Bathroom Remodeling Ideas???

[pennquaker09]

I love the faucet. It''s really cute.

Did you not see the marble at Home Depot? I don''t remember how much it is, but since your room is only 30 sq ft, it wouldn''t be that much.

When it comes to paint, if you''re going to purchase from Lowe''s or Home Depot, I would go with Lowe''s. Valspar is highly superior to the others. I would possibly consider the Martha Stewart paint at Home Depot, but it''s mixed in Olympic, so I dunno.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 6/29/2010 1:39:21 PM
Author: pennquaker09
I love the faucet. It''s really cute.

Did you not see the marble at Home Depot? I don''t remember how much it is, but since your room is only 30 sq ft, it wouldn''t be that much.

When it comes to paint, if you''re going to purchase from Lowe''s or Home Depot, I would go with Lowe''s. Valspar is highly superior to the others. I would possibly consider the Martha Stewart paint at Home Depot, but it''s mixed in Olympic, so I dunno.

Thanks, Penn! I''m so excited about my faucet!

Regarding paint: We definitely plan to go with Olympic paint from Lowe''s, since that''s what we''ve used throughout the rest of our house and we''ve been very happy with it.

I did see some marble at both Lowe''s and HD, but honestly, I liked the look/color of the ceramic better. All of their marble was very grey/white, and the ceramic we found is more of an ivory. Also, after talking to DH, he still wants to do both the bathroom and kitchen in the same tile. So, if we do that, we''re looking at more like 250 square feet, which could get REALLY pricey if we go with marble!

 

[pennquaker09]

What''s throughout the rest of the house?

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 6/29/2010 7:03:49 PM
Author: pennquaker09
What''s throughout the rest of the house?

It''s pretty casual, and the colors are mostly warm. We have hardwood floors in our foyer, living room and dining room, and the stairs and the entire upstairs are beige carpet. (The kitchen and upstairs bathroom don''t bear mentioning, since they haven''t been redone yet.) All of the paint is Olympic, and the colors are:

Foyer: Sweet Annie (deep sage green) below the chair rail and Percale (soft white) above the chair rail.

Dining Room: Bermuda Sand (light sand with a touch of pink)

Living Room: Covered Wagon (medium beige)

Stairway and Upstairs Hallway: Crescent Moon (yellowish ivory)

Guest Bedroom: Crocodile Tears (sage green, lighter than Sweet Annie)

Master Bedroom: Pony Tail (medium beige, lighter than Covered Wagon)

Third Bedroom: Paneled in wood-finished beadboard the whole way up all four walls and we haven''t done anything with it yet. (We just use it for storage.) We might paint the beadboard paneling at some point, but that''s pretty low on the priority list.

I''m really leaning toward burgundy instead of green for the upper half of the bathroom walls. I feel like we already have enough green in the house, and I think burgundy would give it some drama. I''m currently looking at three burgundies in Olympic paint: Gooseberry (very, very dark with purple undertones); Merlot (true burgundy, very red); and Old Burgundy (a bit of a faded looking burgundy, very pretty).

 

[Clairitek]

Are you still planning on getting the Memoirs pedestal sink?

 

[Hera]

A marble flooring would be an inappropriate flooring for the kitchen anyways because it stains and becomes very slippery when wet.

I was getting the idea that you liked warm colors. I guess if you have so many of them throughout the house, there would be continuity in the color throughout the house by having a warm color in the bathroom. I do like the idea of burgundy because it would have an element of drama but would also make the smaller space feel cozy. My only concerns would be that the color combinations/ finishes being in these color leading to a Tuscan feeling. You wouldn''t really want that because that''s not the style of your home and it could look very dated very quickly.

Also, make sure that if you go with burgundy, that you introduce the color in the kitchen to lessen the color shock when you walk in the bathroom.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Clairitek ~ We actually opted to go with something similar from American Standard. It''s the Townsend pedestal sink and matching toilet.

Hera ~ I totally agree about working some burgundy in when we redo the kitchen, and I think that will be pretty easy to do. I love burgundy, and I don''t understand why we don''t have burgundy somewhere in our house already! LOL! And I have been trying to stick to warm colors throughout the house, because that just feels right with our house for some reason. You''d have to see the house to really understand this, but I just feel like it wants to wear warm colors. When we bought it, the interior was almost totally eggshell white. The previous owners literally had eggshell white walls in EVERY room, except for the hideous bathroom and the little boy''s room (which is now our guest bedroom). That room was NEON YELLOW! I kid you not! With constellation wallpaper on one wall, and glow-in-the-dark star and planet stickers on that wallpaper. Oh, and a wallpaper border with stars and planets all the way around the room at the top of the walls. It was very cool for a little boy''s room, but WOW!!!

 

[joflier]

Date: 6/29/2010 12:15:19 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl
Jo ~ LOL! That''s too funny! Which finish are you getting? (I was really torn between the pewter and the brushed nickel, but I thought the pewter would look more ''vintagey'' and would go better with our house.) I knew we had a lot in common!

Clairitek ~ Yes! It feels so good to be making some progress! I feel like I''m finally forming a plan! LOL! I think the PowerPoint boards are a great idea, and I''d love to see your pics whenever PS lets you do that!

ETA: Jo, regarding the paint colors, I totally agree about a pure white being too stark with deep burgundy. The ''Percale'' color that we''re planning to use on the beadboard and trim is actually a soft white . . . not quite ivory/off-white, but close. I ''painted'' a room on Olympic''s website using both of those colors (Percale and Gooseberry), and it looks nice! Of course, the green (Sweet Annie) looks nice too! GAH!

Actually, I lied. Mine is slightly different. I just got a single hole. This...... In tuscan bronze. I agree - the brushed nickel is a much more modern finish.
Really - either of those paint colors would look good. Because the room is so small, I almost wonder if gooseberry is going to be too dark?

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 6/30/2010 11:14:41 AM
Author: joflier
Actually, I lied. Mine is slightly different. I just got a single hole. This...... In tuscan bronze. I agree - the brushed nickel is a much more modern finish.
Really - either of those paint colors would look good. Because the room is so small, I almost wonder if gooseberry is going to be too dark?

Jo, I really liked the tuscan bronze too! Very nice!

My Mom came over last night, and we were looking at paint chips. She convinced me to go with burgundy instead of green. So, now it''s just a question of WHICH burgundy! LOL! She also thought Gooseberry would be too dark, and after looking at the paint chip in the actual bathroom, I agree with her. So, now we''re down to the following two possibilities (both from Olympic Paint): Old Burgundy or Merlot. Old Burgundy is more of a rosy burgundy, and Merlot is more of a "true" burgundy. Mom is pushing for the Old Burgundy, but I''m afraid it might be to pinkish (and I mortally HATE pink!), so I''ll have to pick up some paint chips from Lowe''s and ponder this!

 

[joflier]

Date: 6/30/2010 11:33:32 AM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 6/30/2010 11:14:41 AM
Author: joflier
Actually, I lied. Mine is slightly different. I just got a single hole. This...... In tuscan bronze. I agree - the brushed nickel is a much more modern finish.
Really - either of those paint colors would look good. Because the room is so small, I almost wonder if gooseberry is going to be too dark?

Jo, I really liked the tuscan bronze too! Very nice!

My Mom came over last night, and we were looking at paint chips. She convinced me to go with burgundy instead of green. So, now it''s just a question of WHICH burgundy! LOL! She also thought Gooseberry would be too dark, and after looking at the paint chip in the actual bathroom, I agree with her. So, now we''re down to the following two possibilities (both from Olympic Paint): Old Burgundy or Merlot. Old Burgundy is more of a rosy burgundy, and Merlot is more of a ''true'' burgundy. Mom is pushing for the Old Burgundy, but I''m afraid it might be to pinkish (and I mortally HATE pink!), so I''ll have to pick up some paint chips from Lowe''s and ponder this!

Maybe you should have them mix up some sample jars for you. I believe their about $2 or $3, and its enough to paint a wall. Gives you a good idea then of what it looks like. I personally have found that swatches never look quite right.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 6/30/2010 11:37:34 AM
Author: joflier

Date: 6/30/2010 11:33:32 AM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 6/30/2010 11:14:41 AM
Author: joflier
Actually, I lied. Mine is slightly different. I just got a single hole. This...... In tuscan bronze. I agree - the brushed nickel is a much more modern finish.
Really - either of those paint colors would look good. Because the room is so small, I almost wonder if gooseberry is going to be too dark?

Jo, I really liked the tuscan bronze too! Very nice!

My Mom came over last night, and we were looking at paint chips. She convinced me to go with burgundy instead of green. So, now it''s just a question of WHICH burgundy! LOL! She also thought Gooseberry would be too dark, and after looking at the paint chip in the actual bathroom, I agree with her. So, now we''re down to the following two possibilities (both from Olympic Paint): Old Burgundy or Merlot. Old Burgundy is more of a rosy burgundy, and Merlot is more of a ''true'' burgundy. Mom is pushing for the Old Burgundy, but I''m afraid it might be to pinkish (and I mortally HATE pink!), so I''ll have to pick up some paint chips from Lowe''s and ponder this!

Maybe you should have them mix up some sample jars for you. I believe their about $2 or $3, and its enough to paint a wall. Gives you a good idea then of what it looks like. I personally have found that swatches never look quite right.

Good idea! I might just have to do that!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Both colors sound amazing, Irishgrrrl, you''ve made so much progress! And I really love the sink/toilet you chose--they look very classic! Keep us updated on the Old Burgundy vs. Merlot. I love deep, rich reds, so my vote is going toward Merlot

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 6/30/2010 11:53:35 AM
Author: NewEnglandLady
Both colors sound amazing, Irishgrrrl, you''ve made so much progress! And I really love the sink/toilet you chose--they look very classic! Keep us updated on the Old Burgundy vs. Merlot. I love deep, rich reds, so my vote is going toward Merlot

Thanks, NEL! I''ll definitely let y''all know which color we decide on. Fortunately, I don''t have to make that decision until DH is ready to paint, and I think that will take a while. The only other things we need to pick out are tile and a mirror/medicine cabinet and then we''re DONE with the decision-making phase! YAY!!!

 

[gardengloves]

Date: 6/29/2010 10:05:51 AM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 6/28/2010 10:39:00 PM

Author: gardengloves

Date: 6/28/2010 8:35:24 AM

Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 6/28/2010 3:46:24 AM


Author: pennquaker09



Slight TJ, but I personally believe you should never settle for less. Even if you can't afford the super expensive Ann Sacks marble mosaic, there are still ways to get a marble mosaic. If you want the custom sofa, find a way to get yourself the custom sofa or find something in your range that is similar. People work hard for their money and they shouldn't buy something unless it's going to make them happy. Lastly, everyone that works hard deserves a bit of luxury. I don't know why I believe that way, but I do. Ohh, pennquaker doesn't intend for people to get into credit card debt or commit crimes in order to renovate and decorate, lol.

Penn, I will be amazed if I get through this remodel WITHOUT committing some kind of crime! LOL!

Penn's right, for all the labor and expense, go with material you love. We saved money by doing Grecian marble on sale, the same look and feel as Carrera , but makes a world of difference. There is always something great on sale at local nurseries or home stores. Your going to do the same amount of work so put in the materials you want.

Penn and GG, you're both making a lot of sense. I know we probably won't be happy if we don't put in something we really love. Having said that though, DH and I are pretty easy to please! LOL! I did find some ceramic tile on sale at Lowe's last night that looks a lot like marble. We don't 'need' to have marble tile, but we do like the look, so we might go that route.


I know this sounds kinda crazy for a small room, but what would you guys think of a deep burgundy on the upper half of the walls (above the white beadboard)? We'd keep the beadboard, trim and ceiling all the same shade of white, with the pale ivory (almost white) marble-looking tile, so the upper wall color could really stand out. I'm torn between a deep burgundy or a deep sage green for the upper half of the walls. The two colors I've been most drawn to so far are both by Olympic Paint. I know I want Percale (a soft white) on the beadboard and trim, because we have that on the upper half of our front hallway and I love that white. But for the upper half of the walls, I'm thinking about Gooseberry or Sweet Annie.


And I found a faucet! Here it is. I know some of you won't love it, and it's not for everybody, but I wanted to do something fun with the faucet and I really like this one. I think it fits the scheme of the rest of the house, and I just love how cute it is! And the 'rustic pewter' finish is gorgeous! Also, Price Pfister makes all kinds of accessories (towel rings, TP holders, etc.) that you can buy to match it. They even have matching lighting!

Thanks again, everyone, for your continued help with this! You guys are awesome and you've already given me some good ideas!

Date: 6/29/2010 10:05:51 AM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 6/28/2010 10:39:00 PM

Author: gardengloves

Date: 6/28/2010 8:35:24 AM

Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 6/28/2010 3:46:24 AM


Author: pennquaker09



Slight TJ, but I personally believe you should never settle for less. Even if you can't afford the super expensive Ann Sacks marble mosaic, there are still ways to get a marble mosaic. If you want the custom sofa, find a way to get yourself the custom sofa or find something in your range that is similar. People work hard for their money and they shouldn't buy something unless it's going to make them happy. Lastly, everyone that works hard deserves a bit of luxury. I don't know why I believe that way, but I do. Ohh, pennquaker doesn't intend for people to get into credit card debt or commit crimes in order to renovate and decorate, lol.

Penn, I will be amazed if I get through this remodel WITHOUT committing some kind of crime! LOL!

Penn's right, for all the labor and expense, go with material you love. We saved money by doing Grecian marble on sale, the same look and feel as Carrera , but makes a world of difference. There is always something great on sale at local nurseries or home stores. Your going to do the same amount of work so put in the materials you want.

Penn and GG, you're both making a lot of sense. I know we probably won't be happy if we don't put in something we really love. Having said that though, DH and I are pretty easy to please! LOL! I did find some ceramic tile on sale at Lowe's last night that looks a lot like marble. We don't 'need' to have marble tile, but we do like the look, so we might go that route.


I know this sounds kinda crazy for a small room, but what would you guys think of a deep burgundy on the upper half of the walls (above the white beadboard)? We'd keep the beadboard, trim and ceiling all the same shade of white, with the pale ivory (almost white) marble-looking tile, so the upper wall color could really stand out. I'm torn between a deep burgundy or a deep sage green for the upper half of the walls. The two colors I've been most drawn to so far are both by Olympic Paint. I know I want Percale (a soft white) on the beadboard and trim, because we have that on the upper half of our front hallway and I love that white. But for the upper half of the walls, I'm thinking about Gooseberry or Sweet Annie.


And I found a faucet! Here it is. I know some of you won't love it, and it's not for everybody, but I wanted to do something fun with the faucet and I really like this one. I think it fits the scheme of the rest of the house, and I just love how cute it is! And the 'rustic pewter' finish is gorgeous! Also, Price Pfister makes all kinds of accessories (towel rings, TP holders, etc.) that you can buy to match it. They even have matching lighting!

Thanks again, everyone, for your continued help with this! You guys are awesome and you've already given me some good ideas!

Ok this thread is moving fast and furious, I may be behind, so please forgive, BUT, gorgeous rich colored dark walls, like the burgandy or merlot or brown you suggested with the lighter fixtures would be dramatic and really POP. My theory on bathrooms is you can go for drama , interplays of light and dark - and not worry about tying in with rest of house.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 6/30/2010 10:06:14 PM
Author: gardengloves

Ok this thread is moving fast and furious, I may be behind, so please forgive, BUT, gorgeous rich colored dark walls, like the burgandy or merlot or brown you suggested with the lighter fixtures would be dramatic and really POP. My theory on bathrooms is you can go for drama , interplays of light and dark - and not worry about tying in with rest of house.

Thanks, GG! DH and I were talking about paint last night, and I showed him the paint chips for the two burgundies I was thinking about (Old Burgundy and Merlot). He really likes the Merlot better, because he thinks the Old Burgundy is too "washed out looking." I think he has the same concerns I do about the Old Burgundy looking too pinkish, too. So I think we have a paint color! Finally!

I think you''re absolutely right about letting the bathroom be more dramatic. Actually, I''ve always loved the look of burgundy walls. I''ll see a picture in a magazine or something like that and I''m like "Wow, that''s gorgeous!" But it really is a very BOLD color, and I''ve just been too chicken to do it in our house up until now. So I''m excited about my burgundy walls! LOL!

 

[Clairitek]

I think I can finally upload my mood boards to show you what I did, but I''m not sure its useful anymore! You''re well into planning.

Have you already purchased the faucet? If not, would you consider doing a silver toned metal instead? I think if you''re going to go with burgundy, which will look really gorgeous, a reddish-toned bronzey faucet may not jive as well. Well, thats the way it is in my head and I could be totally wrong! Just something to think about.

Here is my original idea for the bathroom:

 

[Clairitek]

And the final deal:

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Clairitek, thank you! Those are very cool!

And I did already order the faucet, but the finish we got is actually called rustic pewter, which is a silver-toned finish. When we were at Lowe''s earlier this week, I had a chance to see a different faucet from the same line in the rustic pewter finish. The picture in the link I posted really doesn''t do it justice . . . it''s gorgeous in person! And I totally agree that a bronze colored metal probably wouldn''t look so great with the burgundy walls (although I do love the bronze finish faucets and I was very tempted to go with something like that)!

 

[Clairitek]

Date: 7/1/2010 12:39:12 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl
Clairitek, thank you! Those are very cool!

And I did already order the faucet, but the finish we got is actually called rustic pewter, which is a silver-toned finish. When we were at Lowe''s earlier this week, I had a chance to see a different faucet from the same line in the rustic pewter finish. The picture in the link I posted really doesn''t do it justice . . . it''s gorgeous in person! And I totally agree that a bronze colored metal probably wouldn''t look so great with the burgundy walls (although I do love the bronze finish faucets and I was very tempted to go with something like that)!

Awesome choice! Its different and I think it will match really well with the rest of your choices.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 7/1/2010 3:08:36 PM
Author: Clairitek

Date: 7/1/2010 12:39:12 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl
Clairitek, thank you! Those are very cool!

And I did already order the faucet, but the finish we got is actually called rustic pewter, which is a silver-toned finish. When we were at Lowe''s earlier this week, I had a chance to see a different faucet from the same line in the rustic pewter finish. The picture in the link I posted really doesn''t do it justice . . . it''s gorgeous in person! And I totally agree that a bronze colored metal probably wouldn''t look so great with the burgundy walls (although I do love the bronze finish faucets and I was very tempted to go with something like that)!

Awesome choice! Its different and I think it will match really well with the rest of your choices.

Thanks, Clairitek! I can''t wait for it to get here. I think it''s my favorite thing we''ve ordered for the bathroom so far!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Well, DH started demo on Wednesday night!

Here's a pic I took last night, after Day 2 of Demo:

That is the corner where the sink was. As you can see, the sink, medicine cabinet and light fixtures are now gone, along with the wall! The toilet was to the right of the sink, and it's gone too! YAY!!!

The only bad news is, when DH tried to tear down the wall where the door is (which would be behind you in the above picture), he found that he can't fully remove that fake pink and black tile junk and the underlying wall because that wall is plaster with brick underneath. (That was originally the back wall of the house, before this bathroom was added on. The other three walls were just drywall over studs.) So, he won't be able to take down the plaster on that wall and hang drywall as he had hoped to do. Instead, we're just going to take the beadboard the whole way up that wall, instead of just to chair rail level. Not what we originally wanted to do, but I think it will still look OK.

ETA: And the first of the things I ordered arrived yesterday . . . our new sink!!! We haven't taken it out of the box yet, but I'm just excited that it's here!

 

[joflier]

Could you just knock out the plaster? It''s messy, but effective. That''s what I had to do on mine.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 7/2/2010 11:53:11 AM
Author: joflier
Could you just knock out the plaster? It''s messy, but effective. That''s what I had to do on mine.

Jo, I was thinking the same thing, and that''s what I asked DH when he told me that wall is plaster over brick. I was thinking we could just take the plaster off and put drywall over the brick, or maybe even just leave the plaster and hang drywall over top of it. But he said we can''t do either of those things, and he explained to me why that won''t work, but it totally went over my head! LOL!

 

[joflier]

Date: 7/2/2010 12:05:17 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 7/2/2010 11:53:11 AM
Author: joflier
Could you just knock out the plaster? It''s messy, but effective. That''s what I had to do on mine.

Jo, I was thinking the same thing, and that''s what I asked DH when he told me that wall is plaster over brick. I was thinking we could just take the plaster off and put drywall over the brick, or maybe even just leave the plaster and hang drywall over top of it. But he said we can''t do either of those things, and he explained to me why that won''t work, but it totally went over my head! LOL!

Lol! I think you''d probably have to put studs up, because you can''t attach drywall straight to brick. I would think you could hang drywall over the plaster, but you''d need to know where the studs are behind it to fasten it. Well, there. That''s about the extent of my knowledge.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 7/2/2010 12:18:02 PM
Author: joflier

Date: 7/2/2010 12:05:17 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 7/2/2010 11:53:11 AM
Author: joflier
Could you just knock out the plaster? It''s messy, but effective. That''s what I had to do on mine.

Jo, I was thinking the same thing, and that''s what I asked DH when he told me that wall is plaster over brick. I was thinking we could just take the plaster off and put drywall over the brick, or maybe even just leave the plaster and hang drywall over top of it. But he said we can''t do either of those things, and he explained to me why that won''t work, but it totally went over my head! LOL!

Lol! I think you''d probably have to put studs up, because you can''t attach drywall straight to brick. I would think you could hang drywall over the plaster, but you''d need to know where the studs are behind it to fasten it. Well, there. That''s about the extent of my knowledge.

Ah! That kinda makes sense. I think DH wants to avoid putting studs up along that brick wall because that would make the wall thicker and take away more space from the bathroom. In fact, it might take away enough space that we would no longer have enough clearance along the side of the toilet. I''m glad you understood what he was trying to say . . . I just glazed over after about the first sentence or so! LOL!

 

[pennquaker09]

I''m so excited for you!!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 7/2/2010 2:43:59 PM
Author: pennquaker09
I''m so excited for you!!

Thanks, Penn! I''m so excited too! I can''t wait to show you guys the finished product!

 

[joflier]

Date: 7/2/2010 12:55:45 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 7/2/2010 12:18:02 PM
Author: joflier

Date: 7/2/2010 12:05:17 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 7/2/2010 11:53:11 AM
Author: joflier
Could you just knock out the plaster? It''s messy, but effective. That''s what I had to do on mine.

Jo, I was thinking the same thing, and that''s what I asked DH when he told me that wall is plaster over brick. I was thinking we could just take the plaster off and put drywall over the brick, or maybe even just leave the plaster and hang drywall over top of it. But he said we can''t do either of those things, and he explained to me why that won''t work, but it totally went over my head! LOL!

Lol! I think you''d probably have to put studs up, because you can''t attach drywall straight to brick. I would think you could hang drywall over the plaster, but you''d need to know where the studs are behind it to fasten it. Well, there. That''s about the extent of my knowledge.

Ah! That kinda makes sense. I think DH wants to avoid putting studs up along that brick wall because that would make the wall thicker and take away more space from the bathroom. In fact, it might take away enough space that we would no longer have enough clearance along the side of the toilet. I''m glad you understood what he was trying to say . . . I just glazed over after about the first sentence or so! LOL!

Yes, the studs would take away a couple inches from you, and we certainly DON''T want that!!!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 7/2/2010 3:34:09 PM
Author: joflier
Yes, the studs would take away a couple inches from you, and we certainly DON''T want that!!!

LOL! That is FOR SURE, Jo!

 

[gardengloves]

Date: 6/29/2010 2:11:08 PM
Author: Irishgrrrl

Date: 6/29/2010 1:39:21 PM

Author: pennquaker09

I love the faucet. It''s really cute.


Did you not see the marble at Home Depot? I don''t remember how much it is, but since your room is only 30 sq ft, it wouldn''t be that much.


When it comes to paint, if you''re going to purchase from Lowe''s or Home Depot, I would go with Lowe''s. Valspar is highly superior to the others. I would possibly consider the Martha Stewart paint at Home Depot, but it''s mixed in Olympic, so I dunno.

Thanks, Penn! I''m so excited about my faucet!

Regarding paint: We definitely plan to go with Olympic paint from Lowe''s, since that''s what we''ve used throughout the rest of our house and we''ve been very happy with it.

I did see some marble at both Lowe''s and HD, but honestly, I liked the look/color of the ceramic better. All of their marble was very grey/white, and the ceramic we found is more of an ivory. Also, after talking to DH, he still wants to do both the bathroom and kitchen in the same tile. So, if we do that, we''re looking at more like 250 square feet, which could get REALLY pricey if we go with marble!

Have you checked out the travertine at home depot? they run sales on that too, and it looks awesome. We did the kitchen in last house in travertine, and I had a hard time moving out of that house - it was so freaking gorgeous, and I think it helped sell the house in one day when we moved and put house on market. It comes in beige tones or pinkish- 18" tiles - I just a big fan of natural stone.