are on the second floor. I would rather have the laundry room much closer to the bedrooms. Room for sorting and staging clothes--clean and dirty--would also be very nice. And as long as I am dreaming, I would want two washer and two dryers so I could do lights and darks at the same time. A few thousand more for an extra set of machines would be totally worth it for me. Can you tell that I spend a lot of time on laundry? | |
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slicksister
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 115,093
November 2003
Posts: 2,702
Layouts: 60
Loc: NorCal wine country
 | Posted: 2/8/2013 9:19:59 PM
Just a couple things on my dream list. LOL
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| "One of the reasons I never had children is because I loathe children. They are as over rated as chicken soup." Harry Corn Harry's Law | |
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PennyPaws
PeaAddict
PeaNut 551,978
April 2012
Posts: 1,533
Layouts: 61
Loc: Canada
 | Posted: 2/8/2013 11:58:30 PM
Heated floors, dimmers on the lights and cabinet lighting, outlets placed horizontally and high up on the backsplash tucked under the upper cabinets, separate closets (broom, pantry, linen), and pull out drawers/organizers... Would love to have central vac connected into the cabinetry toe kicks - just sweep the crumbs and hairs to the toe kick and it's sucked away... |
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gale w
shiny farmwife
PeaNut 40,275
June 2002
Posts: 21,567
Layouts: 52
Loc: Indiana
| Posted: 2/9/2013 12:27:57 AM
aahhh this is getting overwhelming already! I have a binder that I just emptied (junk I printed a long time ago and have no idea why) so I think I'll use it for this. I keep thinking of things I want, then forgetting them, then remembering them, then thinking of other things...
We're pretty much simple folk so I won't even think about heated tiles or bathtubs or multiple shower heads or towel warmers. But a lot of great ideas here for storage and general getting around in the kitchen/laundry room/bath.
Guess it's time to start a few new pinterest boards. |
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paigepea
I'm PEAchy Keen!
PeaNut 74,479
March 2003
Posts: 17,034
Layouts: 116
| Posted: 2/9/2013 12:43:43 AM
We just reno'ed our entire house - things we love:
Stainless steel farmhouse sink - I heart my sink every single day.
Steam shower with jets, rain head, and regular shower head.
36 inch dacor commercial range/oven.
Hated floors in bathroom.
Converted fireplaces to gas and installed modern looking gas fireplaces with crushed glass - no more fake logs.
Built in panelled fridge. I love that no one can find our fridge in our kitchen.
Pull out drawers in kitchen.
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look4angel
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 49,444
September 2002
Posts: 2,751
Layouts: 181
Loc: Tn
| Posted: 2/9/2013 12:55:23 AM
I think drawers on lower cabinets are much more useful than actual cabinets.
And I would go with full drawers, not just pull out shelves. I have those and things fall off of them when you pull them out.
In the kitchen I would love to have a HUGE island, and storage built in like this one:
My island would face my living area with chairs on the wood side.
Or an eating alcove like this one:
I have a lot more ideas on my pinboards for what I'd like to have in my bathroom. What I would really like is to have my laundry room behind my bathroom so I could have a connecting cabinet for dirty clothes. So that you could open a cabinet in the bathroom and then open another cabinet in the laundry room to access them. No hamper need, just a basket in the floor inbetween the cabinets.
Here is a link to my pinboards:
Pinboard
I would suggest you start one for your new home room by room so when you find great ideas you can pin them so you don't forget them. |
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look4angel
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 49,444
September 2002
Posts: 2,751
Layouts: 181
Loc: Tn
| Posted: 2/9/2013 1:05:48 AM
This is one of my favorite bathroom add on's, but I love built in storage.
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Rahnee
PeaNut
PeaNut 448,255
December 2009
Posts: 215
Layouts: 0
Loc: Melbourne, Australia
| Posted: 2/9/2013 1:08:16 AM
I would love an island bench in my kitchen and a frameless shower in the bathroom. Also a bigger than standard oven would be nice in the kitchen. | |
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scoobers
Why, YES!, I am a princess.
PeaNut 417,049
March 2009
Posts: 12,869
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 2/9/2013 7:38:47 AM
A spice drawer in the kitchen. Wish I had one. |
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scoobers
Why, YES!, I am a princess.
PeaNut 417,049
March 2009
Posts: 12,869
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 2/9/2013 7:39:02 AM
A spice drawer in the kitchen. Wish I had one. |
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maryannscraps
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 75,215
March 2003
Posts: 6,451
Layouts: 2
Loc: massachusetts
| Posted: 2/9/2013 7:48:00 AM
Handicapped access in the bathroom. We had to renovate the first floor bath a few years ago to accomodate DH. We made a huge roll-in shower with a bench (roll-in equals no lip on the shower floor.) Everyone in the family uses that shower because it's so comfy.
Kitchen -- wire up everything so you don't have to dig in the walls later. Make under cabinet lighting and lots of extra plugs. | |
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margievis
PeaFixture
PeaNut 58,762
December 2002
Posts: 4,221
Layouts: 335
Loc: Humboldt,TN
| Posted: 2/9/2013 7:48:46 AM
Wish I had a double vanity sink in the bathroom... |
In my Camera bag:
Canon T1I DSLR
18-55mm kit lens
55-250 IS zoom lens
50mm 1.8 lens
Visit my blogs at:
scrappinmargie (for all things Crafty)
MargieV Photography (for my Photography journey)
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margievis
PeaFixture
PeaNut 58,762
December 2002
Posts: 4,221
Layouts: 335
Loc: Humboldt,TN
| Posted: 2/9/2013 7:49:04 AM
Wish I had a double vanity sink in the bathroom... |
In my Camera bag:
Canon T1I DSLR
18-55mm kit lens
55-250 IS zoom lens
50mm 1.8 lens
Visit my blogs at:
scrappinmargie (for all things Crafty)
MargieV Photography (for my Photography journey)
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eversograceful1
Feeling Spaztastic!
PeaNut 69,237
February 2003
Posts: 7,499
Layouts: 73
Loc: Northern Florida
| Posted: 2/9/2013 7:49:48 AM
One big mirror over the sink
Deep garden tub with jets |
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eversograceful1
Feeling Spaztastic!
PeaNut 69,237
February 2003
Posts: 7,499
Layouts: 73
Loc: Northern Florida
| Posted: 2/9/2013 7:50:02 AM
One big mirror over the sink
Deep garden tub with jets |
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Mallie
BucketHead
PeaNut 574,604
December 2012
Posts: 807
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 2/9/2013 7:56:36 AM
Bathroom: I saw a bathroom once that used a lot of concrete. The floors were stained concrete and the shower enclosure (which was large but not huge) was all concrete. I was in love. No more shower curtains or doors. Easy cleaning. I would NOT do an overhead rain showerhead -- everyone hated it. We ended up having to take it out. Hatbox toilet (makes exterior cleaning SO much easier as there are no curves or nooks and crannies for dust/hair to accumulate.)
Kitchen: One set of cabinets with more shelves -- so that you can store the short stuff such as tupperware containers without them just piling around and falling all over. | |
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Coaliesquirrel
PeaAddict
PeaNut 26,493
January 2002
Posts: 1,448
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 2/9/2013 8:19:23 AM
Kitchen loves & suggestions:
- deep, double-sided black granite-look sink (actually some sort of plastic/fiberglass/whatever) - it was cheap as sinks go (like less than $100 at Lowe's, I think), and no worry of stains, doesn't show bits of crud.
- formica countertops in "light & dark toast crumbs" type pattern. Actual crumbs blend in, and you can't see every little spot of something. We're really NOT filthy, but it's nice to not have to worry about it if someone stops by, because we are "back door people", so that's what people see first.
- tupperware drawers - deep/wide open bin w/ another underneath it for lids that has 3 upright dividers to keep the lids standing up & visible
- slotted cupboard in narrow section (between our oven/stove and fridge) for cookie sheets, etc.
- If you're going to have a central vac (we LOVE ours), put in a kickplate in the kitchen. It's so nice to be able to sweep the floors, just tap the plate, and it's all sucked away. No dustpan to fool with, and no handling (and inhaling) the dust. Especially nice beacuse it's also near where the cat boxes are, so we can sweep that mess right in, too.
- We never use - or really even remember we have - our built-in/slide-out cutting board.
- vent your stove hood to the outside. DH thought it wasn't necessary and didn't want "another hole in the side of the house". And now, if something burns, the fan just shoots the smoke up higher so the smoke alarms go off sooner. He admits he was wrong on this one.
- The one thing I'd change in the kitchen is that we have standard-height countertops throughout, and I'm only 5'4". I wish we had at least one area where they were lower for when I'm doing intensive cutting, rolling, etc. I wouldn't maybe do that in a house we planned to move from, but this is our "move out only to the nursing home or morgue" house, so I do wish I'd customized that part.
Bathrooms:
- deep drawers at counter level w/ built-in power strips instead of outlets so that hairdryers, curling irons, etc. can stay plugged in all the time but not be out on the counter.
- large soaking tub (regular shape) WITHOUT jets. About 1/2 the price of a jetted tub, much less cleaning hassle, and one less mechanical thing to break.
- We put a showerhead hose on the tub, and the hose is long enough to reach the shower as well. Makes for super easy cleaning.
- seperated potty closet w/ pocket door in master to close off from the rest of the bathroom
- Our closet is in between the bedroom and bath, so that muffles sound some when one of us is sleeping.
- bathroom vent fan on an adjustable (10/20/30/60 minutes) timer to be sure the humidity is adequately removed even if we're headed out.
- DH and I never get ready at the same time, so we did a huge vanity, but only one sink. It's worked out great for us to have the extra counter space instead.
- didn't know if we were having a boy or girl, so we did subway tile to chair rail height in the kid bath behind the toilet - DH's idea.
- We have a main floor guest suite (which will one day be the master if we are ever unable to manage stairs, but before that will likely be a MIL suite) - a pocket door closes it off from the dining room. However, the suite bathroom is *the* main floor bath. I wish we'd included another powder room so that the guest suite could be kept pristine and ready. Instead, it's become the primary bathroom for 5yo DD, and so is always kind of a mess.
- Find somewhere in your house (master bath, laundry room, whatever) to put an extra-deep janitor-type sink. We've used ours TONS for handwashing laundry, washing off shoes, etc. - anything you don't want in your kitchen sink or vanities.
- We wish we'd have put in underfloor warming in front of our vanity. We've got floor mats, of course, but it would be nice to have the tile floor be warm. We'd decided not to go to the expense, but in retrospect, we should have gone ahead with it.
Also, DH suggests:
- Get all the same brand of toilets and all same brand of faucets (he suggests Eljer toilets & Delta faucets, but the kind a plumber can get - not the Lowe's/HD - for better quality & availability of replacement parts) because then you can always keep one set of replacement parts around for when (not "if" - it always happens eventually!) something goes bad, and it'll work for anything in the house.
- Do Z-channel something-or-other for better soundproofing between floors. When our bed foundation creaks from rolling over in our master bedroom, you can CLEARLY hear it in the guest room below.
- For easier and cheaper plumbing runs, stack your plumbing. Our master bath is right over the guest bath which is right over the basement bath. The laundry room is over the kitchen. DD's bath is 2 floors above but in line with the basement kitchenette area.
- If you do Christmas lights, put outside outlets up high where they'll be. Ours are linked to switches in our coat closet, and the fuse resets are right there, too. SUPER handy.
Good luck in your project!  | |
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AKathy
Peaing From Podunk
PeaNut 45,443
August 2002
Posts: 14,677
Layouts: 93
Loc: North Dakota
| Posted: 2/9/2013 8:25:48 AM
My two favorite things in my kitchen are my quartz counter tops and walk in pantry. |
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Heckofagal
PeaNut
PeaNut 319,348
May 2007
Posts: 473
Layouts: 1
| Posted: 2/9/2013 8:32:54 AM
Marking my spot. | |
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Heckofagal
PeaNut
PeaNut 319,348
May 2007
Posts: 473
Layouts: 1
| Posted: 2/9/2013 8:33:08 AM
Marking my spot. | |
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Heckofagal
PeaNut
PeaNut 319,348
May 2007
Posts: 473
Layouts: 1
| Posted: 2/9/2013 8:33:14 AM
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KathrynPea
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 376,370
May 2008
Posts: 2,266
Layouts: 2
Loc: Las Vegas, NV
| Posted: 2/9/2013 8:46:27 AM
I have double sinks in my master. I wish I had one sink with more countertop space.
I have a huge shower but it doesn't have a built in bench for leg shaving
I would like a higher toilet.
I am so glad I have a ceiling fan in my bathroom for the summer but I wished I had a door to the bathroom for the winter. | |
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KathrynPea
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 376,370
May 2008
Posts: 2,266
Layouts: 2
Loc: Las Vegas, NV
| Posted: 2/9/2013 8:46:41 AM
I have double sinks in my master. I wish I had one sink with more countertop space.
I have a huge shower but it doesn't have a built in bench for leg shaving
I would like a higher toilet.
I am so glad I have a ceiling fan in my bathroom for the summer but I wished I had a door to the bathroom for the winter. | |
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Cake Diva
Cake-a-licous!
PeaNut 90,802
June 2003
Posts: 9,968
Layouts: 35
Loc: Fergus, Ontario
| Posted: 2/9/2013 8:47:28 AM
Love mostly everything about my kitchen in this house. The one thing I never thought of, and would be pretty pricey (or labour intensive) to change at this date, would be under cabinet lighting.
We upgraded to pot lights all throughout the kitchen, and paid extra for the two spots above the island so we could hang our own lights there. But once we got in and I started using the kitchen, the corners are poorly lit. So when I'm working with my Kitchen Aid in the back left corner, it is dark.
To install it now, would mean purchasing stained trim from the cupboard company ($$) and getting an electrician to wire in the lighting. DH is good (he did my entire cake kitchen) but this may be a tad above his skill set.
Here's my kitchen (excuse the mess, it was taken while we were moving in!):
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Cake Diva
Cake-a-licous!
PeaNut 90,802
June 2003
Posts: 9,968
Layouts: 35
Loc: Fergus, Ontario
| Posted: 2/9/2013 8:48:28 AM
Love mostly everything about my kitchen in this house. The one thing I never thought of, and would be pretty pricey (or labour intensive) to change at this date, would be under cabinet lighting.
We upgraded to pot lights all throughout the kitchen, and paid extra for the two spots above the island so we could hang our own lights there. But once we got in and I started using the kitchen, the corners are poorly lit. So when I'm working with my Kitchen Aid in the back left corner, it is dark.
To install it now, would mean purchasing stained trim from the cupboard company ($$) and getting an electrician to wire in the lighting. DH is good (he did my entire cake kitchen) but this may be a tad above his skill set.
Here's my kitchen (excuse the mess, it was taken while we were moving in!):
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Cake Diva
Cake-a-licous!
PeaNut 90,802
June 2003
Posts: 9,968
Layouts: 35
Loc: Fergus, Ontario
| Posted: 2/9/2013 8:48:41 AM
Love mostly everything about my kitchen in this house. The one thing I never thought of, and would be pretty pricey (or labour intensive) to change at this date, would be under cabinet lighting.
We upgraded to pot lights all throughout the kitchen, and paid extra for the two spots above the island so we could hang our own lights there. But once we got in and I started using the kitchen, the corners are poorly lit. So when I'm working with my Kitchen Aid in the back left corner, it is dark.
To install it now, would mean purchasing stained trim from the cupboard company ($$) and getting an electrician to wire in the lighting. DH is good (he did my entire cake kitchen) but this may be a tad above his skill set.
Here's my kitchen (excuse the mess, it was taken while we were moving in!):
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singlewitch
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 155,670
July 2004
Posts: 2,742
Layouts: 56
Loc: Central NJ
| Posted: 2/9/2013 9:19:34 AM
More cabinets in the kitchen for food storage. In the bathroom, I would love to have one of those tubs with a door and a seat so I could soak. I can't get up out of a conventional bathtub. |
Rosie
Single Witch Designs
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Single-Witch-Designs
My Etsy Store: www.etsy.com/SingleWitchDesigns | |
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Pridemom
Pride of the Peas
PeaNut 25,575
December 2001
Posts: 19,132
Layouts: 45
Loc: Stuck in the Middle With You
| Posted: 2/9/2013 9:33:28 AM
More space, cupboards, and a pantry. I only a galley kitchen and miss the big kitchen with plenty of counters from our last house. |
Proud Wife and Mom to four big goons!
I cannot be old enough to have three teens and a tween.
God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially formed you to
go through it, not without pain but without stain.
-- C. S. Lewis
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bridgyree
BucketHead
PeaNut 218,303
August 2005
Posts: 972
Layouts: 18
Loc: Pennsylvania
| Posted: 2/9/2013 9:36:44 AM
I love my tile in the kitchen but I am still kicking myself that we didn't run heat underneath it. It gets so cold! It isn't worth ripping out to put in the heat and new tile so I live with it, but if I had to do it all over again... | |
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gritzi
EncycloPEAdia
PeaNut 275,594
September 2006
Posts: 3,004
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 2/9/2013 9:38:36 AM
We've been in this house for a year. The master bath is large with double sinks, a walk-in shower plus a jacuzzi tub. It's large too so we don't feel crowded.
My favorite feature? The heater in the ceiling vent! On a cold winter morning it is nice to turn on the switch and have warm air filtering down from the ceiling.
What would I have liked added? Heated tile flooring!
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peggyd
PeaAddict
PeaNut 30,589
February 2002
Posts: 1,264
Layouts: 147
| Posted: 2/9/2013 9:55:08 AM
High toilets and anything you can do to make it easier access to when you are older .It comes faster than you think and for any kind of surgery makes it easier .One level house .We live in a small house but love the gas fireplace and we have a large living area connected to the kitchen with a island .We just remodeled the kitchen and baths .In one bath there is a large shower and the other we put in new larger tub.We put laminate floors in the kitchen and master bedroom and bath .Dh doesn't like it in the bedroom would rather have carpet but I love it for being able to keep it more dust free .Easier to clean .I do love the idea of the large drawers in the kitchen but they are more costly .The only thing I wish we had done is left out one of the top cabinets .I use the foreman grill and it steams up the top cabinet and I can't leave the top up on the grill . |
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