The Home Improvement Thread

I am not a fan of the light fixtures and I don’t like vessel sinks. Don’t like the boxy front exterior either, but there are many things to like about this house, especially the view.

^^Note that the view photos were taken in winter when the trees are bare. :slight_smile: The Chinese buyers complain that the views were not as advertised. Duh… they bought the houses sight unseen.

I agree that the exterior is butt ugly.

I cannot believe that the Chinese buyers are suing, although loss of expected view is a big deal where I live. I think the only thing the realtor could be liable for is not disclosing the potential loss of view during different seasons.

Although the house is not my style, the finishes are expensive. The builder did not go cheap on a lot of things

There are a couple of interesting things if you look close at the details. All of the switches and outlets are very high tech and interesting. I don’t really notice these types of things, but I do notice if switches are old and dingy. I like nice clean white rocker switches.

Also, there are wall mounted heater and AC units. The house doesn’t have central heat? Or maybe they are new units that control rooms separately for energy savings.

Gads, I love most of that house!. Just my style. There are things that I cannot figure out.
Where is the microwave? ( have been in two homes very similar and neither had a place for the
microwave!). I think that is a convection oven above the regular oven?

WHY would you have a glass panel where the Master Toilet is???
Also, why aren’t there decks off of the Master bedroom and others?

The price tag is crazy. The exterior needs some really great landscaping.
The orange furniture is scary.

Like the floor plan a lot. Like the geometric of it completely.

Back to the topic, has anyone ordered lights online? We need to upgrade or update almost all of our lights. We went cheap when we built in the 90’s and it is time for the bright brass to go away!

Love the very modern house BB linked.

I just did both baths last spring and I didn’t put medicine cabinet in either one. Big bath got a custom made frameless mirror and powder room (after almost buying $400 mirror w/hammered copper frame) has a lovely mirror with light wood frame I got at Marshall’s for $20. TBH, if copper framed mirror was just a tad smaller I wouid have bought it, but it was going to be a very very tight fit.

I put my meds in top drawer in vanity. H has another drawer on his side for meds. I went with a large (32”) undercount trough sink with two faucets - because I hate look of two sinks.

If anyone is thinking about a master suite remodel, I highly recommend adding a gas fireplace. So cozy and charming and at the same time functional. :slight_smile:

@Onward - we got some fixtures sight unseen from Build (online) and supplemented with local store clearance finds and special orders.

I buy lights online a lot. However, I am the proud owner of several large light fixtures that I installed in projects (cutting wire) and then hated. Pulled them out and they are stacked in the garage waiting for another project.

The key is to make sure they are easily returnable and that you pay careful attention to the size in the specifications, especially for chandeliers and sconces. You want to make sure the sconce base fits where it is going to be installed. For example, if buying sconces for a bathroom make sure the wall base isn’t too wide to fit your existing wire location and you can still get a decent size mirror above the sink. Been there, done that. Always having to get electrician to move the wiring left/right or up or down (depending on whether I purchased upward or downward lights).

If you cannot visualize sizing for a chandelier make a piece of cardboard about the right size width and height and hold it up in the space. A lot of people go too small with their fixtures. Bigger is better because lighting is a key feature in the room, especially dining rooms. These problems happen even if you buy at a local store, just easier to return.

My same thoughts though I think our expectations are in opposite directions.

I do like recessed medicine cabinets with mirrors inside the doors as well, that way if you place the hinges correctly you can see the back of your head with 2 doors open which is very helpful when styling your hair.

Styling hair? What is that? :wink: JK. My morning routine is simple: brush and go. But I do own a flat iron and a hair dryer for those days when I have to waste my time on hair. :slight_smile:

CB has a lot of good recommendations for fixture selections. Look for PDF files with specs and install instructions. Some websites post them, and I used them to determine whether the future base would fit over the existing footprint without the need to do any tough up painting.

I have pendant lights from Restoration Hardware.

Most brick and mortar specialty lighting stores will charge a 10-25% restocking fee on fixtures that they don’t sell in large volumes, so always ask about their return policies!

OT - for folks who are interested why the Chinese buyers of that modern house I linked are suing their realtor:

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/lawsuit-eastside-realtor-and-developer-conspired-to-inflate-home-prices-for-foreign-buyers/

The comments are interesting - no sympathy for either side. Greedy realtor v. buyers that did not walk the land before signing the contract.

One thing that struck me with that house is that they have lights along the toe kick space in the kitchen. I guess no crumbs are allowed to fall to the floor and be illuminated!

I agree with BB about the gas heater. We have one in an old fireplace and it cranks out the heat. So much more than a similar size electric one we have somewhere else. Not cheap though.

They may act as night light.
I installed lights underneath my floating bathroom vanity as nightlights.

@coralbrook - Thank you so much! I will keep all that in mind.

The sconces I have in my big bath have night light built into them. They are a beautiful blue color. I love them.

Emily - can you post what they are? We are looking for new lights for the master bath.