tandemcha, I've seen the desk on Williams-Sonoma and the shelf on Room & Board. Your file cabinet redo looks nice, Bronwynsmom. Bee, was shopping locally for fast and inexpensive not an option? Or ordering ready-to-ship online? The experience alone would be worth a bit of hassle working with a non-dream client. A happy client is a recommendation to X friends, family, coworkers, etc. Bigger and better things. It's one thing to decorate for ourselves, and quite another to do it for someone else. Homes are such a personal thing, and maybe even more so for people that can't decorate or visual on their own. Then you add money to the mix and it become more complicated. Have you considered taking a few interior design classes or enroll in a credible ID course to earn a degree? All classes/courses are not equal, but even FIDM and AAU offer online classes. You would fulfill your dream, plus look at the knowledge gained.

Ottertail, Do you love the border and is it something that will add to your enjoyment? I think you home is your castle and it should be decorated for you and your family's enjoyment. Here's my own "It's Out of Style" faux pas: My DH and I recently built and moved into a new home. I used brass for my door hardware (balwin brass), my kitchen hardware and my lamps (vintage stiffel)/lighting (waterford). I love the warmth of brass (not the yellow, shinny, fake stuff) and I love how it fits in with my tradtional decor. Now, I'm sure there are some who would walk in my home and say to themselves (and a few even out loud), "Why did she put out of style brass in her new house?" While others would say, "I love that you went with the brass" and would admire me for going with what I like. My friends like me for who I am and appreciate the fact I beat to my own drum. Bottom line, brass is what was right for me and my family. Add the border! Get on the bandwagon! Start decorating to your own beat! P.S. I used chrome fixtures in my bathrooms:-0 They look perfect with my silver vanity pieces, but that's another story for another post.

I realized I never updated you all on what we went with! We got a peel and stick fake tile and love it. It's still holding up so well after 2 years, and everyone who comes over has to touch it to believe it isn't glass. I know fake stuff like this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it's a nice pop of color in our kitchen until we can afford to upgrade the whole thing. This was the one we got: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B077H4M3X6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WUHiFbKCQ89B8

My daughter's came from TARGET!!! She is a huge DIY'r and had planned to cut a terrazzo pattern with her Cricut machine. She came across these offered by Target in the exact colors she wanted--sooo much easier than the original plan. It took HOURS because each piece is individually placed--so no seams. Again the longevity/quality has yet to be tested as it is only a month old. Never heard of wall paper liner. That would have come in handy back in the day after HOURS of scraping my mom's sand paper texture and it still bled through our wall paper job. I was wondering if there were a sealer/poly that daughter should now apply that would help it all stay put?