Monthly Archives: August 2010

Modern Shower Design Basics

Posted on by
Reply

You’re ready to embark on a bathroom renovation, and specifically of your shower. However, the standard ceramic tiles and brass fixtures just won’t cut it for you: you want a modern shower design right out of the pages of a sleek home magazine.

Walls

Ceramic tiles aren’t the be all, end all for walls in modern shower design. Sure, they’re affordable, but they really aren’t anything special. Think outside of the box and find wall coverings that are as unique as your style is. Consider natural stones like slate, which add warmth and texture to your bath. A little above your budget? How about save and do something good for the environment all at once. Try recycled glass tiles. They come in a wide range of colors and depending on how you lay them, they can make your shower look spa-like with a soft palette or even club-like with intense colors.

Fixtures

Bathrooms require a lot of metal. You need hardware for your sink and especially for your shower area. Besides a shower head, you may need a diverter, faucet and hot and cold knobs. These should all match, featuring the same finish material. If you want to look modern, consider shower fixtures with brushed nickel or chrome finishes. Shinier finishes show water marks easier, but it’s really a matter of preference.

Finishing Details

Finally, you need those special details to make your modern shower design look complete. Add a soft, fluffy white rug to step out onto as well as a stack of neatly folded white towels near your shower door. Don’t bother with the gallons of bubble bath and cute guest soaps. Pour your toiletries into uniform metal or clear pump containers. Avoid cluttering the interior of your shower by installing dedicated shelves and racks so each thing has its right place.

Having a modern shower is about having the right attitude: you are aware of good design, but you don’t push it to the point that you are trying too hard.

Red Curtains Will Add Color to Home Decor

Posted on by
Reply

When decorating the home, different window dressings can change the entire look of a room. Color can make a room visually pop, and red curtains will add a flash of color to the general decor.

Decorative window treatments, depending on how fancy and colorful, can add style and elegance to a room that may otherwise be drab. If the furnishings, floors and walls are in neutral colors, vibrant colored curtains at the windows will add a little bit of zing to the room that would be missing with muted treatments. In a neutrally decorated area, neutral curtains will just blend in with the rest of the room. While this can be desirable in certain settings, if one wants to add a lively flare to the room, a spot of intense color is a great way to go. Vivid colors will stand out and add vibrancy to most any room. If the room is already decorated in bold colors, then vibrant shades of red window curtains can add more color by complementing the decor of the room.

Treatments can be basic or elaborate. Individual panels may extend to the floor for an elegant look. Or they may be the length of the window for a simpler, everyday design. Treatments may also be of a solid color or may consist of several different colors or patterns, all of which may be in complementary shades to the overall color scheme of the room.

For a different effect, drapes may be chosen that will be a contrast to the general decor but will not clash unpleasantly with any colors being used. Solid red kitchen curtains would be a beautiful contrast to dark wood cabinets and dark countertops. The flooring may be light or dark, depending on personal preference.

There are different variations that may be used to dress up not only the windows in a room, but the room itself. A little bit of experimentation will bring up some wonderful ideas for using the color red to accentuate a room.

Choosing the Right Vanity Units for your Bathroom

Posted on by
Reply

If you are planning to remodel your bathroom, you want to factor in those elements that you absolutely need, and then you may want to concentrate on the aesthetics such as vanity units for bathroom renos that enhance the appeal of the room. The vanity serves practical uses as well, such as extra storage space and functionality.

Fairmont Palliser Hotel, Calgary 2010
Creative Commons License photo credit: Gord McKenna

When you are choosing a vanity for the bathroom, you may want to consider how much space you have to work with. Some bathrooms have fixtures for a double sink or two separate sinks available. If the space you are working with is small, you may only have room for a single vanity sink to be put in. You need to consider the size of bathroom before you make your purchase and have precise measurements of the length and height available to you when shopping so you choose just the right unit for you needs.

When it comes to storage you want a vanity unit that has the capacity to handle either large storage needs or small ones depending on what you need it for. Also, some vanities come with drawers where you can place your personal care items hidden from view instead of placed on top of the vanity counter space.

The design you choose for your bathroom vanity can range from simple wood to a more modern high-tech design. It all depends on what your taste and style may be and the overall décor for the bathroom. You want your vanity to complement your surroundings or stand out as a showpiece that attracts attention away from less desirable elements. If you are remodeling your entire bathroom, choosing the perfect vanity can go a long way in creating the right environment for you.

When you have given consideration to storage space, size, and style of vanity, you will also want to choose colors that appeal to your sense of beauty. You can choose neutral tones or something with a little extra flair that adds an element of excitement as well as beauty. When choosing colors make sure that they compliment the room decor as this can add a certain element of style in itself.

Having a bathroom that adds a sense of peace and elegance to your home will create more than additional value, it will create a space where you can relax and unwind and enjoy the beauty of your home in your private time. Your home should be a place of beauty that you can enjoy for years to come and your guests will also appreciate your efforts.

The Beneficial Advantages of Floor Cushions in General

Posted on by
Reply

Store-bought floor cushions are available in designs, shapes, styles, and colors imaginable. Their manufacturers know exactly what the public wants, mostly because they themselves or their product experts have actually tried out their own cushions before releasing them for selling. Basically, these cushions have three general purposes: functional, therapeutic, and decorative.

Makeshift temple
Creative Commons License photo credit: San Sharma

Most especially if there are very small kids in the house, these cushions spread on the entire floor of the nursery, bedroom, or den, protect these wobbly children whether at play or practicing how to walk. Aside from those, these very soft and comfortable floor coverings may also be slept on during day nap time. Since many models usually use non-toxic materials, these are so safe. For babies’ use, it is highly suggested not to forget to let them wear their disposable nappies, as these cushions are usually made of fabric. And, because these cushions come in many sizes and shapes, there is one to be just right for any room. People can always resort to have these custom-made so they can get the exact features they need.

Whether big or small, stackable or not, the mentioned cushions serve therapeutic benefits. Thus, they can be seen in doctors’, therapists’, and counselors’ clinics wherein young and old patients are sometimes supposed to sit or lie down on the floor. With cushions, the floors are cozy as well as appealing to the eyes. The overall elegant or fashionable and colorful look brightens up the entire clinic or therapy room, enticing many patients to cooperate with their doctors. Around the house, these cushions provide the same therapeutic effects.

Ready-made cushions in department stores, home improvement or accessories centers, and online, are in various colorful, pleasing styles and designs. To be able to successfully complement a room’s theme, it is wise to look around first before acquiring the perfect kind. If preferred, having custom-made ones is possible. Definitely, any type or kind of such cushions will bring utmost contentment to homemakers, office workers, health professionals – to anybody, actually. Even very small children who are not yet of the said ‘age of reason’ are noted to have squealed with delight when stepping and playing on these floor cushions.

Wire Closet Organizers for Versatility

Posted on by
Reply

Wire closet organizers are probably the most widely available and popular and for good reason. It doesn’t matter what size closet or space that you are creating an organizer for, you can find wire closet organizers in all different sizes and configurations. They are so versatile and durable that you can put them everywhere. Not just closets but you can use them as basement organizers and in garages too because they are so strong. They can be out into pantries that hold a lot of heavy items, you can even keep tools in them.

One good thing about wire closet organizers is that they are perfect for people who rent their home. You can install it with no permanent damage to the walls and you can take it with you when you leave. This makes them great for people who move often as well. Military personnel, students and people who enjoy moving around can take them when they go. This alone can save you a lot of cost and stress in the long run.

If you are on a budget, then it is definitely the right choice. They cost a lot less than wooden closet organizers.

They are easy to construct, it takes just a couple of hand tools to put one together and they look good when they are completed. Wire closet organizers can be installed in a very short amount of time which simplifies the process of creating storage. There is no heavy construction involved, anyone can put them together and this keeps landlords a lot happier.

One of the things that make wire closet organizers so versatile is that they are easy to disassemble and subsequently reassemble. The benefit of this is that if you decide to move your closet organizer to a different closet, it is easy to do so. In addition, as already mentioned, if you move homes you can take your wire closet organizer with you without any difficulty.

If you are a home owner, you first choice might be to install a traditional wooden closet organizer. However, if you think there may ever come a time when you would need to change your closet around or possibly even move your closet organizer to another closet, a wire closet organizer may be the best choice for you too.

Add Flair to your Bedroom with Purple Area Rugs

Posted on by
Reply

If you are on the lookout for a technique to add further flair to your own bedroom, the best answer could be purple area rugs. Take note that these rugs are good additions to your home. For one, there are numerous designs and styles to choose from. Plus, there are a slew of purple shades available for your ready use. Do note that since there are numerous ways to have your room decorated using these rugs, you might need professional design help in order to decide the best selection that would suit your room the most.

One important thing to consider when selecting a bedroom rug is the specific shape you want the purple rug to be. There are numerous shapes to select from, these include rectangle, oval and circle. Another factor to consider is the rug’s design. There are many designs available. These include stripes, polka dots and solid strong patterns. Be aware that such designs will provide you the opportunity  to show your specific personality. These are very much important since such factors help determine the look of your room as well as your personal style and design preference.

When you are in the process of figuring out the area rug which will suit your bedroom best, do ensure that you think of all of these factors through when making a critical decision. Make sure to question your motivations as to the rugs which will provide your room with the best appearance and which are those you will eventually feel tired looking at on the long term.

If you properly consider all of these, you might be able to select the proper rugs which will better your room’s ambiance. With purple area rugs, you will instantly have a good-looking and comfy room in no time at all.

All in all, you simply need to know what you want and what you do not want to see when you are in the confines of your bedroom. The important thing is that you feel comfortable in your selection and the rugs also fit your budget.

6 Tips on Buying Kitchen Furniture

Posted on by
Reply

Kitchen furniture comes in all kinds of designs, materials and sizes. It is best that one piece of furniture should match the rest in order to create harmony in the busiest place in the household.

Say, if you started with a wooden kitchen island; then make sure that the rest of the furniture is made of wood (either authentic or man-made). Antique kitchen furniture is usually the most expensive and has the most beautiful craftsmanship. Wood is the most hospitable and fresh looking. Other commonly used materials are steel and plastic.

My biggest beet!
Creative Commons License photo credit: Pain Chaud

Bakers rack, kitchen buffets, beverage coolers, microwave carts, cupboards, kitchen carts and islands, water coolers and dispensers, kitchen stools, kitchen accessories wine racks and wine coolers comprise an entire set of kitchen furniture.

Here are 6 tips that will help you choose the right furniture:

  1. How big is your kitchen and where will you put each piece of furniture? A blueprint will do wonders. It will help you remember where to put all the pieces and thereby create enough space for each.
  2. Who are you living with? Pick that certain piece of furniture that all of you can use, especially the smaller household members.
  3. How smooth are the edges? Choose kitchen furniture that has smooth edges to prevent accidents.
  4. Know who the manufacturer is and how they fare in the industry. Most companies offer a warranty and/or create products that can be repaired. However, you must check the total cost of repairs versus the cost of its total replacement.
  5. Do not limit your search to the immediate environment. If you can’t find the designs you want in your local furniture shop, check your local newspaper, garage sales, auctions and online stores.
  6. Be aware of the limits in your budget. Don’t overspend. You can always find a great deal of nice and cheap choices if you look for them in the right places. Beauty is a factor but don’t let it be THE only factor.

I hope these tips help you with your decisions. Like with most home interior, buying kitchen furniture shouldn’t be done haphazardly. You should really think about what you want, or your kitchen may end up looking terrible.

The Continuity Of Life Represented By A Stoneware Jug

Posted on by
Reply

Memories of days gone by are represented by simple stoneware jugs. First made in the sixteenth century, they are an enduring part of American history. These jugs were used to store almost any type of liquid from maple syrup to milk. On occasion, they even held moonshine! When they were empty, they were used as vases for wildflowers picked by the children of the household for their mothers. After the flowers died, the jugs were washed and used once again, this time perhaps for cider or molasses. These jugs used to be found on the countertops or in the cupboards of most kitchens. Now you can have this memory in your kitchen.

Best jug yet
Creative Commons License photo credit: Jeremy Cusker

Gray and tan clays were used to make stoneware jugs. When a kiln was heated high, and a handful of salt was thrown in for glazing, stoneware jugs became an inexpensive, often graceful staple of American homes. With this background, it is easy to see that these jugs came in many varieties, sizes and shapes. While many antique stoneware jugs have a light beige body with a brown top and handle, you can find them in many shades of beiges and grays with various decorations on them in cobalt blue, brown, or purple. Flowers and many other designs were used for this. Sometimes these designs were painted on and sometimes they were carved into the jug before the paint was added.

Use your jug for storing pancake syrup, distilled water, safflower oil or sunscreen. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination and lifestyle. They also make unique containers for fresh, dried or artificial flowers. These sturdy little containers can be a focal point of your kitchen. Whether you get a modern one or an antique one, they will look adorable sitting on your countertop. Enjoy your little bit of Americana, your own stoneware jug.

Help Choosing a Great Mattress

Posted on by
Reply

If you need help choosing a great mattress, you could do worse than start your research online. There’s been an explosion of consumer mattress review sites in recent years where you will find hundreds of reviews written by real people who have been using the mattresses they write about for many months or years. If you choose this route you will get to shortcut the process of schlepping from store to store in order to narrow your search down to just a few models. Mattresses are not cheap, so this is an essential stage in your search if you are to get your decision right first time.

Please make sure you don’t make any hasty decisions though based solely on the reviews you read – it is important that you try out each mattress extensively before you decide to buy. You and your sleeping partner need to spend quite some time lying on a mattress to check that it is comfortable. In fact, you should do far more than just lie still on the mattress, bounce around on it, stretch out to the fullest extent, in short, put it through its paces. Probably the most important aspect you need to check is that when one partner rolls over on the mattress, that the other partner doesn’t notice their movements too much. If they do, there’s a good chance they will be disturbed regularly when they are asleep.

When you’ve made your decision, it’s time to work out a deal with the store. Knowing the online price of the mattress you want puts you at an advantage at this stage. If the in-store price is hundreds of dollars more than you can buy it for online, there has to be some room for negotiation. Personally I prefer to buy high-priced items from a physical store rather than online, because if there ever is a problem, the service I’ll get will always be much better – I don’t always get the best price this way, but I am much more reassured that I have the best deal for me.

Kitchen Islands And Carts Can Save You Money

Posted on by
Reply

Kitchen islands and carts can make your kitchen a much more pleasant place to work. If your kitchen is too small for your family’s needs, has an inflexible floor plan or lacks counter and storage space, an island or cart in your kitchen can give you the extra space and versatility you need, and it won’t cost a fortune either.

Kitchen Island
Creative Commons License photo credit: foodiesathome.com

A kitchen cart or island provides a surface that you can use as a worktop when preparing food. Under the counter, there is space for storage, in drawers or on shelves. Many kitchen carts and islands have other useful features like butcher blocks, drop leaves and towel rails. Some of the larger kitchen islands are stationary and provide a very stable working area, while kitchen carts and smaller kitchen islands are fitted with casters, so you can move them about the kitchen to wherever they are needed.

Many kitchens have been designed to be used by only one cook at a time. With a kitchen island or cart, two or more people can work together in the kitchen space, turning the kitchen into a much friendlier room where everyone in the family can enjoy preparing meals. The many kitchen islands and carts available come in a host of styles, colors and finishes so you are sure to be able to find a size and design that works for your family as well as complementing your kitchen decor and suiting your budget.

If you would like to make your kitchen a friendlier place with the bonus of versatile storage and counter space, it can be well worth your time to check out some of the cheap kitchen islands and carts on sale. You will be able to find all of the features you need without the expense and inconvenience of refurbishing your kitchen.