skyesong's Profile

If it were my space (and how I wish I had this kind of space!) - wood counter (love stone counters, but I think marble or granite could still read "bathroom"), sweet pendant light, framed mirrors, and either paint or paper a pretty pattern on the walls to set it apart. Not sure it would make sense with that doorway to the right, but one of those small wire chairs with the tufted seat cushion could look really cute. If no chair, then a fabric skirt for the counter to provide some hidden storage underneath.

Basic quarter-round trim is very affordable and will help make the edge of the floor look a little more finished. You can even use trim creatively on the wall to add some 3D texture. If you want actual baseboard, sometimes Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores or other salvage places will have pieces of baseboard left over from construction sites - worth a look since you wouldn't need very much.

My LG fridge is great - and was only $1100 from Home Depot. It's a energy-star french door fridge with a bottom freezer drawer (not a bottom door - why do those exist?) And no water/ice in the door, though it does have an ice maker in the freezer that we don't use. It's 30" wide, and 19.7cu.ft. capacity, so among the smaller of the "nice" fridges. I was looking for and hoping to buy an energy-star-qualified basic smaller fridge for our rental unit downstairs, but none of the basic models had energy star ratings. At least then (~2 years ago).

Just wanted to give another shout-out for Somerville. I've been living here for 7 years now (1 in Teele Sq., 5 in Union Sq., and now in Winter Hill). Nora Rocket's list of neighborhoods is a great one to consider.
In addition to the public transportation consideration, also consider if you want to commute by bike. Completely possible, even into downtown Boston from one of the "over the river" towns. Somerville, Cambridge, and Arlington have good dedicated bike/walk paths. Jamaica Plain, from what I hear, also has a great path.
Lastly, I'll echo twnt1andcounting and say stay away from the B branch of the green line unless you want to frequently be squished on a train with a car full of drunk BU undergrads. Also, any branch of the green line is bad on a Red Sox game day.

I agree with either the beadboard or pressed tin to cover the orange tile. And then plain black porcelain knobs can help un-countrify the cabinets at least a little bit. The granite is a really unfortunate color/pattern. The oilcloth comment was interesting, but I don't know if that would be an improvement. One idea I found is big floor tiles in a basic color with a layer of felt to protect the original counter. The weight of the big tiles will keep them in place. And then some kind of tape or ribbon around the exposed granite edge. Or, since they're easier to cut to fit, mosaic tiles that come in sheets - B&W hex could be fun, if unusual as a counter surface. Mind the gaps though - I wouldn't want to have to clean stuff out of ungrouted hex tile. Since it's impermanent, maybe caulk instead of grout? Tilers, could that work?