<p>We do have a lot of brass- but they are in a box in the garage & they are vintage fittings we got from my great aunts house- from her first husband who was a foreman at one of the Lake Union Shipyards, ( and who “commissioned” work on his house in Leschi- teak cabinets and counters in the kitchen- it looks like a boat)</p>
<p>We have a 1900 house, and the interior doorknobs are painted ( bronze I think).</p>
<p>White appliances and sinks- we originally did it because it was cheapest- but I like the white now.</p>
<p>“Our builder was unsure about our exterior color choice. “Are you sure you want it so bright?” Darn right we were! When I pull into my driveway with my windshield wipers going full speed, the last thing I want is to be greeted by my dark, gloomy, brown house. After almost twelve years, we still like the color choice. If I ever have to repaint, I’ll go with the same color.”</p>
<p>I agree 100%!!! We live in a neighborhood of mostly beige, tan, and shades of bownish-pink houses. When we moved in I couldn’t wait to paint our house, which was a pinky-taupe. Everybody tried to discourage me from going green, it is a hard color to get right. But my house is now palm frond green with cream trim and I love it! When come around the corner and see it, I still smile.</p>
<p>Our house has stained wood trim. We built it in the early 1990’s, and we figured we could always paint over stain, but we couldn’t stain over paint. Now I wish I had gone with painted woodwork. Stained is very dated, and I’ve always thought white woodwork was brighter and cleaner looking. I’d change it, but H likes the stain, and I know this isn’t something that can just be done in one room - once I start, I’ll have to do the whole house. It will take forever, people have warned me it’s really hard and takes many coats. At the moment that’s the project I plan to take on when D heads to college in the fall. We’ll see if I actually do it.</p>
<p>what kind of wood is the trim?
Paint would be a PITA to change if you change your mind- have you tried sanding it to see what the wood looks like?<br>
Maybe they would look ok with a oil or clear finish.</p>
<p>I do like paint though.
My H built me kitchen cabinet doors that are maple and he laboriously verathaned them- even though I insisted I wanted basic doors with painted trim.
I still wish I had the painted ones.</p>
<p>The trim is oak or pine, I’m not sure, but it’s stained with a medium “colonial” color stain with a low sheen.</p>
<p>I want white - bright glossy white that is easy to clean. We had it in our condo - that’s probably why we didn’t put it in this house, because we were so eager to get out of the condo that we were eager for anything that was different from what we had!</p>
<p>I think what is “in” is a more contemporary interpretation of whatever you are doing. Less clutter and stuff. Stripped down interiors. Mixing traditional and modern elements. Whatever the style, it can be tweaked to look more current. With color, pattern, and texture updates, it is rarely necessary to gut everything you have. For example, ubiquitous subway tiles can be transformed with an interesting grout color.</p>
<p>My sister felt the same way as you so when her H was away on a fishing trip she decided to paint the woodwork in just ONE of the kids old bedrooms. She even painted the inside of the door. She is very glad she did it and considers the room her private haven, but says there is no way she would tackle the whole house.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry. I saw a show on HGTV where the house was 3 years old, and the buyers said it was outdated. I wonder what they would think of my 80 year old beauty?Back then, kitchens were small because no entertaining went on there, but I have a large living room and dining room. Different sensibilities. My personal feeling is that you should be true to the house. No Victorian is going to feel right with a starkly modern anything. Also, worry about what pleases you. You are the one who is paying, and you should be the one to enjoy it, unless you are just fixing up to sell.</p>
<p>I’m only of average height, but LOVE the showerhead in our bathroom which is much higher than average. I hate the vinyl wood floor look. I don’t really like any of the floor options for kitchens. (Have a too slippery tile now, had vinyl flooring in another house, my Mom has the fake wood, and used to have real wood that got worn in front of the stove and sink in no time at all.) I’m leaning to cork which one of my brothers has.</p>
<p>I’m probably going to go with white painted cabinets similar to what would have come with our house. (1924 colonial).</p>
<p>I like the look of vessel sinks, but would never have one anywhere but a powder room.</p>
<p>Lafalum, our old house had stained woodwork downstairs (oak) and painted upstairs (pine). It was built in 1914, so I think that’s a pretty authentic look.</p>
<p>The Richilite looks similar to Paperstone which I love. I really need to do my kitchen - the kitchen counter tops are the color known in 18thc France as caca d’oie and are formica and chipped. Truly hideous.</p>
<p>I honesty don’t care what’s IN…I care what I like. BUT I also don’t want my house to scream a certain year. We are replacing wood trim (yes they SCREAM 1995) with quartz. However we are NOT getting stainless steel appliances which scream 2010. We are getting plain old white because we LIKE plain old white. Our lights have a brass trim but our furnishings are all antiques with brass trim. It goes together. Ditto the stained custom moldings we have…we love them…reminds us of an “old” house (and yes I know some old houses have painted trim). Replacing the mirror in our bathrooom would be a headache and the NEXT homeowner can do that. </p>
<p>Re: vessel sinks…honestly I don’t like the look. Re: colors…our house is colors we like…and nothing to vibrant.</p>
<p>What’s IN that we WOULD like…we’d love to put solar panels our roof…and I really would LOVE to replace our jacuzzi with a deep large soaking tub. </p>
<p>OUr house is well over 100 years old and we did blow out some walls…but no “great room” or “kitchen opening into great room.” I’m OK. So many houses look the same inside these days. Every once in a great while I get jealous of a friend who has one of those gigantic kithens and rooms the kids are in and you hear or see them. I like my mosh pit. Emerald, my husband also collects “stuff” so we have all different door knobs. Some that are glass, some that are brass, some that are smooth, some that have embossed patterns. Ceiling heights and angles all over the place. Its a definite mutt of a house that at times felt like it would explode at the seams when all three boys were in with all with friends and all tall, big, boys… but we’d never leave it. I do like vessel sinks but our guest bath has a pedestal and I think it would feel to crowded to put a cabinet in to hold a vessel sink.</p>
<p>I agree to go w/ what you like regardless of what’s in if you are going to stay in the house. However, my appliances are getting old (replaced them several years after we moved into our 1915 house 20 yrs ago), and I do not want to replace them w/ stainless at the tail end of that trend. I would like to put in the new trend, so that when we try to sell in a few years (my plan, not necessarily H’s), we are not “soooo 2009-10.”</p>
<p>That’s why I’m going with white appliances…even when they made harvest gold, avocado, almond, black and stainless…they also STILL made white. AT least I know that if ONE thing breaks, I’ll be able replace it with something that matches everything else.</p>
<p>We just put in a soaking tub. It IS quite a bit deeper. And ours is 6 feet so you can stretch out. Love it. I use mineral salts - which you can’t really use in a jacuzzi. And I don’t trust those jets…although I’m sure there is a way to keep them clean with regular maintenance. </p>
<p>Also am throwing out that wall mirror in our bathroom and replacing it with two black framed mirrors. Went with a light dull green paint…neutral beige tiles. Will add plants. A bamboo shade. Want it to look (and feel) like a spa! Hate those vessel sinks! </p>
<p>I agree that you go with what you’re comfortable with…as long as it’s not too wild. Our homes are our sanctuaries… we need to feel good in them.</p>
<p>A couple years ago we finished our basement and went with a cleaner European look. (main floors are a unique blend of Arts/Crafts and traditional) Anyway in the basement bathroom I HAD to have this really trendy sink I saw in a magazine. It is about the size and depth of a 9x13 cake pan. I love the look, but because it is so shallow we had to turn the faucet down to a trickle or the user would get soaked. I got fooled by the look!</p>