Classic Bathroom Design

I'm going to be straight with you folks, I had planned to do at least three posts like this one for month of February. As you can see there are only two days left in February and this is the first bathroom renovation workbook posted. It turns out posts like this take a long time to put together. I'll leave it up to you guys, if you'd like to see more posts like this I will most certainly do it. Or you can just email me with specific design requests and I can whip mood boards for you. I'll let you all decide. So, let's get started.

I decided to start with a classic bathroom design because it's the style I'm most drawn to. It might have something to do with how much I love older homes that tend to have subway tiles on the walls, basket weave tile floors and maybe even a pink sink. They'll be so pink sinks in this workbook but I have included many resources that will help you create a classic bathroom.

flooring resoures - wall tile resources

I prefer to stick with a white & black color scheme when it comes to floors, walls, and fixtures. Installing tile is labor intensive and can be expensive depending on the materials you choose. Choosing black & white or even all white means you can change out inexpensive accessories for a new look and anything will work. It's also important to consider the value of the space you are renovating. For my condo I would probably go with basic white penny tiles but for home you intend on enjoying for years it would so worth installing those delicious marble basket weave floor tile. A few rows of penny rounds or a Greek key mosaic pattern will add great visual interest to a wall of subway tile.

faucet resources - sinks & tub resources

A pedestal or console sink will look great with the flooring and wall tile options above but will leave you with no room for storage. If you prefer having a vanity I love this one from Restoration Hardware. Restoration Hardware can be pricey so shop places like Overstock.com and Ebay which are both excellent places to find bathroom fixtures. I hope this post was helpful to you if you are planning a bathroom renovation and feel free to shoot me any questions you have.

A Place for Everything...

I'm sure you all spent the weekend scrubbing your hearts out with the home made concoctions we learned about from homemakers of yore. So now that your bathrooms are spic and span and free of all those nasty harsh chemicals there is the issue of stuff to deal with. Bathrooms are stuff traps. With all of the cleansers, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, cotton balls, makeup that we need accessible everyday is hard to figure out the best and most pleasing way to store it all. Michelle Engel Bencsko shared photos with me of her recently renovated master bathroom and I spotted a lot of great storage tricks that would work well in any bathroom.

Apothecary jars in various sizes keep items used daily neatly contained but still right at your finger tips. Michelle chose to store the more unsightly items like toilet paper and her toilet brush in decorative vases. Functional and beautiful, I love it!

Installing this modern floating sink created a ton of storage space below. Michelle now neatly stores all of her bath and hand towels in baskets stashed underneath the sink. Hands down my favorite feature of this bathroom makeover is the slim floating shelf installed above the sink. I'm a big fan of getting things up off of counter space and this does that very effectively. Toothbrushes are still with in reach but housed in pretty cups and up on a shelf they look more like a display and less link clutter. Great job Michelle, I love what you've done!

Photo Credit: Michelle Engel Bencsko

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Creating a Clean and Green Space

When I set out to create today's posts I had originally imagined it would be a roundup of green cleaning products that would help you replace those harsh chemical cleansers that are so commonly sold for bathrooms. After a rather inspiring conversation with a very smart women last night a little light bulb appeared over my head. I don't need to put together long list of new things you need to purchase. We're a smart group and I bet with a little research I could find simple and effective recipes for creating greener cleaners at home. I knew just where to start my search. This is such a riot, you're going to die when you see this book. I picked it up a flea market for $1 thinking it would make a funny wedding shower gift but I couldn't give it up.

How much do you love that it says "This cover is washable"? The book was published in 1941 so I figured at that time women might still be whipping up concoctions at home to use for cleaning. I flipped to the section about bathrooms and it turns out almost the entire bathroom can be cleaned with scouring powder, a cellulose sponge, and a long handled brush. My guess is commercially available scouring powder is what we now call Ajax but I'd like to believe my 1940's homemaker was making batches of her own scouring powder follow a recipe similar to this one:

1 cup baking soda

1 cup borax

1/2 cup salt

10 - 20 drops of a citrus essential oil (optional)

Tip: an empty Parmesan cheese container with a shaker top is a great place to store your homemade scouring power.

If you prefer a cleanser that is more similar to Soft Scrub you can try this instead:

1/2 cup soap flakes

2 tsp. borax

2 tsp whiting (calcium carbonate, a degreasing agent)

1 1/2 cup warm water

You can use either of these two cleansers on the tub, toilet, sink and tile surround. You'll need a few more supplies to get those faucets and mirrors sparkling but they are really basic and really cheap. To clean rust stains from faucets just rub with a cut lemon. Yup, that's it. To make your own glass cleaner you can try 2 tbsp. of white vinegar mixed with 2 quarts warm water or if the smell of vinegar bugs you try 1 tbsp. borax with 2 quarts warm water. The key here is to use a lint free cloth to get those mirrors spic and span. One last tip I learned from this book that is extremely helpful is to get in the habit of flushing your sink and tub drains with boiling water about once a week to keep them clear of hair. This way serious clogs won't develop and you can avoid having to use a seriously harsh drain cleaning solution like Draino or Liquid Plumber.

I had to include this shot of Order of Work for Cleaning Bathroom. Get a load of that Daily Care list?! There are ten activities that it suggests should be done every day to keep the bathroom clean. Ahem, you must excuse me I have to run. It looks like I have some serious catching up to do.

Have a great weekend. Hopefully you don't spend the entire time cleaning your bathroom!

Photo Credit: Michelle Verdugo

A Place to Powder Your Nose

Sometimes the smallest rooms in the home are the most fun to decorate. This can be especially true for the powder room. We may not all be blessed with this extra 1/2 bath especially for guests but if you are one of the lucky ones why not have see it as an opportunity to be bold with your decorating choices.

domino - elle decor

This is your opportunity to cover the walls with your favorite color. Pale pink, rich brown, or brilliant teal might seem like over kill in your living room but applied on a smaller scale room like in a powder room these colors can be really special. I also love the idea of turning a powder room into a gallery space like the photo from Elle Decor. Want a chuckle? Check out this art work that Nichole as decided to hang in her powder room.

simply grove - domino

I like to think of the powder room as a little jewelry box and it's sparkling gem - a great, over sized, statement mirror. You can go modern in a shiny bright color or rustic like the fabulous mirror from Domino made of driftwood. As a matter of fact this is one idea that I don't think needs to be saved for the powder room and can be carried over into the master bathroom.

nacho polo - d magazine

Feel like being really bold and want to more than just paint the room a rich color? Go for a patterned wallpaper instead. I love a geometric wallpaper like those available from Graham & Brown. The photo above from Simply Grove shows a really creative use of wallpaper in a powder room, it is applied only to ceiling. Since this is not a high moisture environment like a standard bathroom you won't have to worry about the wallpaper peeling.

my marrakech

And finally, it's your space so do whatever with it makes you happy. This is of course what it really comes down do in any part of your home. I love how Maryam, author of the blog My Marrakech, filled an entire wall with little handmade bits and bobs that make her smile and other other walls she hung some curious pieces of art work. I may not do this in my own home but I would certainly be happy to be a guest in her space.

Update: I just spotted this Small Bathrooms Gallery on the Canadian House & Homes website that I thought you would enjoy. There are a lot of great ideas for small spaces in it.

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A Little Shopping Always Helps

A Little Shopping Always Helps

First up for Bathroom Month is a round up of chic bathroom accessories. If your bathroom looks anything like mine, new accessories may feel like putting lipstick on a pig but a full bathroom remodel may not be in your budget. Freshing up the space with some new accessories may help you to ignore that ugly, outdated tile for just a little bit longer.

The collections below contain accents that will coordinate with many different decor styles so whether your bathroom is classic, modern, spa like, or really feminine you should find something that you will enjoy.

1. ring holder 2. pump 3. 3 piece set 4. tumbler 5. baskets, set of 2

6. natural brush 7. waste can & tray 8. basket

1. carafe 2. amber bottles 3. vipp can 4. trinket dish

5. canisters 6. soap dish

1. tissue box 2. chemist's jar 3. tumbler 4. pump 5. soap dish

6. trinket dish 7. canister 8. hanging soap dish

If an entire bathroom overhaul is something you have been planning and are looking for some inspiration you can look forward to full room designs in next weeks bathroom post.