Hello Tani, Ah I thought it was for you.. You're moving aren't you? Anyway, sorry I added them right after I posted so you could see exactly what I mean.. Perhaps you can paint and paint the rail but leave the treads... That way the rails in place but you don't see it! It would though have to be in the colour of the walls to work... You could even paint the treads a completely different colour if you wanted to say blend with the floor? There are countless ways to deal with these stairs... So many options... So perhaps nothing really needed than a lick of paint (or not as you may prefer) and perhaps new treads.. Maybe though discuss with the eventual occupants as they may not like my ideas at all! : ))

I tested white porcelain with bright pink hair dye when I bought them for my kitchen and the dye just wiped off. In 7 years the white tiles have never stained. I've dropped a Le Crueset cast iron pan lid and the lid got damaged but not a mark on the tile. I've had some small chips at the edges when furniture has been moved over them but it is minimal damage and the furniture should have been lifted rather than scrapped across the floor. You can buy full bodied porcelain which where the colour of the tile is right throughout the whole tile and if you get chips, you should not see a variation in colour. I love porcelain and would not use ceramic after having it. The best place to go for it, is your local independent tile retailer, rather than the big stores like Topps and Tile Giant. Not all tilers are keen on fixing them it because they are harder to cut and drill than ceramics and they need diamond blades and bits which cost more. They are well worth the investment though.

Hi, it sounds like you really like this piece of furniture, so I say go with what you love! Obviously, it fits the wall and is a really lovely piece, and as the TV isn't sitting directly on top of it, it is probably okay. I think you need to ask yourself how much it will bother you! At the end of the day, the design comes down to you and in that you need to consider your taste as well as utility, as I am guessing you need something there to hold the cable box and accessories anyway. One thing I would say is to be careful about what you put on top, as if it gets too busy, it will draw attention to the difference.

Have you got an image of the basin and unit?