text: My bathroom is a very tiny 1930s bathroom and it's going to stay very tiny. But I am re-doing it and would like to put in a cabinet sink with storage, but everything I find that I like is too big. A friend said to look for a piece of vintage furniture that can be fitted for sink--like an old washstand or side table. Have you ever done this? Is it difficult?
  I have never done it, but have seen it done and think this could be a great fit for your 1930's bathroom. It brings in a bit of old world nostalgia. The typical height for a bathroom vanity is 34"-36" so I would look for pieces around that height and be sure you coordinate with your contractor on sizing before you purchase.
  The size of the bathroom is definitely a consideration but you can use large and small format tiles in the same bathroom. Shower floors need small tiles for the slip factor and I love large format on walls and main floor areas
  How do you choose a bathtub? What are the benefits of a freestanding tub vs. a built-in? I love freestanding tubs but I always worry about the potential mess!
  If you have the space for a freestanding tub, I think it's a beautiful look and far outweighs a little water on the floor :-)
  I'm about to redo my small (7 x 12) bathroom, replacing the old tub with a walk-in shower. It's a mid-fifties house. I keep coming back to tiling the enclosure with subway tiles. Do you have any suggestions for something more original?
  Hi and thank you for the question. Subway tile is always timeless but I hear you on the originality factor. I would try Cle Tile and Waterworks as sources, both have beautiful options that are a little more stylized. Good luck!
  I realize this is off topic, but thank you for the article on maximism. I have a house full of objects and textiles that I love and celebrate. I'm glad to see my style aesthetic finally getting some love.
  Thank you so much for the comment! I am happy that you love your home and your objects - that is what it is all about!
  Do you tend to opt for certain finish options time and time again? I know there are a lot of trend-driven fixture finishes like black chrome that are en vogue at the moment, but I'm worried that will eventually date my bathroom.
  wonderful question! It is hard sometimes to be on trend and timeless at the same time. My advice is to go for what your love. A well thought out metal finish throughout the bathroom can really elevate the look. Just be sure to go for it all the way, all plumbing fixtures, hardware and accessories in the same finish.
  There is a simple mirrored medicine cabinet over my sink. How difficult is it to replace the mirror part with something that has a frame while keeping the storage behind it? I see a lot of YouTubers hanging a normal / flat mirror in a bathroom above the sink, but I really need the storage so that's not an option for me.
  Storage is essential in a bathroom to avoid clutter for sure. I would recommend simply replacing the entire medicine cabinet with something you love. Restoration Hardware has a variety of options. Happy hunting!
  I am 66, live alone in a small single story, with one very small full bathroom. (And a powder room in the unfinished basement). I would like to get rid of the bathtub and have just a large shower. A lot of the houses in my area sell to seniors, or young singles and couples. In fact, I myself downsized to this house. At one time, in the 1950's, these were considered family homes, but families want bigger houses now. I plan to live here at least 10 more years. Please, give me permission to have a house with no bathtub.
  Hello and thank you for your question. I not only give you permission to not have a bathtub but in fact, this is a trending design choice. There is a growing consensus that bathtubs are passe.
  My husband and I bought a 50yo condo here in Seattle last year and we expect to live in it for 5-10 yrs before reselling. The bathrooms are cramped and dated (think dark wood and harvest-gold tile). We don't have a huge remodel budget, nor do we have much space to play with, but we are trying to think creatively about what will a) make our experience more pleasant, and b) be worthwhile for resale. Our master bath has a weird layout with just a single vanity, standing shower, and the bedroom closets. (Only way to expand the footprint would be to sacrifice a closet.) Our guest bath is a tiny galley, but I don't want to get rid of the tub - hot baths are what get me through the Seattle winters. If it were your house, where would you focus your energies? What's worth splurging on and what's not? (Wall-mounted toilets, vanities? Shower-to-tub conversion? Putting a double vanity in the master closet and trying to build closet space elsewhere?) My husband worries that we'll spend a lot of money and end up with something that doesn't feel that much improved. What's the best bang for our buck?
  Hello and thank you for your question. If you are viewing this as an investment, keep everything white and fresh and don't get too decorative. I do think that people look for a double vanity in the master bathroom so that would be a great investment. I would not suggest wall mounted toilets as they are very specific and not for everyone. Good luck!
  I've got to run now but that was great fun! Thank you everyone for your questions and for joining us. And of course a HUGE thank you to Jura and the Washington Post for having me! Have a blessed day everyone!
  I love that Daun has given us all permission to dump our bath tubs. This chat is full of great tips so it will be one to refer back to. Thanks a lot for being here Daun. Next week Robin Wilson will be here to talk about wellness and health in your design choices. A really great topic and you can post your questions right here now.
  Jura Koncius is a Washington Post staff writer who specializes in home and design. Read her daily Twitter feed @jurakoncius for the latest in decorating trends, shopping, decluttering and organizing.
  
  The team from The Switch discussed everything from the latest political tech news to the gadgets you’re eyeing.
  I mean, I guess I am. I honestly had forgotten all about that movie before this week, but now I definitely want to know if it was really worth the fuss.
  The funny thing for me is that there have been two significant bumps in Google trends related to "The Interview" and both involve North Korea: First when they spoke out against it this summer, and now with the speculation around the Sony Pictures hack.
  Do you think that Google with reinvest the engineering firm in a neighboring country? What do you predict their next steps would be?
  So, Google hasn't said anything about its plans -- including, really, even confirming that they're pulling out of Russia -- so it's hard to forecast exactly where that will go.
  I do think that it's an interesting move though, in the context of what will happen if the Internet becomes less global.
  As Nancy pointed out last week, laws around the world are encroaching on Internet freedom, and this could easily be a sign of how businesses will react.
  Without getting into the specifics of the Russia case -- I'll be honest, I haven't had a chance to dig into it yet -- but Google is finding itself running into some global trouble that it is going to have to contend with. You may have heard that it is shuttering Google News in Spain over that country's new copyright law. The fascinating thing there is that it's finding itself having to relitigate what I just decided this morning to call "the right to snippet." One might have thought that 13 years into Google News' existence, that issue would be settled, but it isn't.
  More simply put, Google is facing some pretty clear existential threats. That's fascinating to watch, though probably far less fascinating to experience from where they're sitting.
  I can't remember if I brought this up before, but is anyone here watching Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? I just started and can't tear myself away.
  I appreciate the mixture of monster of the week and ongoing plot points that are carrying Gotham so far -- and it's nice to watch them delve into the back stories of familiar villains. (Ed Nigma is one of my favorites.)
  Plus, young Bruce Wayne is super weird and Alfred has a bizarre amount of combat training for a butler.
  Re: Alfred, I seem to remember Michael Caine saying that, when he was prepping for his role as Alfred, that he gave him a backstory where he'd been in the British Special Air Service to explain his general awesomeness and combat ability.
  Re "Agents," I like that they've moved away from the monster of the week thing to focus more on the long game. Makes it a lot more like the shows you see on HBO, Showtime, etc.
  Do you remember that German publisher that played chicken with Google? They wanted Google to pay them for their headlines and so Google just stopped including them in Google News. This publisher later ended up on their knees with their tail between their legs after their web sites' traffic (and thus, ad click-through rates) plummeted and they had to beg Google to have them back. Spain should take heed of that...
  Another really interesting wrinkle: there will be data! Spanish newspaper editors will have the Web traffic numbers pretty quickly to know if they're suffering from the absence of Google News. Not that they'd share that with the rest of us, necessarily, but Google is pretty much forcing them to contend with the cold, hard numbers that will result from their choices.
  I don't watch either either. I'm like Hayley, I binge watch stuff. My work/activity schedule makes it hard to have appointment viewing. The only thing I currently watch on TV consistently is Star Wars Rebels...but it's in reruns with its holiday hiatus. And football. I can't look away from the mess that is Washington football, and I'm not even a fan!
  I think the most interesting thing about Agents of Shield is it's relationship with the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some of its best episodes were reactions to events from the movies, particularly Captain America 2. This season they are introducing things that seem like they will have a significant impact on the movies, and it pushes the show, and movies in fun and interesting directions.
  I read somewhere that this is all part of Marvel's effort to blur the line between TV and cinema — they've already got a ton of movies lined up for the next few years that hook into this universe and are endlessly self-referential. Kind of fitting with the state of our culture, no?
  Hm. Now that I could get into, and it's smart cross-channel media strategy. Of course, that would also mean I'd have to go to the movies more often.
  Hi All, with the bill the house passed, what can we predict will happen with the planned handoff of ICANN oversight in 2015?
  As I understand it, the handoff would be delayed past that timeframe. Doesn't mean it won't happen; it'll just take longer because of — you guessed it — politics.