I gave Bette three choices for her guest bath. The wall color and new shower curtain will be determined after we choose these permanent items. 
Light 1 Mirror 1 Vanity 1 Light 2 Mirror 2 Vanity 2 Light 3 Mirror 3 Vanity 3
Category Archives: Bathrooms
Updating the Master
Filed under Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Current Projects, Rooms
Bette asked me to help her update her Master Bedroom and Bath. She wants to keep her custom bedding, drapes and furniture. I suggested continuing the deep brown, wide plank hardwood we put in the public spaces of her home two years ago into the bedrooms, and she agreed it was a good idea.
Just a few changes will make a big difference.
Counter Choices Rug Rug Mirror Fabric for Roman Shade Bench Wallpaper
Way Back
Filed under Bathrooms, Kitchens, Rooms, Uncategorized
I don’t know why I have an urge to post these photos. They are so old that all of them but one were taken with a camera with film. They were scanned so long ago the quality is horrible. They are so ancient they predate ubiquitous stainless steel and granite, in fact.
I created all these mosaics. I remember at the time thinking the red tiles were so cutting edge. I used to spend hours milling around showrooms. So much so some of the employees began giving me broken tiles that were brightly colored or patterned.
I remember the first time I saw glass tile. I was blown away. I still am. Just wait till you see what I’m putting in the Rooftop bar….
You can't see it from the poor quality, but some of these tiles had navy flowers on them. The rest were solid in ice blue, pale butter yellow and emerald green.
This mosaic features at least 20 different tiles in earth tones. There are even a few with a mettalic finish, which was really funky at the time.
Not a backsplash. This fireplace was in my old townhouse. It had been horrible builder grade brick. Most of the tiles had been recycled from another project.
Above a bathroom sink. Some of the tiles were periwinkle with a slight squiggly design.
This was my first. My friend saw how to do it on tv and called me to watch it. A few hours later I was done. I remember her freaking out that I would do something so quickly.
This one was done with the same colors in the same proportion to a huge piece of art in the sitting area opposite. I think the painting was of poppies, but I honestly don't remember.
Way Beyond Beige
Filed under Bathrooms, Color, Design Principles, Rooms, Trend Spotting
There must be a lot of pink bathrooms still hanging around. A 10 second Flickr search hit almost 3,000 and that was specifically typing only “pink toilet”.
Pink, blue and green porcelain was enormously popular in the 50s and 60s. It’s pretty shocking how many still remain and are in mint (lol) condition.
Brightly coloring the place you poop seems like the oddest trend. I wonder how it gained such popularity. It is so amazing that America bought this trend with such exuberance. Especially in light of today, where homeowners are paralyzed with fear even considering any home addition that isn’t beige. This is not hyperbole, folks. My clients LITERALLY clutch their hearts when I suggest carpet that is not tan, or tile that isn’t vanilla.
Pink toilets are frightening. I understand that. But so are plain, boring houses devoid of personality. There are millions of other options out there. Try one. No need to fear, because unlike the durable and well constructed toilet of the 50s, today’s products need to be replaced in 10 years anyway.
Well whatayaknow. In researching this post I found a whole website dedicated to pink bathrooms!
Decorate Your Space on the Road: Part Four
Filed under Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Current Projects, Rooms
My final installation of Decorate Your Space on the Road features perfect finds and another less than unanimous decision.
I have mentioned Pottery Barn a lot in these four posts because it is the only major mid line chain in Myrtle Beach. It stands without its usual competition in a very nice mixed-use-New Concept-Town Centre-format-outdoor Mall. Being the only people in the store on all three occasions, we had excellent service. But the best part about shopping here was the deals: I selected drapery panels for all three bedrooms at 75% off! Silk Panels for $45! And the complete hardware set for $35!!! This is cheaper than Wal-Mart. I was positively gleeful about this. Like a doctor scanning MRI film showing no cancer or Senator whose pork has passed, these are the moments that make my job.
We were not able to complete a room with the stock available, but at such crazily low prices, we decided to buy larger panels than we needed and have them altered. Out of 8 windows, we needed to alter only one panel in length for the Master Bedroom, split two 105″ width panels into four 50″ width panels for the room with the full bed, and split one 105″ panel into two for the room with the pair of twin beds. The alterations expense came to $180, which is less than the original price from only one panel.
We had more perfect finds. Two lamps, exactly right for the Master Bedroom, were just sitting on a shelf and waiting for us at HomeGoods. A solitary picture containing all the proper colors for the Guest Room hung on a peg right under an ideal black lamp with a green leaf shade at Target. A pair of prints framed in an exact complement to the pair of twin bed frames was found on clearance for only $30 each. We loaded the van again and again, happy with our purchases, our bellies full of fresh seafood.
I created a plan for the half bath rather late in my trip because I just couldn’t grab a vision for this space. Since wallpaper was off limits, I felt tapped out. Until I saw it. A pretty little chandelier, coral and green and white, of painted iron with tiny flowers. This was it. I instantly saw a more feminine space, true to the color story in the Great Room. In the showroom, wordlessly, I pointed up. Jim’s face lit up. He, too, received a vision of it hanging in the half bath.
This time Roseann was the holdout. “No way!” “Too grandma!” “Not my taste at all!!”
It was the last day. I was flying home in a few hours. I had to get tough. “WRAP IT UP”, I said to the salesman (all along knowing that today the credit card was in JIM’S wallet…)
Search Engine Request: Decorating a Half Bath
I study the stats for Design Strategies. I find what visitors are googling to get here extremely interesting. A consistant keyword phase has been “Half Bath Design”, “Ideas for Decorating a Half Bath”, or some variation of that theme.
I know why this is such a popular decorating dilemma. Newly constructed homes tend to have high ceilings but very narrow walls. They feel awkward. Add to this, I looked through dozens of my decorating books for pictures of Half Baths. There are none. It is just too hard to photograph such cramped quarters. Decorating books show off spacious bathrooms.
So here are some of my tried and true design strategies for Half Baths:
*Wallpaper. The best option, in my opinion. This is a safe place to put a pattern you love, but are afraid to use. Wonderful wallpaper is expensive, but these spaces require less, so go for it.
*Use a bold color. Most Half Baths have white or bisque porcelain fixtures that call for added drama.
*Wainscoting looks great in a country casual room. I once put it from floor to ceiling, much to the chagrin of the contractor. He fought me tooth and nail, but afterward ended up going home and repeating it in his bath. This is a true story!
*Glass mosaic tiles can be placed in a large rectangle on the wall behind a pedestal sink, extending beyond the perimeter of the mirror. Stunning.
*Remove the wall mounted light fixture and replace it with a chandelier.
*A frameless mirror is the design death of a half bath. Choose something beautiful.
*A towel rod is stupid here. Who is planning on showering? Use a hook instead.
*Try one big work of art.
*Please…no fuzzy seat covers or rugs. And remember my mantra–beware of clutter.
Dressing Up a Half Bath
Filed under Bathrooms, Design Principles, Lighting, Rooms
The tiny hall baths on the main floor of many homes constructed within the last 10 or 15 years are paralyzingly boring. The ceilings are often high, but the walls are narrow. I see a lot of hall baths with zero personality.
I have an easy fix. Add a chandelier.
Simply remove the light fixture above the mirror. Choose a chandelier that suits your decor. Smaller versions are better. The faceplate can be mounted on the wall where the old fixture was wired. Install a heavy plant hook to the ceiling and string the chandelier cord over the hook so that it hangs directly over the sink. (High enough to avoid tall person head collisions.)
Add an interesting color, or better yet some wallpaper, and problem solved!
Changing Rooms
Why does a room have to serve the same purpose it always has?
I just made a recommendation that an unused Dining Room become a Tea Room or a Library.
In the book I recommended a few posts back, many small Bedrooms were transformed to Changing/Dressing Rooms to accommodate the New York City lifestyles highlighted.
In my own home, my husband and I office in our large Master Bedroom. A faux pas to some, I know, but we have worked this way successfully. This room has the best view!
How many people really use their formal Dining Rooms or Living Rooms? It seems like a great improvement to quality of life to repurpose the space to something that could be utilized everyday. I have seen Offices created out of closets in Unclutterer, a blog I read. How about making a basement into a Media Room? Common, I suppose. The photo is the ultimate repurpose. A spa from a closet!