she also did not include any storage space in the new bathroom. we moved out the house soon enough that it wasn’t n issue. but when my uncle moved in he built a cabinet that provides storage and fits over the steam radiator. a 2-for!

We just purchased a 1942 Cape Cod. We took down the bumpy beige 4″ x 4″ counter and backsplash tiles that the previous owner applied to “upgrade” the house and replaced the backsplash with 2″ x 6″ glazed white subway tile. It looks great. We put it in our new half bath and one section looks fine. In the other section, we found that the “white” is actually various shades of white - white with pinkish, blueish, and greenish looks - kind of like the variation you would see in color samples of various white paint. The contractor has had the tile man put it up twice, and we are going this morning to lay the tile out on the LR floor and pull out the “off colored” tiles before tile is applied for the 3rd time. We had hoped to repeaat this tile in the laundry room, master bath, and upstairs 3/4 bath, but don’t think that we or the contractor want to go through this again.

We were able to find 1″ hex tile and have put that in the new breakfast room and half bath because we have enjoyed living with it. My housekeeping standards may be a little lower and I don’t wear my glasses while home, so I’m oblivious to the daily pet hair issue. I may buy one of the new Flylady floor dusters with removable and cleanable microfiber cloths.

For storage, both in the master and 3/4 baths, we have been planning on finding and using wardrobe type pieces with shelves for towels, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. We are going to use a fabric skirt and 2 short rolling carts under the vanity counter in the half bath, rather than using a cabinet with drawers.

Those Metro shelves are great. We have used and reused them in many places.

I sympathize with everyone’s tile/grout issues. My kitchen counter is tiny six-sided tiles with white grout that has never been clean. We are trying to figure out what to replace it with (not being the granite counter top/stainless steel appliances kind of people). Any ideas?

Good idea on boxes you can reuse elsewhere.

I can’t see the entire bathroom but would a furniture piece have worked in there-maybe something with drawers?

Also, when I had my house a few years back, we had a 3/4 bath with a shower but no real place to store towels. I used a pretty three drawer decorative chest in my living room (it was located near the 3/4 bath) and stored my towels in the drawers. You just grabbed one before you went in there and it kept the vanity under the sink free for toiletries.

http://freshome.com/2008/03/03.....apartment/

And ditto about the white floors/surfaces/grout. We have an all-white kitchen (OK, they used green floor tile but with WHITE grout) and I constantly think that it was not designed by anyone who ever cooked (i.e. made a mess) in a kitchen.

I do like the wire shelving. It is neat, minimalist, and adaptable.

We found shelves at IKEA that have worked beautifully! I don’t have the name but they hang on the wall, they are three cubes in a row with doors on them (corner notched out to make a place to open). The display had these hanging horizontally - three across - but we hung two side by side vertically. They don’t stick out from the wall past the toilet tank and they hold all the personal supplies that are now out of our linen closet. They have an oak finish that matches our wood trim.